WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- The federal government is at risk of being unable to fight off attacks on the nation 's computer networks unless it strengthens its cyber-security work force , according to a report released Wednesday . President Obama calls cyber security `` one of the most serious '' challenges facing the nation . The nation 's security could be in jeopardy because not enough workers are sufficiently trained to protect computer systems from hackers , criminals , terrorists and foreign governments , the Partnership for Public Service and consulting company Booz Allen Hamilton found after studying 18 federal agencies and interviewing experts inside and outside government . President Obama has said the cyber threat is `` one of the most serious economic and national security challenges '' facing the nation . In May he announced his intention to create the post of cyber-security coordinator to oversee `` a new comprehensive approach to securing America 's digital infrastructure . '' `` The overriding finding of our analysis is that our federal government will be unable to combat these threats without a more coordinated , sustained effort to increase cyber-security expertise in the federal work force , '' the report , titled `` Cyber IN-Security , '' states . The report cites four challenges facing the government : an inadequate supply of potential new information technology experts ; uncoordinated leadership of cyber-security workers ; a cumbersome hiring process that discourages people from seeking government jobs and fails to provide a career path for those who do ; and hiring managers and human resource specialists who disagree on the quality of IT candidates . The report recommends that the coordinator develop a strategy for recruiting , training and retaining cyber-security experts . The report also recommends the White House reach out to universities and the private sector to encourage Americans to develop technological skills , similar to what previous administrations did during the space race . The study calls on the Office of Personnel and Management to fix the federal hiring process , create a cyber-security career path and expedite security clearances . It suggests Congress provide significant funding for training federal workers in `` state of the art '' technologies and for college scholarships in the cyber- security field . Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan , nonprofit organization devoted to building a better federal work force . Booz Allen Hamilton is a management consulting firm .
Federal government should bolster cyber-security work force , report says . Paper recommends developing plan for recruiting , training , keeping experts . Report also recommends streamlining cumbersome federal hiring process . President Obama calls cyber security a top challenge ; plans coordinator post .