Uncle Sam Wants Hackers
Looks like the US military is on a different type of recruitment drive, their biggest problem is attracting the recruits they want: hackers.
Obviously the Internet is a minefield and the governments of this world are interested in what goes on in it, additionally computer and network security is a concern and one they have a priority in maintaining as just that: secure. The military interest in computer security is obvious. That said it appears they feel that their “regular members” of the military could be complimented by a different crowd.
Earlier this month Col. Jeff Kendall of the Air Force Cyber Command (AFCYBER) stated that there are distinctive challenges recruiting in the area of “cyber warfare”.
“Perhaps we need a different kind of warrior in this domain…”
(Not sure if that is a bad pun or not)
Col. Jeff goes onto to suggest that perhaps the physical requirements the military has doesn’t quite fit for the type of recruits that they want. Read: people that spend all day in front of a computers(s) on a staple diet of coke and pizza, bad sleeping habits and have forgotten what sunshine looks like.
Other considerations are the fact that the personnel they want might not have maintained the law in quite the way it was intended and that the life of a hacker by nature means that they have probably haven’t. If you think this might block you from entering the military into the cyber warfare division then think again… they are probably willing to over look the fact that you more than likely operated outside the law to obtain your talents.
Basically I think that the military is seeing that the hacker represents someone of great skill and abilities that the military can’t replicate in it’s training. They realize that who they want probably doesn’t “fit the mold” and so they are rethinking how they can change the mold. Smart thinking in my opinion.
I guess if you think you have what it takes then go and check out the Air Force Cyber Command Homepage. I would really appreciate it if you left our blog as it is, we have had enough trouble lately. But please go and do something about the AFCYBER Homepage it is damn awful.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Col. Jeff Kendal, classic:
“…they’re not the same kind of folks that perhaps you want to march to breakfast in the morning.”
Get transcript on the Military Fellows Roundtable, where these comments were made.
