Cyberhelp Wanted; The federal government lacks a sensible hiring process -- and enough good candidates -- to guard computer networks.

YOU WOULDN'T consider someone an information technology expertwho had never heard of the Internet. Yet the job descriptions forsome of the federal government's cybersecurity jobs haven't beenupdated since 1988 -- before the Internet transformed how we thinkabout technology. Staying abreast of changing times and technologiesis essential in many fields, but in the realm of cybersecurity it isa necessity.

So a recent report by the Partnership for Public Service, a groupthat promotes government service, and consultant Booz Allen Hamiltonthat the federal government is having trouble finding and attractinga talented cyber-security workforce is worrisome. Among otherfindings, the survey noted that only 40 percent of hiring managerswere satisfied or very satisfied with the number of qualifiedapplicants for information security positions and that 77 percentwere dissatisfied with the time it took to hire someone.

The source of this problem is twofold: a broken federal hiringprocess that makes it difficult for agencies to attract and retainthe talent they need, and a nationwide deficit of people who possessnecessary information technology skills.

The problems with the hiring process only begin with outdatedjob descriptions. Coordination between hiring managers and humanresources personnel is poor. A process that takes more than a yearcan result in the selection of a candidate who fails to satisfy theneeds of the job. Many agencies fall back on contractors to fillgaps -- a risky proposition in the absence of a strong coreworkforce that can evaluate, supervise and coordinate their efforts.

Finding the right people poses a bigger challenge. Since manycybersecurity employees must be U.S. citizens to obtain securityclearance, the paucity of Americans with expertise in math, scienceand computer technology poses a risk. Scholarship for Serviceprograms run by the Department of Homeland Security, the Office ofPersonnel Management and the National Science Foundation have helpedto create a pipeline of talent, providing tuition payment forstudents who agree to spend time working in federal informationsecurity after graduation. But there are not enough of them. Eachyear's small crop of students finds itself at the center of biddingwars among dozens of agencies.

The scholarship programs must be beefed up, and more Americanstudents should be encouraged to develop proficiency in math,science and technology. Meanwhile, the government needs to do itspart by fixing a hiring system that often scares away qualifiedcandidates. The problem of cyberattacks is an immediate one, and itwon't go away. We need a cyberworkforce capable of addressing it.