Boost in DHS' IT Ranks

Federal Computer Week reports that the Homeland Security Department's infrastructure protection directorate is looking to hire 621 new employees in the next 18 months to help balance its federal and contracting workforces.

Philip Reitinger, deputy undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, told the House Homeland Security Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee on June 10 that the department hopes to hire 350 additional federal workers by reducing contractor funding, and to create 71 new positions, mostly in cybersecurity. The directorate currently has 800 federal workers and about 264 vacancies. "Filling vacant federal positions and right sizing the federal and contractor staff ratio across NPPD is my utmost priority," Reitinger said.