The Senate confirmed John Sherman to serve as the chief information officer (CIO) at the Department of Defense by voice vote on Dec. 14.
Sherman has served as acting CIO at DoD since January 2021. He brings nearly 25 years of experience working in national security technology and innovation across the DoD and Intelligence Community, where he also served as CIO.
During his confirmation hearing in October, Sherman said he wants to put in place a new strategy to develop DoD cyber talent.
Sherman also said he plans to implement a new strategy that looks at cyber and digital talent in what he called a “whole of nation effort.” Along those lines, Sherman explained that recruiting IT and cyber professionals for a 30-year career with the Feds is not something the government can count on anymore.
Further, Sherman said that he wants to update DoD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program to function fully for small and medium-sized businesses.