American federal investigators are having a hard time hiring computer-savvy staff, according to a memo from the Inspector General for the US Department of Justice.
"Even as it works to expand the ranks of its cybersecurity team, the department continues to face challenges recruiting and retaining highly qualified candidates to do this work," the memo [PDF] states.
Last year the FBI got the authorization and budget to hire 134 computer scientists for online investigations. We're told the agency could only find 82 people interested in working for Uncle Sam. As a result, five of the FBI's regional 56 Cyber Task Force teams don't have a computer specialist on hand.
Why are they having so much trouble?
(Score: 2) by spxero on Thursday November 19 2015, @08:13PM
Give anyone hired immunity known or unknown for copyright-infringement activities related to digital media and you'll be overfilled with applicants.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday November 19 2015, @09:22PM
Nope, that's not the reason. The reason is us tech types, as a general rule, do not like being spied on. We don't like it for the necessary background check and we don't especially want to help do it to others.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bonehead on Thursday November 19 2015, @09:34PM
Exactly.
I'm qualified. But I'd rather work against them for free than work for them for any salary they might offer.
I love my country, but my trust in this government is a thing of the past.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 19 2015, @11:28PM
yup.
if you are like me you get ads that pop up about employment opportunities that are not even veiled; most are blocked but some make it through.
it must be the demonstrated interests shown online.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 20 2015, @03:23AM
Yeah. For me it boils down to: which IT security person wants to raise their hand and say "I work for the US Gov"?
My general impression now is in the IT security community when you say "I work for the US Gov" people will assume you're a bad/corrupt person or at least misguidedly working for the "Evil Empire", more than if you said you were working for Microsoft/Apple.
It's probably still not as bad as saying "I work for Monsanto" or "I work for ISIS", but hey the US Gov helped create and support the ISIS so... ( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/03/us-isis-syria-iraq [theguardian.com] )
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/05/newly-declassified-u-s-government-documents-the-west-supported-the-creation-of-isis.html [washingtonsblog.com] ).
Basically they'd have to pay a lot more than market price to get people. I'm sure some people would sell out for the right price. Or perhaps be highly paid "double agents" ;).
(Score: 2) by spxero on Thursday November 19 2015, @11:05PM
I agree with your point about being spied on, but investigation does not mean surveillance. An employee at a company I worked for passed away under unexplainable circumstances, and the county investigator had trouble even accessing the data on the devices without knowing the password. We wanted to help the investigators out, but because they couldn't guarantee that we wouldn't be subpoenaed in any trial just for helping them access the information, they were left to their own to try and recover any information. We wanted to be helpful, but being drawn into a long legal battle ourselves if we found something or were named on the case just wasn't worth it. I can't imagine this is the only case where a lack of technical knowledge impeded the investigation, and there will probably be many more for it before that knowledge gap is filled.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday November 19 2015, @11:47PM
Good. I'd far rather guilty people go free than have my privacy invaded by authoritarians, well-meaning or not.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Friday November 20 2015, @10:22AM
sudo mod me up
(Score: 2) by aclarke on Friday November 20 2015, @03:21PM
A hedge fund will hire you as a quant even if you show up at the interview strung out on coke. The FBI won't.