# Federal Agencies Strengthen Cyber Workforce

At Cyber Leaders Exchange 2026, federal cyber workforce leaders highlighted ongoing skills gaps in areas including zero trust, AI security, and post-quantum cryptography. They called for continuous, flexible training, employee reskilling, hands-on lab validation, and broader talent pipelines. One identified example is Cloud Security Alliance’s zero-trust training work under contract with CISA; the signals do not identify a new solicitation, contract value, or procurement deadline.

- Agencies’ emphasis on modular training, cross-skilling, and practical assessments points to demand for providers able to deliver current, mission-relevant cybersecurity instruction.
- Contractors can align training and mentoring offerings with the cited skills areas, including cloud, identity, networking, AI security, and vulnerability management.
- Because no new procurement or funding details are reported, businesses should treat this as a workforce capability signal rather than an announced bid opportunity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology, Education
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** October 13, 2026

### Government Entities
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
- Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD)
- Department of Defense (DoD)
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

### Vendors
- Cloud Security Alliance (Prime contractor for CISA zero-trust training)
- Cisco ()
- Pluralsight ()

### Key Quotes
> We have to do this faster and cheaper and at scale than we’ve done before because we face such a national shortage in terms of cyber workers.
> — Brandon Dues, Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director for Cyber Workforce

> Analysts should require the evidence, as an example, and examine source telemetry or even challenge the conclusions that AI is giving them — and then document their decisions.
> — Norman St. Laurent, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Cisco

### Sources
- [
        Cyber Leaders Exchange 2026: Panel says future cyber workforce hinges on continuous training, talent pipelines - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/cybersecurity/2026/10/cyber-leaders-exchange-2026-panel-says-future-cyber-workforce-hinges-on-continuous-training-talent-pipelines) - Federal News Network
- [
        Cyber Leaders Exchange 2026: How to build a more skilled cybersecurity workforce - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/cybersecurity/2026/10/cyber-leaders-exchange-2026-how-to-build-a-more-skilled-cybersecurity-workforce) - Federal News Network
- [
        Cyber Leaders Exchange 2026: Cisco’s Norman St. Laurent on building a future-ready cyber workforce - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/cybersecurity/2026/10/cyber-leaders-exchange-2026-ciscos-norman-st-laurent-on-building-a-future-ready-cyber-workforce) - Federal News Network