Senators roll out cyber workforce bill

Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Friday introduced legislation meant to tackle parts of the government’s cyber workforce shortage.

The Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Expansion Act would establish a cybersecurity apprenticeship program at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with creating a program at the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans with cybersecurity training.

The bill was introduced in the wake of months of escalating cyberattacks aimed at critical U.S. organizations.

Hassan pointed to the escalating attacks on Friday in stressing that “our national cybersecurity infrastructure is woefully lacking.”

Cornyn said in a separate statement that “cyber threats are evolving each day, and we must have a workforce prepared to respond.”