Navy Rear Adm. Sean Filipowski aimed to emphasize the significance of tactical training on defensive and offensive cybersecurity skills during an international conference in Washington last week, Defense News reported Thursday.
Nicole Blake Johnson writes the U.S. Cyber Command’s intelligence director said the Pentagon wants to acquire and retain people who hold complex knowledge of computer systems.
Filipowski said defensive personnel are being trained to work as attackers and protectors of confidential databases against potential threats, according to the report
He also said the Defense Department wants to increase collaboration between cybersecurity and intelligence officials to help them co-develop strategies for increasing resistance levels of systems against intruders, according to the report
Mark Young, a former Cybercom executive director who now serves as general counsel and president for Ronin Analytics, told the audience at the forum it would be practical to comprise one team of experts in different areas.
“If you could hand me a guy… who can design, build, operate, defend and attack our network, they are that much more powerful a player for me to use in defense of the country,†Young said, according to the report.
“What used to take me about 50 people to do, you give me that kind of skill set, I can do it with 10,†Young added.
Dan Scott, deputy assistant director of national intelligence for human capital, told Defense News budget cuts could prevent federal agencies from hiring new cybersecurity workers.
“I can’t really hire thousands of people, I’ve got to develop the people I have, or I need to get rid of the people that I don’t want and then hire replacements,†Scott told Defense News.
