GAO: Most agencies unaware of cyber contractor workforce info

Only the Office of Personnel Management was noted by the Government Accountability Office to have been able to provide comprehensive information regarding its cybersecurity contractor workforce among 23 Chief Financial Officers Act agencies, FedScoop reports.

Fourteen of the CFO agencies only had partial details regarding such contractors, while none have been kept by eight agencies, with the lack of information attributed to contract structure or the absence of agency-wide reporting procedures, according to a report from the GAO.

Moreover, quality assurance processes were not documented by 19 agencies, while 17 did not establish methods to determine cyber workers, prompting the GAO to recommend that the Office of the National Cyber Director collaborate with other agencies in ensuring formal data gathering processes, as well as evaluating cyber workforce projects' cost effectiveness.

"Until ONCD addresses these factors, it cannot ensure that agencies will have the information needed to support workforce decisions. This is especially important during administration transitions when new leadership needs assurance that the federal government is prepared and cyber-ready," said the GAO.