\u200b\u200bDHS watchdog finds mismanagement in critical cyber talent program | FedScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"CISA was paying employees without mission-critical cybersecurity backgrounds as part of a program for retaining cyber talent.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fedscoop.com\/cisa-cyber-incentive-program-dhs-inspector-general-report\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u200b\u200bDHS watchdog finds mismanagement in critical cyber talent program\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"CISA was paying employees without mission-critical cybersecurity backgrounds as part of a program for retaining cyber talent.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fedscoop.com\/cisa-cyber-incentive-program-dhs-inspector-general-report\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FedScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:publisher\" 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class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--event js-stickybar\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.542168674699\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"34.090909090909\">\n<p> CISA was paying employees without mission-critical cybersecurity backgrounds as part of a program for retaining cyber talent. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/fedscoop\/86954\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-2.jpg?resize=505,337 505w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-2.jpg?resize=1012,675 1012w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\"><figcaption> A U.S. Department of Homeland Security sign is displayed at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection headquarters on May 18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Carter\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"23.940126441056\"><body readability=\"50\"><\/p>\n<p>The Department of Homeland Security failed to effectively implement a critical retention incentive program for cyber talent, according to a new report from the agency\u2019s inspector general, which found that federal funds meant for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were used incorrectly. <\/p>\n<p>In 2015, the agency implemented the Cyber Incentive program. The goal, the inspector general said, was to provide extra incentives to employees that might otherwise leave the federal government. More than $100 million has been spent on the program in recent years. <\/p>\n<p>The program \u201cwas designed to help CISA retain mission-critical cybersecurity talent needed to execute its mission,\u201d the report noted, and was meant to consider a series of qualifications to guide who received the retention benefit. The government hoped to keep in-demand technology experts in government. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe found CISA\u2019s implementation of the program wasted taxpayer funds and invites the risk of attrition of cyber talent, thereby leaving CISA unable to adequately protect the Nation from cyber threats,\u201d the watchdog wrote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Instead of being targeted toward valuable talent likely to transition to the private sector, the payments were disbursed generally, with many ineligible employees receiving tens of thousands of dollars in payment. According to the report, 240 employees who didn\u2019t hold roles directly related to cybersecurity received payment through the Cyber Incentive program. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe could not determine what made the positions in these CISA divisions critical to its overall mission to protect against cyberattacks that pose a threat to public safety and national security, or that there was an identified shortage of skilled individuals in these areas,\u201d the report stated. <\/p>\n<p>The agency\u2019s human resources team didn\u2019t track who received which payments, exacerbating the problem. More than 300 people also received erroneous backpayments. <\/p>\n<p>The investigation was triggered following a hotline complaint sent to the OIG back in 2023. The OIG made eight recommendations to CISA, which concurred with all of them. <\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"4.3661844484629\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"16\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Rebecca Heilweil\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Rebecca Heilweil<\/h4>\n<p> Rebecca Heilweil is an investigative reporter for FedScoop. She writes about the intersection of government, tech policy, and emerging technologies. Previously she was a reporter at Vox’s tech site, Recode. She\u2019s also written for Slate, Wired, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. 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{"id":7985,"date":"2025-09-12T11:51:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T16:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=85976"},"modified":"2025-09-12T11:51:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T16:51:47","slug":"dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/12\/dhs-watchdog-finds-mismanagement-in-critical-cyber-talent-program\/","title":{"rendered":"\u200b\u200bDHS watchdog finds mismanagement in critical cyber talent program"},"content":{"rendered":"