Are Paychecks the Problem? Senate Considers Bonuses for Pentagon’s Cyber Workforce

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.defenseone.com/management/2014/05/are-paychecks-problem-senate-considers-bonuses-pentagons-cyber-workforce/85258/

By Aliya Sternstein
Nextgov
May 27, 2014

Current and aspiring Defense Department personnel with cyber skills could 
see a boost in pay under a Senate 2015 defense policy bill that lawmakers 
detailed on Friday.

Defense is up against the private sector’s lucrative salaries as it 
endeavors to boost cyber mission forces. Pentagon Secretary Chuck Hagel 
recently said these forces, expected to include 1,800 personnel by year’s 
end, should number 6,000 professionals in 2016.

The Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday approved a measure that 
directs each military service to determine “whether recruiting, retention, 
and assignment of service members with cyber skills requires bonuses or 
special and incentive pays,” according to the new details. The services 
would have to report their decisions to Congress by Jan. 31, 2015.

The policy bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act, also 
directs the services to consider if the cyber battleground warrants new 
career fields. The question is whether to create names for officer and 
enlisted specialties that are separate from the existing “communications, 
signals, and intelligence” specialties.

[...]

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