Stringent NSA job requirements

This week in my information security class the focus was on staffing the security function in the organization. In keeping with the NSA focus for this blog, I researched the NSA's postings and hiring requirements for their cyber security openings. It goes without saying that getting hired by the NSA can be a long drawn out process depending on what you are applying for and security level required. It can take upwards of a year for some folks to get hired. Keeping that timeline in the forefront of my thoughts, I wondered whether the hiring process for Booz Allen Hamilton candidates required the same rigorous process as those for the NSA.

All applicants at the NSA must be able to obtain high-level security clearance with medical screening, polygraph and drug testing and an extensive background check. Every applicant is required to have a Top Secret/Special Intelligence clearance and they tell you to anticipate the process taking longer than that in the private sector. "If you are identified as competitively qualified for a position, the average time for processing is generally three to six months, but depending on a variety of individual factors, the processing time may take up to approximately a year. "

In clear contrast to the NSA's screening requirements are those of Booz Allen Hamilton whose security screening practices enabled Edward Snowden to slide through their hiring process even though there were known education discrepancies reported by Snowden during the interview process. The NSA requires top security clearances of contracted employees however there is growing concern that the processes for screening these individuals lacks the necessary security scrutiny. On a blog site, one BAH employee reported the hiring process took a week because there was an immediate need to fill the position.

Since information security job disciplines are in their infancy relative to other established professions, there is some uncertainty within organizations as to what qualifications constitute the right skill set necessary to ensure a security work force with the core competencies required to mitigate security risks and threats to the organization. With the growing need for security professionals, has a lack of qualified candidates forced organizations like BAH to settle ultimately compromising our national security?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/booz-allen-hamilton-edward-snowden_n_3475518.html