HELP WANTED

NSA Looking for Hackers

Federal agencies recruit at Defcon convention.

Uncle Sam Wants You, hackers. Recruiters from federal agencies like the National Security Agency and the Department of Defense are descending this week on Defcon, the annual computer hacker convention in Las Vegas. “Today it’s cyberwarriors that we’re looking for, not rocket scientists,” said Richard George, technical director of NSA’s Information Assurance Directorate. At Defcon, the NSA and other federal agencies will have to compete with corporations looking for hacking talent. Defcon founder Jeff Moss, a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s advisory council, said the “hacker skill set” is key to security. While the country’s intelligence computers are considered generally secure, a number of high-profile cyberattacks have hit the Pentagon and other major defense contractors.