FBI tracking down cyber agents

Information security specialists have been asked by the FBI to contemplate a career change, as the intelligence agency is attempting to recruit special agents in a bid to stay ahead of internet threats.

In its press release, the FBI described potential candidates as being between 23 and 37 years of age, and stipulated that those interested would undergo a thorough fitness assessment and background check.

It would also be preferable if they had a background in ether digital forensics, malware analysis, database administration, or computer security and programming.

The Bureau’s Robert Anderson Jr said:

“Cyber permeates every aspect of what we do, whether it’s counterterrorism, criminal investigations, or traditional cyber attacks, as we’ve seen in the recent past.

“That’s why these types of people are so important to get into the pipeline and come into our organization.”

Although the government in the US, along with law enforcement bodies, is doing more and more to widen the cyber recruitment search, skills shortages have not made the task an easy one.

Last year’s Global Information Security Workforce Study showed that 56 per cent of members in the (ISC)² (International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc.) feel the cyber security field is experiencing a significant skills shortage, with only two per cent believing that a surplus exists.

SMEs, not just the FBI, also need to address online security threats. Whether a skills shortage also applies in the UK or not, businesses would be well advised to pay constant attention to their IT security recruitment drives, thwarting any dangers and maintaining the safety of any data that they keep.