Talk: Addressing Increased Threats to Global Cybersecurity

The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy (NCWES) represents an important step toward enhancing the security and resilience of our digital future. It focuses on three critically important dimensions: People, People, and People. The NCWES highlights the overriding importance of making foundational cyber skill learning accessible to everyone and the need to increase investment in cyber education from K-12 through higher education, and beyond. The strategy aims to address many of the challenges that must be addressed to increase the capacity of the cyber workforce and education systems to fill the hundreds of thousands of currently vacant cyber jobs and to enhance workforce diversity by reducing barriers to entry for underrepresented groups and underserved communities. By prioritizing regional and sector-based cyber ecosystems and by empowering students, educators, and job seekers, the NCWES seeks to fill the many good-paying, rewarding, and fulfilling jobs that support our increasingly interconnected world.

The strategy outlines four pillars:

Daniel “Rags” Ragsdale is a Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director in the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). He plays a key role in implementing the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy Implementation Plan (NCWES IP), a comprehensive plan that involved collaboration among multiple government agencies, state and local governments, academic and civic organizations, and industry partners. Ragsdale has a diverse background, including serving as Vice President for R&D at Two Six Technologies and holding various senior positions in the Department of Defense (DoD), over a 40-year career.  Ragsdale has been involved in cybersecurity education since 1999 and he was Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Colonel (ret.) Ragsdale’s military service includes three combat deployments and he has received numerous awards and decorations for his many contributions. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Texas A&M University.

Host: Alan T. Sherman, sherman@umbc.edu. Support for this event was provided in part by NSF under SFS grant DGE-1753681.