Modern computing and communications are essential for U.S. air travel and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but expanding digitization and connectivity also mean increased vulnerability to cyberattacks and breaches by criminals, terrorists, or nation-states. Expanding the FAA’s digital footprint without adequate cybersecurity could have enormous consequences: flight disruption across borders, massive financial damage, and compromised flight safety.

Looking Ahead at the Cybersecurity Workforce at the Federal Aviation Administration, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, charts a path forward for creating and maintaining a cybersecurity workforce at FAA that can meet the challenges of a highly competitive cybersecurity labor market and a wave of future retirements. The report recommends using FAA’s compelling mission in recruitment, broadening the talent pipeline and enhancing diversity, leveraging other federal hiring programs and embracing flexibility to attract and retain talent, and promoting and investing in training and reskilling, among other measures.

The report is available for immediate release and can be downloaded here.  For inquiries, reporters should contact the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.

The committee that wrote the report will host a public webinar on June 23, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT to discuss their findings and recommendations.

Additional Resource: Steps for Transportation Workforce Diversity Outlined in TRB’s Research