Building a well-trained cyber workforce has been a challenge for the federal government, and the first step in that process is finding well-qualified candidates to fill the positions.

Laura Bate, senior programming associate for New America’s Cybersecurity Initiative, said there are several factors that make that the case, but agencies do have options to overcome the obstacles.

“When you start talking about what encourages retention or what attracts people to jobs, it’s more than just pay,” she told the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. “And, to a certain extent, I find that encouraging.”

Of course, pay does remain a huge motivator in the field, she said. It’s the classic American solution: throw money at the problem. But everyone’s heard it by now: the federal government can’t compete with the private sector when it comes to wages.

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