The Office of Personnel Management is making cybersecurity its own career path.

Many federal cyber workers are a part of the 2210 series for IT management. But there is no specific cybersecurity category for federal workers, said Nancy Kichak, OPM’s associate director for the Human Resources Policy Division and chief human capital officer, in an interview with Federal News Radio’s Jason Miller.

“We’re trying to figure out if that’s the appropriate thing or if a new series is needed,” Kichak said.

OPM is also analyzing the cyber needs of federal agencies, so “we can have some consistency in the base skills that the cyber workforce needs,” she said.

Kichak said OPM is working with the CIO Council and the White House task force on cybersecurity to determine which skills are needed for federal cyber professionals.

“This is not just about determining a new class. It’s also about helping agencies figure out how to recruit and find the people they need to do their work,” Kichak said.

Demand is rising for cyber professionals in the federal government. The Defense Department said it wants to hire 1,000 cyber professionals a year over the next few years.

“OPM is definitely committed to doing this quickly,” Kichak said.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily Cybersecurity Update brought to you by Tripwire. For more cybersecurity news, click here.

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