DoD 8570 is dead. It’s been dead for a while. Its passing was slow and drawn out. Even today you’ll find instructors and training schools waxing lyrical about 8570 compliance, 8570 certifications, and IAM levels I, II, and III. But DoD 8570 hasn't been the governing policy for years. It was replaced by DoD 8140, a more granular and flexible scheme. 8140 is designed to be more task-focused, less certification-oriented, and allows for relevant experience to be considered. DoD 8140 is better.
Ask around at any cybersecurity conference, and you'll find the same thing: almost nobody there started as a computer person.
There are 4.8 million unfilled cybersecurity roles worldwide right now. 4.8 million empty chairs that should be occupied but aren’t. In practical terms, for every cybersecurity professional currently working, there is almost one more seat beside them waiting for someone who hasn’t arrived yet. This is a structural workforce deficit; it isn’t the kind of gap that quietly closes when markets shift or hiring cycles cool. Indeed, the gap is expanding year over year as digital systems outpace the supply of people qualified to secure them.