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: 1) by saltycraig on Friday November 20 2015, @03:52PM
This! I have known a couple people who worked briefly for the feds in intelligence and the top secret requirements (10 years of explaining everything about your whereabouts/actions, 9-12 months of paperwork usually), plus the requirement to not having to have smoked/eaten/whatever in the past 4 years, and you end up with a bunch of half-capable java-mill programmers.