Seek material solutions that are affordable, flexible, and robust: The Department will reduce the time it takes to procure software and hardware in order to keep pace with the rapid advance of technology. We will identify opportunities to procure scalable services, such as cloud storage and scalable computing power, to ensure that our systems keep pace with commercial information technology and can scale when necessary to match changing requirements. We will also leverage COTS capabilities where feasible to reduce our reliance on expensive, custom-built software that is difficult to maintain or upgrade. Expand crowd-sourced vulnerability identification: The Department will continue to identify crowdsourcing opportunities, such as hack-a-thons and bug-bounties, in order to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities more effectively and to foster innovation. › CULTIVATE TALENT Sustain a ready cyber workforce: The Department’s workforce is a critical cyber asset. We will invest in building future talent, identifying and recruiting sought-after talent, and retaining our current cyber workforce. We will provide ample opportunities—both inside and outside the Department—for the professional development and career progression of cyber personnel. We will create processes for maintaining visibility of the entire military and civilian cyber workforce and optimizing personnel rotations across military departments and commands, including maximizing the use of the Reserve Components. The Department will also ensure that its cyber requirements are filled by the optimal mix of military service members, civilian employees, and contracted support to serve mission requirements. Enhance the Nation’s cyber talent: The Department plays an essential role in enhancing the Nation’s pool of cyber talent in order to further the goal of increasing national resilience across the private and public sectors. To that end, we will increase our efforts alongside other Federal departments and agencies to promote science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and foreign language (STEM-L) disciplines at the primary and secondary education levels throughout the United States. The Department will also partner with industry and academia to establish standards in training, education, and awareness that will facilitate the growth of cyber talent in the United States. Embed software and hardware expertise as a core DoD competency: To make it attractive to skilled candidates, the Department will establish a career track for computer science related specialties (including hardware engineers, software developers, and data analysts) that offers meaningful challenges, rotational billets at other Federal departments and agencies, specialized training opportunities tied to retention commitments, and the expansion of compensation incentives for the Cyber Excepted Service (CES). Establish a cyber top talent management program: The Department will establish a cyber talent management program that provides its most skilled cyber personnel with focused resources and opportunities to develop key skills over the course of their careers. The Department will use competitive processes, including individual and team competitions, to identify the most capable DoD military and civilian cyber specialists and then empower those personnel to solve the Department’s toughest challenges. 6 DOD CYBER STRATEGY