Fifteen major companies, including the likes of Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, and PwC, announced they are joining together to change their cybersecurity job descriptions and requirements to attract more talent to the 3 million cybersecurity job openings that are expected to be available over the next two years. The group, which also includes AIG, Cloudflare, the Cyber Threat Alliance, Duke Energy, IronNet, Johnson & Johnson, Northrop Grumman, Symantec, Unisys, and Verizon, is focused on cutting certain words from postings that may be too masculine and unnecessarily keep some applicants from feeling they would fit in the role. Shannon Vavra has more.

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GAO: 18 big agencies continue to ignore key IT workforce planning actions

The Government Accountability Office has a simple message for the 24 CFO Act agencies about hiring and retaining IT workers: The instructions are already out there. The GAO recommended this week that agencies take another look at the eight information technology workforce planning activities it previously suggested in 2016 and 2018. While 23 of the agencies have at least partially developed staffing requirements, regularly assessed staffing needs and identified skills gaps, five other practices continue to go largely unaddressed, according to the report. Dave Nyczepir has more.

Pentagon partners with GSA on procurement pilot to replace military recruitment system

The Pentagon has partnered with the General Services Administration to use a pilot procurement program to replace its outdated system for determining recruits’ qualifications for military service. DOD has enlisted GSA to use a commercial solutions opening (CSO) to procure the modernization. The CSO is a streamlined solicitation designed to attract nontraditional, innovative companies to do work with the federal government by allowing agencies to acquire technologies and services in production or adapted from existing products. Section 880 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2017 directed the General Services Administration’s Procurement Innovation Resource Center to create the CSO pilot outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Dave Nyczepir has more.

With workforce in mind, bipartisan bill proposes incentives for cybersecurity education, and more

The HACKED Act is actually about making sure people don't get hacked.

The bipartisan bill — with the full title "The Harvesting American Cybersecurity Knowledge through Education Act" — was introduced Tuesday by four senators who say it would boost cybersecurity education and expand workforce training. The legislation comes as the Trump administration, Congress and industry have all taken steps to boost the cybersecurity workforce through training, recruitment and retention.

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