Assessing the Feasibility and Advisability of a Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve

In 2020, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission released a report with proposed legislative actions, including the recommendation that Congress task the DoW with assessing the establishment of a military reserve. This recommendation resulted in enactment of Section 1730 of the FY21 The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and resulting report, Evaluation of Reserve Models Tailored to the Support of Cyberspace Operations. The question of alternative cyber reserve forces returned in Section 1540 of the FY23 NDAA, calling for an independent assessment of the feasibility and advisability of creating and maintaining a civilian cybersecurity reserve (CCR). In response, the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy (OUSW(P)) turned to the SEI, a federally funded research and development center with expertise in cybersecurity and cyber workforce development. This post from the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute (SEI), adapted from the report submitted to Congress, highlights SEI findings from our independent study assessing the feasibility and advisability of establishing a CCR.