Attracting, Recruiting, and Retaining Successful Cyberspace Operations Officers: Cyber Workforce Interview Findings

Abstract

Cybersecurity is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation. Given the U.S. Air Force mission to "fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace," addressing this potential security threat falls squarely within the Air Force's responsibility. Because of concerns over the current health and future state of the Air Force's cyberspace community, Air Force leadership asked RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) to explore perspectives within the cyberspace operations officer (17D) community to help the Air Force gain insights into key drivers of retention and attraction to the career field. PAF has pursued several lines of research. First, we explored what is already known about the issues within the 17D community, which included a review of relevant literature. Second, we analyzed Air Force personnel data files to better understand key characteristics of the Air Force's cyber workforce. Third, we conducted a series of interviews with three key populations - senior subject matter experts (SMEs) within the 17D community, members of the 17D workforce, and private-sector cyber specialists. The insights gained from these discussions informed our findings and recommendations, which are detailed in this report. Human subjects protection protocols were used in this study in accordance with the appropriate statutes and Department of Defense (DoD) regulations governing human subjects protection. The views of the sources quoted in this report - including those who have not been identified - are solely their own and do not represent the official policy or position of the DoD or the U.S. Government.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1086432

Entities

People

  • Angela Clague
  • Chaitra M. Hardison
  • David Schulker
  • Jacqueline Torres
  • John A. Hamm
  • John S. Crown
  • Leslie A. Payne

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Computer Network Security
  • Computer Networks
  • Cyber Warfare
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberspace Operations
  • Employment
  • Information Systems
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Applications
  • Military Science
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Students
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Cyber
  • Space