According to a new rule published on August 26, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is launching its new DHS Cybersecurity Service (DHS-CS) that will allow the agency to hire and manage cybersecurity professionals outside of traditional civil service requirements.
Launch of the DHS-CS follows on plans announced by the agency in 2020 to develop a Cybersecurity Talent Management System (CTMS) – a new hiring and compensation system that will help the DHS adapt to growing cyber threats and a tight labor market for cybersecurity professionals.
“CTMS represents a shift from traditional practices used to hire, compensate, and develop federal civil service employees and is designed to adapt to changes in cybersecurity work, the cybersecurity talent market, and the department’s cybersecurity mission,” DHS said in a Federal Register notice.
CTMS will govern talent management for the DHS-CS through specialized practices for hiring, compensation, and development. Individuals hired will receive contemporary career experience in public service, which according to the notice, “emphasizes continual learning and contributions to DHS cybersecurity mission execution.”
Additionally, DHS-CS is envisioned as a new unit within the broader DHS cybersecurity workforce that will further support and execute the agency’s cybersecurity mission. But, the notice emphasizes, this new unit “is not intended to replace the DHS civilian employees and the United States Coast Guard Military personnel currently performing work relating to cybersecurity.”
Current Federal employees in cyber-related roles at DHS won’t be placed into the new service automatically. Anyone interested in the new classification will have to apply for an open position.
