Business Case genaamd Dreiging

As attacks increase, U.S. struggles to recruit computer security experts

The federal government is struggling to fill a growing demand for skilled computer-security workers, from technicians to policymakers, at a time when network attacks are rising in frequency and sophistication. By Ellen Nakashima and Brian Krebs - Washington Post Staff Writer - Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Opvallend is niet alleen een groeiend tekort aan experts, maar ook het soort experts dat wordt gezocht: cyber decision makers, cyber security lawyers, researchers and policymakers. Ofwel: cyber security wordt definieerd als een beleids- en bestuursissue.

Volgens mij is anonimiteit op het web daarbij een van de (grote) hinderpalen. Ofwel: een business case ook voor identity assurance.

Demand is so intense that it has sparked a bidding war among agencies and contractors for a small pool of special talent: skilled technicians with
security clearances. Their scarcity is driving up salaries, depriving agencies of skills, and in some cases affecting project quality, industry
officials said.

Commerce is trying to improve, but it can take years to put the people, processes and technology in place to wage an effective defense, said
Mischel Kwon, former director of the Department of Homeland Security's readiness team. For years, she said, most civilian agencies were forced by
federal law to spend their cyber-funds on security audits as opposed to crafting a strong security program.

And most federal information technology managers do not know what advanced skills are needed to combat cyber attacks, said Karen Evans, information
technology administrator in the Bush administration. Cybersecurity lawyers, researchers and policymakers are also in short supply.

The Pentagon, for instance, lacks a career path to develop "expert decision-making in the cyber field" ,said Robert D. Gourley, a former Defense Intelligence Agency chief technology officer. "The great cyber-generals are few and far between."

Zie: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/22/AR2009122203789_pf.html