Cyberwarrior Shortage Threatens US Security

An anonymous reader writes "US security officials say the country's cyberdefenses are not up to the challenge. In part, it's due to a severe shortage of computer security specialists and engineers with the skills and knowledge necessary to do battle against would-be adversaries. The protection of US computer systems essentially requires an army of cyberwarriors, but the recruitment of that force is suffering. 'We don't have sufficiently bright people moving into this field to support those national security objectives as we move forward in time,' says James Gosler, a veteran cybersecurity specialist who has worked at the CIA, the National Security Agency, and the Energy Department."

Comments

Many problems

[Caerdwyn]

There are several serious problems at work here.

The first is that highly-talented hacker-types tend to be very libertarian (note the small-L) in their outlook. They believe in doing everything possible to minimize governmental authority and governmental interference in private lives; recent administrations and Congresses/Senates have been dead opposites. The caliber of people that the NSA wants are tuned into what's really going on, and propaganda (meaning; lies) that the government is not spying on US citizens for the political gain of the Capitol Hill gang are not going to be believed. When a prospective employer lies to you, it speaks volumes about the contempt they hold for you and whether they can be trusted. While the NSA may indeed be concerned with protecting Americans without being intrusive, the NSA's masters in the White House and Capitol have no such concerns.

Secondly, THIS administration has shown a willingness to retroactively throw its intelligence officers under the bus in return for political gain. When someone in the intelligence community asks "Is it okay to do [redacted]?" and are told "It's legal and approved"... four years later, they find themselves on trial. When we change administrations, the NEXT administration is going to remember this and roast THIS administration's intelligence officers over open coals. The precedent has been set. Who would ever want to take risks for a nation that holds them in contempt, and be demonized to squeeze a couple more votes out of an ignorant public?

Then there's the pay issue. If someone is good, THAT good, they know they can strike it rich in private industry. While the NSA recruiters at Black Hat say "oh, we'll pay you very well, we want to make sure you're living well enough to be bribe-resistant", they have an east-coast idea of what "good pay" is. Founders of Silicon Valley companies, even in this day and age, are paid mighty well when the exit strategy comes to fruition. That's what the NSA has to compete with, and the bean-counters don't believe it.

Work for evil, burned at the stake for the privilege, for less pay than other options. WHERE DO I SIGN?