does dhs hire hackers

Introduction：

1、DHS to hire 200 more cyber pros as Biden administration grapples with hacking threats

2、Join DHS Cybersecurity

DHS to hire 200 more cyber pros as Biden administration grapples with hacking threats ♂

　　The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that it intends to hire 200 new cybersecurity professionals by July as the Biden administration aims to curb ransomware attacks affecting U.S. corporations, as well as foreign espionage operations.

　　In a speech Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the cyber recruiting was part of “the most significant hiring initiative” that DHS has undertaken in its 18-year history.

　　“We are going to be recruiting talent that is already developed, we’re going to be helping develop the talent that is just about to bloom and we’re going to be investing in the seeds to grow the talent of the future,” Mayorkas said at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event.

　　Half of the new jobs will be with DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the other half will be with other DHS agencies that work on cybersecurity, the department said in a press release.

　　CISA, a two-year-old agency that is tasked with dealing with a range of hacking threats against federal networks and the private sector, had some 2,150 employees in the 2020 fiscal year and a budget of $2 billion. Lawmakers and administration officials have agreed that the agency needs more money and people to live up to its mission.

　　The White House has asked Congress for an additional $110 million for DHS’s cybersecurity work for the 2022 fiscal year, compared to the previous year, on top of a $650 million boost that CISA received from the coronavirus relief package.

　　The full list of jobs that DHS is aiming to fill was not immediately available, though CISA already advertises for multiple “IT specialist” positions that support incident response and other key cybersecurity work.

　　The hiring blitz comes as federal, state and local government officials confront what Mayorkas has called an “epidemic” of ransomware attacks from various cybercriminals gangs. DHS will likely need additional personnel to help a new “cyber response and recovery fund” the department is proposing to deliver resources to state and local governments dealing with hacking incidents.

　　CISA officials also had their hands full in responding to at least nine breaches of federal agencies by alleged Russian hackers in a spying campaign that exploited software made by SolarWinds and other vendors. Agency officials have said they are trying to bolster their incident response capabilities, a goal that the hiring initiative could support.

　　Some cybersecurity professionals have complained that the federal government’s strict hiring process, which includes bureaucratic background checks, excludes talented computer specialists who may have partaken in occasional drug use or dabbled in cybercrime in past lives. President Joe Biden addressed the issue in February in signing a memorandum that pledged to “expand the pathways to recruit and hire new employees from all segments of our society.”

Join DHS Cybersecurity ♂

　　CISA is America's cyber defense agency and one of the largest cybersecurity employers in DHS. There are many paths to join CISA and help protect the homeland from cyber and physical threats. We are looking for candidates with diverse backgrounds across multiple career fields, including cybersecurity, human resources, infrastructure security, risk management, and more. Explore CISA's Hiring Events page to learn about upcoming information sessions and "on-the-spot" hiring events. Visit the CISA Careers page for additional information about job opportunities!

　　CISA’s Student & Recent Graduate Programs provide hands-on opportunities to challenge and build technical skills. Join a team of public servants who use their professional and risk advisory acumen every day to adapt and develop innovative ways for protecting the nation’s critical physical and cyber infrastructure. CISA participates in the government-wide Pathways programs detailed below as well as the previously mentioned DHS internship programs, including SFS, the Homeland Security Professional Opportunities for Student Workforce to Experience Research (HS-POWER) program, and the Intelligence and Cybersecurity Diversity Program.

　　The Pathways Internship Program allows current students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions to work for the federal government while completing their education. Pathways for Recent Graduates allows students who graduated within the past two years to be part of a one-year developmental program and work for CISA in an entry-level position. Both programs offer the opportunity to be converted to a permanent position at the end of service if certain conditions are met. These paid internships and entry-level roles provide a path to careers at CISA and allow qualifying individuals the opportunity to gain meaningful training and career development experience.