DHS plans expansion of cybersecurity workforce

The Department of Homeland Security plans to grow its cybersecurity workforce by more than 50 percent, as lawmakers and the White House work to expand the department's authority in securing both government and private-sector websites.

By October 2012, DHS' cyber staff will grow from 260 to 400 workers, Philip Reitinger, deputy undersecretary of the department's National Protection and Programs Directorate, said at a Senate committee hearing. A new legislative proposal released by the White House this month not only places DHS as the lead defender of the dot-gov domain but also gives the department expanded authority. The DHS secretary would require companies to disclose annually "high-level summaries" of their cybersecurity plans and whether risks have been properly addressed. The secretary would also create a process for designating critical infrastructure such as power plants and electric grids.