The National Security Agency (NSA) has made an open recruiting pitch to the hackers of the world and attendees of the annual DEFCON conference. “We want to talk to you about a career at NSA”    They have set up a webpage at http://www.nsa.gov/careers/dc20/  to reach out into the community for recruitment, following an actual appearance at the annual hacker event that was once very underground .  Recruiting talent with skills for cybersecurity is not an easy task. Born of a world that is outside laws and conformity, the hacker culture is rooted in electronic freedom and anonymous activity.  It was not that long ago that the idea of “the fed” appearing, much less recruiting at a DEFCON event was about the farthest thing from anybody’s mind.  That is exactly what happened at this year’s event.  The agency also states:

If you have a few, shall we say, indiscretions in your past, don’t be alarmed. You shouldn’t automatically assume you won’t be hired. If you’re really interested, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.

Scenarios that can be compared to what this overture means are rare.  Call it cheesy, but think of it as Yoda showing up on the Death Star to recruit some new Jedis.  It is more than a departure from days past, it’s a complete turnaround that just plain makes sense.  Exceptional talent in this field is extremely difficult to find and difficult to nurture.  The NSA and front lines of cybersecurity need the edge that a hacker brings to the security picture, outside the constraints of manuals, procedures, and checklists.  It is likely such work would be beyond the simple fortification of government computer systems.

From the outside it would seem the work would likely involve significant penetration testing (“pentesting”),  possibly focus on cyber-attacks against threats, be it country or corporation, or it could mean reverse-engineering a significant malware or cyber-attack set  loose against this country.  There are weaknesses in security all over our corporations and government computing systems, starting with the people behind the keyboard.  The calls for a higher level of security preparedness have been heard for some time now.  With threats at a consistently high level, the timing for this recruitment drive couldn’t be any more urgent.

The page features a very frank offer and the allure of working with a significant challenge in sight:

Attention DEF CON^® 20 attendees:

If you’re up on your game, you already know the National Security Agency and what we do. So we won’t bother with an explanation. And you probably already know why you’re here.

At NSA, we don’t crack codes and develop new encryption algorithms just for the fun of it (but don’t tell our tech teams that). Around here, it’s all about the endgame: keeping you and your family safe and secure, so we can all enjoy the simple things in life, like buying new gear and going to DEF CON^®21 – without the threat of harm from foreign adversaries.

So here’s the pitch. We want to talk to you about a career at NSA if …

• You won Capture the Flag, Mystery Challenge or any other DEF CON^® challenge.
• You have a thing for the pleasantries of a full-time job.
• You work or consult for a security company but want to relocate to the front lines of cyber operations.
• Even if you didn’t win a black Über badge, as long as you held your own at DEF CON^®, we want to talk to you.

Now, for those of you who think you’ll never make it through security, here are a few words you need to hear.

• It’s true that you must be a U.S. citizen, and you’ll need a security clearance that requires a background investigation and polygraph. But …
• If you have a few, shall we say, indiscretions in your past, don’t be alarmed. You shouldn’t automatically assume you won’t be hired. If you’re really interested, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.

Apply now to start your career at NSA. Maybe by the time DEF CON^® 21 rolls around, you’ll have a whole new perspective on the importance of what you do. And check out additional opportunities with our fellow defenders, DHS and the Intel Community.

By the way, if you think you saw cool things at DEF CON^® 20, just wait until you cross the threshold to NSA, ’cause you ain’t seen nothing yet.