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posted by takyon on Monday August 03 2015, @06:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the blunt-assessment dept.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is struggling to hire computer scientists, according to a Department of Justice audit of the feeb's attempts to implement its Next Generation Cyber Initiative.

A 34-page audit report (PDF) from the DoJ notes that, while making considerable progress, the FBI has "encountered challenges in attracting external participants to its established Cyber Task Forces".

[The audit] bemoaned how hiring and retaining qualified white hats remained a challenge for the FBI, especially when competing private-sector entities pay more and have less invasive recruitment processes. The FBI reportedly did not hire 52 of the 134 computer scientists for which it was authorised, meaning 38 per cent of the workforce it requires (as per budget) is simply not there. This additionally means that five of the FBI's 56 field offices do not have even a single computer scientist assigned to their Cyber Task Force.

Back in 2011, the Office of the Inspector General gave the FBI a thorough scolding over its inability to address America's cyber-intrusion threat, for which it has become the responsible national body. The Next Generation Cyber Initiative was launched in response, essentially as a platform for funding increases in the face of a swelling number of data breaches and cyber-attacks in recent years.

This is not the first mention of the FBI's difficulties in recruiting infosec professionals. Last year, the [FBI]'s director James Comey said the company was re-examining its drugs policy as too many applicants seemed to be enjoying a doobie en route to interview.


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  • (Score: 2) by Whoever on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:48AM

    by Whoever (4524) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:48AM (#217748) Journal

    Generally the answer to "we can't find anyone to work at this pay grade for this level of working conditions" is "increase the pay and improve the working conditions"

    Have you not noticed that, according to many employers, the free market works in every field except that of hiring skilled technology people?

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  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday August 04 2015, @12:07PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 04 2015, @12:07PM (#217878)

    the free market works in every field except that of hiring

    Could just stop there. We as tech people will notice when some scumbag at IBM makes claims about there being nobody with a CCIE and PHD willing to work for $7.25/hr so we'll just have to import indentured servitude H1Bs, but I assure you every scumbag in every industry makes the same claims for their industry.