Military Needs Hackers, StratCom Chief Says -- Army Times
Uncle Sam is looking for a few good computer hackers.
The U.S. military needs a two-edged cyber capability that can not only defend its .mil and .smil domains from outside attacks but, if necessary, launch cyber attacks against intruders. To do that, the individual services need to recruit and train more cyber-qualified personnel, Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, chief the U.S. Strategic Command, said today.
The military is dependent on its .mil and .smil domains for everything from e-mail exchanges to employment of its nuclear arsenal. StratCom’s vast portfolio includes operating and defending those domains.
The importance, Chilton said, is self-evident.
“On your worst day, you want to be able to make sure that the military network still works so that you can effect either the defense of the United States ... or an offensive action, should they be required,” Chilton said in a meeting with Military Times reporters and editors.
“The hardest thing we’re going to have to do is to be able to operate this network in time of war — as we will be attacked,” Chilton said. “And there’s no perfect firewall.”
Each service, and each combatant commander, has to have operational networks, he noted.
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My Comment: Hmmmm ..... does it pay well?
Kidding aside, I can speak from experience here. I am a hacker .... or once was. After having a bit of a brush with the law 11 years ago .... and spending Thanksgiving Weekend in a jail cell because of it .... I quickly learned that this was maybe a profession that I should not go into.
I was fortunate that the evidence against me was very hard to produce .... and .... eventually .... charges were dropped .... but my reputation proceeded me and I was offered a contract to work with an unnamed National Police Force, and with a major bank. I accepted both contracts.
What I learned from that experience is that the hacker culture and an organizational culture (as represented by major institutions and security agencies) does not mix. Hint .... the better the hacker, the more independent that he is .... he will not listen to voices from authority.
Does the U.S. military know this as they start to look for good hackers .... I do not know. But if they want the best they will have to bend their rules .... hackers by nature have no discipline ... cough .... cough.