CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis said this week that the agency is working to build a more technical workforce over the next five years. He spoke at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Washington on Tuesday.
Ellis said a background in science or technology is not required to work in intelligence today. But he said it makes the job easier.
"When I think about where we want the CIA workforce to be five years from now, it's an elite workforce," Ellis said. He described the goal as a nimble team with more technical skill than the agency has now.
A Shifting Set of Intelligence Targets
Ellis also spoke about what he called a "dual use technology race" with the Chinese government. He said the CIA still has to track traditional military and political targets.
But he said there is a growing need to gather intelligence tied to economic security. That includes areas like semiconductors and biotech.
"It means we need a different kind of workforce," Ellis said. He added that this kind of information is not found in the same places as political or military intelligence.
Earlier this year, CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced a reorganization of the agency's technology centers. The changes also included new plans for acquiring tools and partnering with industry.
Ellis said the goal is for CIA leaders to acquire new technology faster.
He also said the agency is on pace to meet all of its hiring goals for fiscal 2026. He did not share specific numbers.
This comes after a wave of departures in 2025. The Washington Post reported in August that many CIA staff left under voluntary retirement programs offered by the Trump administration. Some of those retirees have waited months for their benefits.
"We are actually bringing on the largest class of directorate of operations officers at CIA in the past 20 years," Ellis said.
NSA Looks to Strengthen Ties With Industry
The National Security Agency is also working to build closer relationships with private companies. The goal is to defend against cyber threats driven by artificial intelligence.
David Imbordino directs the NSA's Cybersecurity Directorate. He said AI is speeding up the pace at which software vulnerabilities are found and exploited.
"We're really relying on industry for that," Imbordino said during a panel at the same conference. He said trust between government and some industry partners is still lacking.
Industry groups have said in the past that they are often asked to share sensitive data with the government but get little back in return.
Imbordino said the NSA is now looking at what information it can share, even if it is not fully confirmed. He said that data could help companies adjust their tools and products faster.
"I don't know if I have the perfect solution there," Imbordino said. "It's going to be an iterative process, but it's something we'll continue to improve upon."
