Canadian Government Executive - Volume 23 - Issue 02

18 / Canadian Government Executive // February 2017 HR Management Building Canada’s Cyber Security Human Resources Patrice Dutil W ho are the people behind the scenes keeping Canada’s cyberspace safe? What skills are required to work in this ever-changing and challenging environ- ment? How do we attract talent and foster innovation to ensure we can keep up with the changing threat environment? These are the questions that are preoc- cupying the Government of Canada as it looks to build its cyber security capabili- ties to ensure it has a solid posture for the future. It must consider the competencies it needs and then attract and develop the right people to protect its important cyber systems, critical infrastructure and Cana- dians from cyber threats. In the public service, like the private sec- tor, there is a growing demand for cyber security technicians and specialists, but there are challenges in building capacity. Interest in science, technology, engineer- ing and mathematic (STEM) majors and careers has steadily declined over the past decade. Fewer students are enrolling in computer science and graduating with computer science degrees. This is lead- ing to a shortage of expertise in Canada, which will continue to grow as technol- ogy continues to intertwine and merge with our physical lives. In fact, if the cur- rent trends continue, in a couple of years, technology and computing fields, such as cyber security, may only be able to fill half of their available positions. Given the fast pace in which technology evolves, candidates not only need to have STEM competencies, they also need cre- ative thinking and problem solving skills. Recent research shows that diverse and multidisciplinary teams foster innovation, problem-solving, and creativity in the workplace. As a result, cyber security pro- fessionals must be able to innovate and create new technology and security tools to address emerging cyber threats, which can be a challenge given, the lack of di- versity and multidisciplinary expertise in these fields. Organizations need to treat diversity like any other critical business concern as it will impact their ability to retain and improve their competitive edge. A lack of diverse perspectives and skills could limit an organization’s capacity to meet the various needs of its customers, or, for the Government, of its diverse citizens and businesses. Not only are we seeing issues in orga- nizations attracting new diverse talent, they are also losing talent already inter- ested in technology. Women, specifically, employed in the technology field are leav- ing at staggering rates. For the most part, there is an underrepresentation of women in the fields of defence and security, and even more so in STEM fields. To encourage young women to study, obtain and main- tain careers in defence and security, and STEM fields, there is a need to increase their awareness of and access to opportu- nities in these domains. Some organiza- tions are taking action to do just that. Women in Defence and Security (www. wids.ca) , a not for profit and volunteer run organization, manages scholarships, professional development and network- ing opportunities to engage young women and to further their career objectives. As the WiDS representative for Public Safety Canada, Assistant Deputy Minister Kathy Thompson will be leading the launch of a pilot internship program in Ottawa aimed at encouraging female high school stu- dents to consider a career in public safety and security. “This internship will increase students’ awareness of the exciting careers available to them, as well as give them the opportunity to meet women who are in- fluential leaders in these fields; hopefully influencing their course choices for post- secondary education in these areas,” said ADM Thompson. Initiatives and activities such as those undertaken by WiDS are not only helping organizations find talent; they are encouraging women to become future leaders in this sector. This challenge of finding skilled, talented cyber security specialists is being felt across government, and is a particular focus for the Communications Security Establish-