One of the U.S. Digital Service's early hires talks of his time at headquarters and the Department of Homeland Security — and of what lies ahead for the startup.

Defense Department civilian jobs "critical" to cybersecurity are safe from the hiring freeze, according to a new memorandum released to the public Thursday.

Experts say the freeze and the plan from the Office of Management and Budget to follow could make the federal government a more unattractive employer in a competitive market for a small pool of talent.