The US government has no idea how many cybersecurity pros it employs

The GAO found that 23 US federal agencies lack reliable, standardized data on their cybersecurity workforce—particularly contractors—due to incomplete reporting, weak quality assurance, and inconsistent definitions of cybersecurity roles, undermining staffing and budgeting decisions. The report points to limited guidance and a paused federal cyber workforce working group under the Office of the National Cyber Director, issues four recommendations to close data gaps and improve reporting, notes that ONCD neither agreed nor disagreed with those recommendations, and observes uncertainty over the continuation of Biden-era workforce initiatives.