Tuesday, July 27, 2010
(photo: U.S. Air Force)
Attention parents: if you want your children to work in a well-paid, high-demand field, encourage them to join the war against cyber threats.
The U.S. government today has about 1,000 computer specialists who fight off hackers attempting to infiltrate secure information systems—but it really needs between 10,000 and 30,000 to keep up with the growing problem of cyber security, according to a new study.
An assessment by the Center for Strategic and International Studies determined it’s not just a matter of federal agencies creating new cyber-security positions. The pool of available talent currently is not big enough, and the country needs to establish this line of work as a career field and encourage schools to offer programs for the proper training.
The U.S. isn’t the only Western nation in need of more geek warriors. To address its own shortage, the United Kingdom has launched a national competition to find the next generation of British cyber specialists. Winners will receive assistance to attend universities and placement in specialized training courses.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
30,000 Cyber Pros (by Brittany R. Ballenstedt, Government Executive)
A Human Capital Crisis in Cybersecurity (CSIS Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency) (pdf)
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