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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.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by VLM on Monday August 03 2015, @09:56PM
I did a lot of BBS stuff although never busted in the 80s and subscribed to 2600 etc and getting a "secret" clearance for the Army to basically be a glorified sysadmin was no problemo, went to the pot smoking capital of the midwest for uni, although I didn't personally smoke, etc. Hard to say if thats relevant 20 years later or if I just snuck thru. They have a huge shoulder chip about leverage, so they're a lot more freaked out about owing $100K of student loans and someone could "help out" or back then they were terrified someone gay would get blackmailed (now they just get reality TV shows). They didn't seem very interested when I got my clearance WRT any dirtbag acquaintances from high school or who I was dating or hanging out with. They did ask my landlord weird nonsense questions which he had basically nothing intelligible to report. Pretty much if theres nothing written down they had little complaint. The other guys in my MOS at AIT also reported no significant problems.
I'd be idly curious about any one else's clearance process, post 1990 lets say. Assuming it hasn't been made illegal since then, or retroactively illegal (hmm...)
I'll go off on a tangent from everyone else and propose that nobody wants to be the scrawny wedgie collector like the radio geek from C.H.I.P.S. Now that was truly a quality 70s show. Anyway I suspect cyber officers are second class citizens compared to say the SWAT team or the run of the mill gun slinging agent, or even the REMF paper shuffling office bozos.
Another aspect of the job that probably sucks quite severely is dealing with like, child exploitation type stuff. Both being pretty gross and somehow not just shooting the guy when "we" catch him. "we" in quotes because see above I suspect none of my coworkers with guns would consider me a real coworker. And the side issue of doing all the Russian Secret Police Nazi style stuff that we grew up propagandized that only the bad guys do, but it turns out that ironically its mostly Americans being the bad guys. So whats worse, dealing with awful bad guys or being the awful bad guys, all while being a second class (if that) employee?
I guess if I needed to pay the mortgage I'd apply rather than watch my kids starve, but the hiring process being over a year, hope the kids aren't too hungy... who DOES apply to these kind of jobs, just based on sheer time requirement?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday August 03 2015, @11:23PM
Well, that's it. Who wants to jump through hoops for a year to get a crappy job with the government where the top dogs are not the guys that do what you do, or even the guys who have badges and guns, but the press department and the political appointee whose ass they kiss all day long? What self-respecting professional with real skills is going to stick around long for that nonsense?
I retain a vestigial sense that maybe DARPA would be worth working for, but it being a government gig, I suspect it's no different.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday August 04 2015, @01:33AM
I got a SECRET in '99, and back then it was an automated almost-instantaneous thing that pretty much anybody could have passed.
Word on the street is that SECRETS are a little more difficult nowadays, though I remember the TOP SECRET guys would languish in tech-school purgatory sweeping drill pads and polishing doorknobs for 6-9 months waiting for their clearances.