Possible Shortage of Cyber Security Professionals

With the Department of Homeland Security poised to hire up to 1,000 cyber security engineers, developers and analysts over the next three years, many believe the demand for computer/cyber security professionals might outweigh the supply. Indeed, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano authorized her department to streamline its hiring process, which usually takes months.

That's the good news. The challenge: Cyber security is a relatively new and evolving field that, for many technology professionals, requires knowledge of multiple disciplines and relatively new credentials.

"We already had the plan to grow our cyber workforce, but what the secretary did is give the authority to DHS to make direct hires like most private sector companies," says Amy Kudwa, DHS spokesperson. "The direct hire authority from the Office of Personal Management will significantly streamline the process, reducing the timeline to a matter of days or weeks."

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