With the continued attacks on various government computer systems, the Pentagon is discussing the expansion of its cybersecurity force. As reported by The Washington Post, according to U.S. Officials, “The Pentagon has approved a major expansion of its cybersecurity force over the next several years, increasing its size more than fivefold to bolster the nation’s ability to defend critical computer systems and conduct offensive computer operations against foreign adversaries.” With about 900 personnel in its cybersecurity force, the Pentagon seeks to expand it upwards to 4,900 troops and civilians.
With the recent January 25th hacking of the US Sentencing Commission government site, as well as the Red October spying campaign discovery, the need for more protection is indeed great, and as one blogger on ZDnet put it:
When it takes little more than a script kiddie or a downloadable toolkit to cause havoc in corporate systems -- or even transform a governmental website into a game of Asteroids as part of a protest, governments are in serious trouble unless they begin to invest more in the future of their digital defense.
While the expansion will be gradual over the next several years, the goal is to create three different types of forces: "'national mission forces' to protect computer systems that undergird electrical grids, power plants and other infrastructure deemed critical to national and economic security; ‘combat mission forces’ to help commanders abroad plan and execute attacks or other offensive operations; and ‘cyber protection forces’ to fortify the Defense Department’s networks.”
One of the main concerns? How will they be able to find so many qualified personnel for these new positions? Of course, this is taking place at a time when cutbacks in military spending are at a high. Even still, the importance of this expansion is so great that this is being pursued out of necessity. “Our mission is to defend the nation, putting in place the policies and organizations we need to execute the mission,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in a recent speech discussing the computer virus that wiped out data on 30,000 computers at a Saudi Arabian state oil company. These types of attacks have “renewed concerns about still more destructive scenarios that could unfold,” he said.
So, while the threat of attacks is of great concern, in the end, this means that the potential amount of new openings in this field of technology will increase, which is good news for those qualified for these government jobs.
Image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net
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