DOW Shifts Cyber Workforce Strategy Toward Skills-Based Model

The War Department is shifting its cybersecurity workforce development toward a more dynamic, skills-based ecosystem.

The Department of the Navy is advancing that effort by transitioning from the long-standing Information Assurance (IA) Workforce Improvement Program (8570) policy to the more comprehensive and agile Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program (8140).

As cyber threats evolved, DOW officials recognized that a “one-size-fits-all” certification approach was no longer sufficient to ensure operational readiness, Cyber Workforce Branch Head OPNAV N2/N6 Emily Gawne said Tuesday during AFCEA/USNI WEST in San Diego, California. The Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program, originally published in 2023, provides a more dynamic development path for the workforce, she added.

“[8140] gets much more specific about the work and tasks being performed in the cyberspace domain,” said Gawne. “8570 brought us a certification base … But what it really needed to do, and was meant to do, was more of a talent development program, and that’s what a 140 is bringing to us.”

A New Focus

According to Gawne, the focus has shifted squarely onto the human element of the mission to buttress cybersecurity readiness.

“The peanut butter spread throughout is the focus  … to make sure that these folks are trained and qualified what we’re doing to support that warfighter,” Gawne said.

The Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program allows DOW to move beyond generic job categories and drill down into the specific tasks and knowledge required for specialized work roles. By implementing the DOW Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF), DOW OCIO Cyber Workforce Development Director Matthew Isnor said Tuesday, the military can now track dozens of distinct work roles, ranging from data scientists to software engineers. He added that the workforce is the DOW’s strongest cybersecurity asset and are able to adjust to extenuating circumstances when tech cannot.

“We heavily invest into the tech area, but the people are the number one asset,” Isnor said. “These are the individuals that get the job done. I’ve seen numerous times when tech goes down, they are able to get around it.”

Agile Hiring and Assessment

The ongoing Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program implementation emphasizes skills-based hiring. Traditional hiring often relies on resumes and “checkbox” qualifications, which may not accurately reflect a candidate’s actual ability to perform technical tasks.

“I am much more concerned about people who can actually do the job than the pedigree of what they bring to the job,” Mark Gorak, principal director for resources and analysis for DOW’s Office of the CIO, said in a 2025 interview with GovCIO Media & Research about the program.

DOW has pioneered skills-based assessment pilots, Isnor added. These assessments allow candidates to demonstrate their aptitude through practical tests rather than just certifications or degrees. Gawne noted that the approach is critical for a modern cyber workforce.

“I think this is going to be a game changer for us. Not only is it going to help us to hire quicker, but it’s going to make sure that we’re being able to get after the right skill sets that we need for the workforce,” she said.

Moving Beyond Compliance

The transition also enables more precise assessments of DOW’s cyber readiness, according to Isnor. Through new digital dashboards, leadership can now see real-time readiness data, identify skill gaps and where targeted training is required, he added.

“It’s definitely not a compliance drill. We’re not just tracking numbers and people and things like that,” he said.

Gawne said that the shift will help DON – and the rest of DOW – hire and retain cyber talent throughout the workforce. That, she said, means better cybersecurity for the entire national security ecosystem.

“[The shift] ensures that these folks are trained and skilled, and that we’re tapping in as new and evolving technologies come out,” she said. “We’re making sure that they know exactly what skill sets they need in order to perform their jobs.”