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Dept. of Homeland Security To Build Better Cyber Workforce

Posted by samzenpus on from the assemble-the-team dept.

coondoggie writes "Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today said the agency will form a cybersecurity workforce task group that will consider strategies such as expanding DHS involvement in cyber competitions and university programs, enhancing public-private security partnerships and working with other government agencies to develop a more agile cyber workforce across the federal government. The new task force will be co-chaired by hacking expert Jeff Moss who now works for the Homeland Security Advisory Council and Alan Paller is director of research at the SANS Institute."

13 of 57 comments (clear)

  1. first step by ravenspear · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Stop calling it "cyber".

    1. Re:first step by Scorch_Mechanic · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Stop calling it "cyber".

      As much as I dislike the word "cyber" and the overuse of it as a prefix, it's not really "wrong" anymore. It's been used so much that it has acquired legitimacy and meaning in the eyes of the masses, even if we who are computer-aware still wince when someone says it on air.

      When a scumbag (read: politician) says "cybersecurity", you and I both know that he means "computer/network/information security", even as we groan. Much as we wish it were not so, it's the way things are now.

      Sorry.

      --
      You should turn signatures off.
    2. Re:first step by geekgirlandrea · · Score: 2, Informative

      Whenever someone says 'cyber' unironically, just think of it as shorthand for "I'm a blithering nitwit and you should ignore anything I say from here on."

    3. Re:first step by Johann+Lau · · Score: 2

      Nah, I'll just think if it as shorthand for "cybersex" and listen and nod enthusiastically... the Cyber Workforce! For, you know, "working guys". Heh.

    4. Re:first step by geekgirlandrea · · Score: 4, Funny

      Send in a resume claiming to be BloodNinja ?

    5. Re:first step by networkconsultant · · Score: 3, Informative

      We should thank William Gibson once more.

  2. This can't be good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    -- Waiting in line at the airport terminal

    Excuse me, sir.

    Your laptop is of considerable interest to us.

    -- DHS security walks in and takes the laptop

    You wonder how America got to this point.

  3. Key words... by davester666 · · Score: 4, Funny

    'agile' 'cybersecurity'

    They need to flesh out these ideas with words like:
    "realtime"
    "game-changing"
    "web 2.0"
    "P3"
    "next-gen"
    "hyper-local"

    --
    Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    1. Re:Key words... by foobsr · · Score: 4, Funny

      http://emptybottle.org/bullshit/index.php

      "Hey Kids! It's The Web 2.0 Bullshit Generator"

      CC.

      --
      TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
  4. Sounds more like an expansion of the MIC. by Uberbah · · Score: 2

    MIC being the military-industrial complex, or as I like to call it, the military-industrial-congressional-contractor-prison-surveillance complex. Young people, go get computer science degrees with a specialization in security, so you can either work for the Pentagon or work for contractors working for the Pentagon.

    Greenwald:

    The U.S. is the leading developer and perpetrator of cyberwarfare, not the leading target. The New York Times this morning has a long excerpt from a new book by its hawkish national security reporter David Sanger â" the book is entitled âoeConfront and Conceal: Obamaâ(TM)s Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Powerâ â" which reveals that President Obama personally oversaw the development, and ordered the deployment, of the worldâ(TM)s most sophisticated computer virus, unleashed (in cooperation with Israel) on Iranâ(TM)s nuclear enrichment facility.

    Isnâ(TM)t it amazing how the U.S. is constantly the worldâ(TM)s first nation to use new, highly destructive weapons â" at the same time that it bombs, invades, and kills more than any other country by far â" and yet it still somehow gets its media to tell its citizenry that it is Americaâ(TM)s Enemies who are the aggressors and the U.S. is simply a nation of peace seeking to defend itself.

    Needless to say, if any cyber-attack is directed at the U.S. â" rather than by the U.S. â" it will be instantly depicted as an act of unparalleled aggression and evil: Terrorism. Just last year, the Pentagon decreed that any cyberattack on the U.S. would be deemed âoean act of war.â

  5. The real experts on "cyber" security... by gavron · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When Bruce Schneier and Eugene Kaspersky sign on, it will be apparent that there
    are true experts in the field.

    Until then, the US Department of Homeland Security is nothing more than a joke.
    They disrupt airline travel, train travel, and now have roving "viper" patrols to
    harass motorists. They've done nothing useful in 10 years. That's right, an
    entire decade of harassing travelers... with nothing to show for it.

    "Well you haven't seen terrorists take over airplanes, so clearly we're effective!"
    I haven't seen Santa Claus or Jesus either, so I'm guessing DHS took them out
    at the same time as all the terrorists. Either that or the terrorists really used
    airplanes as an attack vector 11 years ago and have now MOVED ON.

    Do they know anything about "Cyber" security? If so, have they stopped using
    Microsoft Windows -- the number one attack vector of computer security problems --
    and moved to a secure operating system? No. Are they still using Internet
    Explorer -- the most malware open browser -- to view the Internet? Yes. Are they
    still sending meeting requests to each other using Outlook -- the most malware-
    friendly scheduling tool -- yes.

    Until DHS can demonstrate a purpose, reason for existence, an understanding of
    technology in general [milimeter wave spectroscopy, let alone Windows], they are
    not only the WRONG leader to follow. They are a loud obnoxious neighbor throwing
    up in everyone else's back yard.

    E

  6. Rules for new hires .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Rules for new hires ....

    I used to work on government contracts where clearance was required and have applied for contract jobs recently. The old guard boss is still there and he is more clueless than ever.

    During the interview, it was clear:
    * Nobody interviewing me was qualified to do that from a technical perspective. They were smart, just not smart about anything related to computers, networking, ....
    * My skill set addressed 3 of their open positions. I'm serious.
    * My rate was pretty low, yet the 3 guys kept talking about how expensive I was.
    * The clearance from my prior job was 5.1 yrs old - WITH THE SAME COMPANY, just at a different place. The interviewer/manager couldn't be bothered to look up the name of the security officer at the other location.
    * After I was deemed to be a perfect fit - aircraft, networking, languages, sys admin - the boss decided to list all the mandatory aspects of the job.
    ** be on time. Start time for my job was 7am at the latest. I'm serious. 7am **everyday**, regardless of what was happening that day. I understand that 4am was commonly needed - that was the nature of this specific job. Testing new aircraft is an early morning thing.
    ** Never talk back. He actually said that.
    ** Lunch was 30 minutes. Ok, this was getting funny.
    ** No leaving work early - PERIOD. Not even for Dr appointments. If I needed to pick up a sick kid early from school, I could be fired.

    This boss seemed to have been from the 50s. I think he worked on an aircraft assembly line, not with "professionals" and he definitely didn't have a clue about IT people.

    A week later, I followed up with the interviewer (mainly to be polite) to see where I stood. He hadn't done anything. I'd already decided to take a different position, for a 30% higher rate, which I know now is still cheap. 3 weeks later, he called me back and seemed shocked that I was working somewhere else.

    Government hiring managers are clueless. They don't understand the competitive nature of the world and that people have other opportunities - some much more interesting for much more pay without all the hassles from old-style bosses.

    I don't want to say that all government bosses are like this, I've worked on other contracts where I was treated with respect, paid fairly, had a great boss - we worked long and hard doing great things for the government - it was good.

    I remember going to a recruitment meeting at my college for some 3-letter agencies. After all the hype in the first 10 minutes, they said that if you'd ever used any drugs, including pot, you would not be hired. 50% of the room got up and walked out. I think the other 50% were 80% liars. Personally, I don't want people who have never inhaled making decisions about my life and definitely don't want someone so straight to represent the USA abroad.

    Anyway, to be happier at a new job, you'll want to
    * get the pay scale early in the process
    * get any "work rules" understood
    * find out if your actual boss is a prick

  7. Cybermen by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 2

    As much as I dislike the word "cyber" and the overuse of it as a prefix, it's not really "wrong" anymore.

    I agree, particularly in the context of US Homeland security we should refer to the new workforce as cybermen: emotionless, de-humanized creatures who have no compassion. Not only will this likely be accurate but it might also stop them using the term 'cyber' for everything.