Help wanted: Geek squads for US cybersecurity

[Commentary] Finding enough qualified men and women to protect America’s cyber networks stands as one of the central challenges to America’s cybersecurity.

Even in the computer age, people are essential. In the field of cybersecurity, they are also lacking. To defend the cybersecurity of both private businesses and government agencies, it is time for a serious geek surge. Right now the lack of qualified cyber experts is hamstringing US efforts to secure cyberspace. Last month, Jeff Moss, a prominent hacking expert who sits on the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council, told a Reuters conference, “None of the projections look positive… The numbers I’ve seen look like shortages in the 20,000s to 40,000s for years to come.” A study earlier this year by industry group (ISC)2 found that 83 percent of federal hiring managers surveyed said it was extremely difficult to find and hire qualified candidates for cybersecurity jobs.

[Lord is the executive vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security. Stokes is a Research Assistant at the center.]