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Two U.S. senators have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening the Department of Defense’s cybersecurity workforce as staffing shortages continue to challenge national security operations, according to Industrial Cyber.
The proposed bill, titled the Department of Defense Comprehensive Cyber Workforce Strategy Act, would require the Pentagon to expand and formalize its approach to recruiting, training, and retaining cybersecurity professionals across military and civilian roles.
A Mandated Cyber Workforce Strategy
Under the legislation, the Department of Defense would be required to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity workforce strategy and submit a report to congressional Armed Services committees by January 31, 2027.
The strategy would be led by the Department’s Chief Information Officer and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, in coordination with senior cyber leaders across the military branches. The goal is to ensure the Department has the personnel needed to protect federal networks and respond to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
The bill was introduced by Senator Gary Peters of Michigan and Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, signaling bipartisan concern over cyber readiness and workforce capacity.
Persistent Staffing Gaps at the Pentagon
The proposal comes as the Department of Defense continues to face difficulty filling cyber roles. As of September 2025, roughly 10% of cybersecurity positions remained vacant, representing approximately 25,000 unfilled roles.
These gaps have raised concerns about mission continuity, particularly as cyber threats from foreign governments and criminal groups grow more advanced and frequent.
Reviewing and Updating Existing Frameworks
If passed, the legislation would require the Department to evaluate progress under its current 2023–2027 Cyber Workforce Strategy and identify what should be continued, changed, or discontinued.
The report would include a detailed assessment of the Defense Cyber Workforce Framework, covering workforce size, vacancy rates, role definitions, performance benchmarks, and progress against established goals. It would also outline challenges encountered during implementation and steps taken to address structural or authority-related obstacles.
Talent Development, Tools, and External Partnerships
The required strategy would also examine opportunities to strengthen talent management through commercial tools that support credential tracking, skills identification, and workforce analytics.
In addition, the Department would be encouraged to explore alternative personnel models, such as cyber reserve or auxiliary forces, and to expand partnerships with universities and academic centers of excellence.
The bill calls for a review of cyber roles related to artificial intelligence, data science, and data engineering to ensure alignment with industry standards, with the aim of improving recruitment from the private sector.
Broader Federal Momentum on Cyber Talent
The legislation aligns with broader federal efforts to address the national cybersecurity talent shortage. In September 2025, the National Institute of Standards and Technology awarded more than $3 million in grants to support cybersecurity workforce development across 13 states.
Those grants expanded the number of Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate communities to 47 across 25 states, reflecting ongoing investment in building cyber skills pipelines nationwide.
If enacted, the Defense Department legislation would add a new layer of structure and accountability to those efforts, focusing specifically on the workforce needed to support military and national security missions.
