Thursday, March 11, 2010:
There's no disputing that in this information age, hackers are a more potent threat than any other weapon, capable of bringing any country down to its knees. The United States, always at the vanguard of new technology, finds itself woefully short of trained cyber experts who can protect the nation from the looming threat of cyberterrorism, says msnbc.com.
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The US is pumping billions to keep its cyberspace safe, but as against a requirement of 20,000 cyber experts, it has just 1,000. Unveiled by former President George Bush, The Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) addresses the requirement for better cybereducation and more experts as part of 12 core initiatives, but implementing its policies will take time. According to national-security authorities, time is the enemy- and they're running out of it.
Till now, there really has been no organised method to recruit and train an army of cyberhackers, something which is sorely required. But the good news is that private firms and government agencies are making a concerted effort to find and educate a new generation of cyber whiz kids. They plan to sponsor national cyber competitions similar to American Idol, to find and bring at least 10,000 young tech minds into the fold. Among the people leading the way is Alan Paller, cofounder and research director, Sans Institute, a cybersecurity school. It is estimated that Congress and other government agencies face an average of 1.8 billion cyber attacks a month, compared with an average of 8 million times a month in 2008. It is a similar story with businesses.
Ashish Joshi, EFYTIMES News Network
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