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Unfit geeks can become cyber warriors

by on02 January 2015


Drop down and give me 50 lines of code

The US army has realised that it might recruit more cyber warriors if it does not force geeks to go through basic combat training.

For a while now the US has been hoping to recruit hackers and geeks into its armed force hacker squads but the problem is that many of them are so fat that they have attracted small moons into their orbit.

It is tricky for the Army to recruit those whose main physical challenge is ripping of the lid of a tin of pringles and who burst into tears when a sergeant major shouts at them.

Lt Gen Robert Brown said the US Army had to recruit people who were not typical candidates for a military career if it was to attract the right skills to wage cyber war.

He  said: "We need to give serious consideration to how the US Army could combine the technical expertise of the "Google" generation with its more traditional military skills.

This means that they will have to tap into a talent pool that may not fit the stereotypical soldier profile. Our goal is to recruit the best talent possible.

Lt Gen Brown told a briefing of the New America Foundation: “For cyber, this must include individuals who anticipate and adapt to the rapid pace of innovation in the cyber world and thrive in its inherent ambiguity. Many who have these skills are not natural candidates for a military career.

“They grew up on Google and wear ponytails. We need to look at ways to bring them into the Army without necessarily going through the same training procedures as our combat troops."

Ponytails?  Sheesh that is a war crime waiting to happen.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has said it would consider recruiting convicted hackers to join Britain’s cyber reserve, as long as they pass security vetting.

 

Last modified on 02 January 2015
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