America is in need of more cyber security graduates working in government, according to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.
Johnson spoke at Delaware State University Monday morning ahead of a roundtable discussion on the industry.
“We need good cyber talent. We need capable, competent, energetic cyber talent to come work for us, whether it’s in the Department of Homeland Security or other agencies of the U.S. government," Johnson said.
During Johnson’s roughly 45 minute talk, he encouraged students at the historically black college to not let past failures define them – noting his own 1.8 freshman year GPA.
Acknowledging those studying for technology related fields can take lucrative private sector jobs, he appealed to their patriotism, asking them to serve their country – at least for a few years.
Having a well-trained and devoted cyber security workforce is essential, he says.
“Cyber attacks on this nation occur daily, hourly. There’s no cyber threat. Cyber attacks are here. The need for cyber security is here.”
While brute force hacking grabs headlines, Johnson says everyday attempts to convince people to click on a strange attachment in an email can just as easily open a backdoor for online threats.
He notes both aspects of cyber security need more attention as a new administration gets ready to take over in January.