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News | May 4, 2026

Wrong Players, Wrong Game: Rethinking Who Belongs in Cyber

By Mary O'Brien

The term ‘cyber’ no longer maps cleanly onto the domain it once described. Today, ‘cyber’ encompasses everything from data governance, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, to the cascading interdependencies of critical infrastructure — yet the workforce structure and team compositions have not kept pace with these changes. This article argues that the mismatch is not primarily a technology problem, but a talent and framing issue. By continuing to recruit and organize cyber teams as though ‘cyber’ remains a narrow technical discipline, the United States risks fielding the wrong players for a global competition that has fundamentally changed. Drawing from direct leadership experience navigating these gaps in the Air Force, Joint Force, and across industry, the author identifies five non-technical disciplines that belong inside the cyber tent. She outlines the justification for including behavioral science, political science and international relations, economics and game theory, organizational behavior, and public health. She then proposes a corrective strategic approach to workforce development, hiring, and institutional culture that would begin to close the gap.

 

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

 

doi.org/10.55682/cdr/s46q-kxsv

The Cyber Defense Review

Volume 11, Issue 2