Chicago (AP) — Austin Moody wanted to apply cybersecurity skills in his hometown of Michigan, work with state police investigators to analyze evidence and track criminals.
However, recent graduates were the only way to set aside ideas and enter an institution in Michigan after learning an unpaid internship.
“Many people can’t afford an unpaid internship, especially when there is very high demand in the private sector,” Moody said of a fellow cybersecurity job seeker. “Unpaid internships in cyber aren’t really beyond the public sector.”
Hiring and retaining staff who can help fend off the constant flow of cyberattacks and less serious online threats is at the top of the list of concerns for state tech leaders. These professionals are seriously in short supply and do not have enough financial firepower to compete with federal counterparts, global brands and specialized cybersecurity companies.
Drew Schmitt, chief threat intelligence analyst at cybersecurity firm GuidePoint Security, said: “And ultimately, these state and local governments can’t keep up in terms of salaries with many private organizations.”
State governments are a regular target for cybercriminals, attracted by highway patrols, election systems and other groups of personal data in institutions and computer networks that are essential to maintaining services in major states. Notable hits since 2019 include Washington Auditor, Illinois Attorney General, Georgia Public Security Agency, and computer servers supporting many state agencies in Louisiana.
Cities are also under attack, and resources to combat cyber defenses are even less than states.
With the support of industry associations, the federal government and individual states have created training programs, contests, and scholarships in the hope of increasing cybersecurity professionals nationwide. However, these strategies can take years to succeed. The state seeks help from outside contractors, private volunteers, and National Guard troops if the system goes down due to ransomware or other hacks.
As of this summer, the state had to perform about 9,000 cybersecurity jobs, according to Cyber Seek, a joint project between the Computing Technology Industry Association and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The project will probably have a higher total, as job listings that are listed only posted on your employment portal are not counted.
State leaders are reluctant to elaborate on the number of vacancies and are concerned that they could further seduce potential attackers. Each year, the state’s chief security officer ranks inadequate cybersecurity staff as one of the biggest concerns since the United States Chief Information Officers Association and Deloitte launched a group investigation in 2014. I am.
The problem is not limited to the state government.
US officials do not keep their own struggle to hire or retain cybersecurity professionals secret. The Department of Homeland Security alone has 2,000 cybersecurity jobs, Biden administration promoted 300 new employees This summer.
According to a survey conducted by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, the average salary of local or state government cyber employees in 2020 was $ 95,412, compared to the salary of the federal, financial services industry, and IT services. I’m late. Trade Association.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security analysts achieved a median salary of $ 103,590 in May 2020. Cyberseek has a starting salary of nearly $ 90,000 for all employers.
The 2014 Secretary of Homeland Security recognized that low wages put their institutions at a disadvantage, but by this year rule Allow higher salaries for cybersecurity roles — Up to $ 255,800, the maximum salary allowed for the Vice President.
“This sector is in desperate need of a more flexible recruitment process with incentives to secure talent in today’s highly competitive cyberskills market,” said one of the rules to come into force later this fall. I’m reading the club.
Leaders in this area often lament the costly and time-consuming certification requirements and background checks that employers claim for their cybersecurity role. This prevents jobs from becoming vacant and discourages women and people from working in cybersecurity.
Nicole Bibi, chair of the Information Security and Cybersecurity Division at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the state struggle was more fundamental. Private companies and the federal government actively recruit students during college and send representatives to classes and job fairs.
State agencies are rarely there, Bibe said. He advises students who weigh multiple jobs long before graduation.
“When it’s a very competitive field, you can’t just submit a job listing and think it gets the same traction,” Beebe said.
Low wages in government work can be a turn-off, but many students prefer a position where they can quit their jobs at home. This is not always the case for private companies.
Michael Hamilton, founder of the PISCES project, said the role of state and local governments is incomparable to “ground meat”, which constantly responds to new attacks and vulnerabilities against Microsoft and Amazon cybersecurity teams. I am. The organization connects cybersecurity students to local governments that do not have employees dedicated to their work.
“State agencies accept internships, groom themselves, and show that the state government is a promising place to work,” he said. “But all they do is get caught up in the fight with all the other people who want to hire these people and lose.”
After graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2020, Siena Jackson took on the job as an engineer for defense firm Northrop Grumman after interviewing the company at a conference. She started college as an accounting major, but discovered cybersecurity through her classmates.
After doing an internship at Dell in college, she wanted to find a company of similar size with a strong training program and other benefits.
Salaries and helping with moving and housing were also important for Jackson, who had to do some work while earning a degree and repay his student loan. She didn’t rule out state government jobs, but she didn’t see agencies at job fairs and meetings on campus.
“When I graduated and had an interview, I realized that I had a lot of options,” she said. “I can choose my destination and my criteria, not just accept the work that comes my way.”
Originally from Michigan, Moody received a Pentagon scholarship and had to work for the Pentagon for at least a year after graduation. Moody said he understands that the state government does not have the funds to spend on hiring and large salaries by federal agencies and private companies.
But sending cybersecurity staff to get students to talk to thousands of state citizens about their work and its importance can have a huge impact without spending a lot of money, he said. rice field.
“Many people want to be in the role of civil servants and are starting from there,” Moody said.
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