There is tremendous uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the implementation of 8140.03, especially among individuals and the leadership of the cyber workforce.
Cyber workers are unsure if they qualify for their new 8140 roles, how to become “Qualified,” when to be qualified, and the impact of not being compliant.
8140.03 defines the complex requirements for each cyber worker and leader to obtain, maintain, and produce specific qualifications demonstrating minimum capabilities to perform the DCWF work roles.
Implementing a system like CyberSTAR as early as possible would eliminate uncertainty and anxiety by ensuring DoD cyber personnel because it would allow them ample time to understand 8140.03 and learn how to attain/maintain qualifications required for their work role far before the upcoming waves of implementation dates of 2/15/2025 and 2/15/2026.
The ideal time to begin this process is in early 2024 because as of February 15th, 2024, the Human Resource Activities will have completed work to identify Cyber Positions covered under the regulation. These positions will now have associated 8140 specific information (DCWF work roles, proficiency levels, and privileged user indicators), and that information has been added for those positions in the respective Authoritative Manpower systems (DCPDS, FMTS, etc.)
Starting soon after Feb 2024, we can begin the process to ease the anxiety of Cyber Workers by providing them the information and assistance towards becoming qualified in plenty of time to meet the implementation dates. The earliest work roles have a qualification timeline requirement of over one year, February 2025, while most other work roles have a qualification timeline requirement of February 2026.
Exposing the cyber workforce to the details of the DoD regulation set 8140 early will allow everyone to understand the myriad of qualification options and choose the path to qualification that makes the most sense for them.
The first implementation step would be to obtain an extract from respective Authoritative Manpower systems containing the list of positions, relevant positional data, and corresponding personnel. Extracts can be time-consuming, but it is necessary to model the Authoritative Source data in the system to successfully maintain data integrity in the future through a more automated data integration with the authoritative manpower source system.
Once the positions, associated 8140 elements, and personnel have been loaded into the system, cyber personnel and leadership can be invited into the system to get introduced to their assigned work roles. Users will then receive authoritative information regarding compliance timelines for each work role. They will be able to determine if their work roles fall under the CyberSpace Work Roles timeline of Feb 2025 or all other Work Roles timeline of Feb 2026.
*Note: The system is continuously updated with all 8140 relevant data from DoD CIO regarding DCWF work roles, KSATs, Qualification Matrixes, approved training, etc, so if any details change, they will be reflected immediately in the system.
Cyber workers can explore the qualification options available based on the work roles coded to their positions, from the categories of Degrees, Certifications, Training, Experience Certificates, and Waivers.
At first glance, the Qualification Matrixes for each work role and proficiency level seem pretty complex. Still, the reality is that because more options now exist to qualify, more Cyber Workers are already qualified.
Commercial certifications are one qualification method, and due to the similarities of 8570 and 8140, many cyber workers will already possess the requisite certifications for their work role and proficiency level. Also, since training and college degrees are now applicable as qualification options, documenting associates, bachelor's degrees, and advanced degrees (of specific majors) or training workers will yield another group of cyber workers who are already qualified. For others, their on-the-job experience may qualify them for their work role(s), and the system will enable them to document and surface their Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Tasks for use in the experiential qualification alternative process.
Those who don’t possess a requisite qualification will be able to explore how to obtain each of the options required. Once they have explored each path's cost, timeframes, and other factors, they can indicate an individual preference for qualifying and share that preference with their leadership. They have now taken the first step towards attaining the necessary qualifications.
The system will give Cyber Leaders a complete picture of the number of individuals who already possess the requisite qualifications, the path chosen by those working towards obtaining qualifications, and a progress report of the total force towards meeting minimum qualification requirements.
The 8140 program represents a significant change in the cybersecurity landscape, particularly for those in the workforce and leadership positions. These groups' prevailing sense of uncertainty and anxiety underscores the urgent need for proactive measures.
As the step of mapping DCWF work role information to every cyber position completes this February 2024, an agency has everything it needs to begin the process and proactively instill certainty and confidence in cyber workers' ability to meet the work role qualification requirements of the new regulation.
Starting immediately offers a strategic advantage, allowing ample time for everyone involved to thoroughly understand, plan, and achieve the necessary qualifications under the new regulations.
To find out if your organization could benefit from using CyberSTAR, click below and complete the simple needs assessment.
