DOD Turns to Skills-Based Hiring to Build Next-Gen Cyber Workforce
Mark Gorak, Director, CAEO, and Principal Director for Resources and Analysis, DOD OCIO
Mark Gorak, the Defense Department’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office’s (CAEO) director and principal director for Resources and Analysis, shares how his office is shaping the future of cyber talent during the 2025 HammerCON conference in Laurel, Maryland.
Launched in 2024, CAEO has partnered with over 480 academic institutions nationwide to identify and develop the next generation of cyber professionals. The office is working to streamline academic partnerships, create equitable opportunities for smaller schools and better align education with national security needs.
Gorak also discusses the Pentagon’s shift toward skills-based hiring, beginning with a pilot program for cybersecurity roles, with plans to expand the approach across the future defense workforce.
-
Mark Gorak Director, CAEO, and Principal Director for Resources and Analysis DOD OCIO
-
CMS Advances Zero Trust, AI Security in IT Modernization Push
The agency is consolidating platforms to improve security and efficiency.
10m watch -
Small Drones Are the 'Defining Problem of Our Time,' Pentagon Warns
Defense leaders warn unmanned aircraft systems are fundamentally reshaping the modern battlefield.
-
New OPM Database is First Step for Federal HR Modernization
OPM launched FWD, replacing FedScope with a more transparent, user-friendly platform featuring interactive workforce data.
8m listen -
Building the Digital Foundation for Golden Dome
Microsoft and Red Hat leaders discuss the technology foundation behind the Golden Dome and the future of integrated missile defense.
20m watch
