Cyber Security Hiring Slows, Lawmakers Meet

The demand for cyber security jobs may have cooled a bit in the last three months of 2011, according to a company that analyzes employment trends.

Wanted Analytics reports that the number of job postings for corporate cyber security jobs rose by only 2 percent between October and December, compared to the same quarter of 2010.

The firm says that despite some high-profile attacks on corporate websites, corporate recruiters and staffing firms posted about 6,400 jobs for cyber security professionals. About one-third of those jobs were located in the Washington, D.C. area, which saw a 21 percent decline in job postings year-over-year. Baltimore and Huntsville, AL, saw increases, Wanted Analytics reports.

Hearings on Cyber Security Wednesday

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill will hold hearings on the issue of cyber security starting Wednesday, with industry experts set to testify on the current threats and the role government should play in protecting cyberspace, The Hill newspaper reports.

The hearing of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee comes as lawmakers are crafting bills that would give the federal government broad powers to take over civilian networks in order to protect the Internet from cyber attacks, the Daily Caller reports. The website says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may be pushing for a bill that is stronger than the cyber security proposal introduced by President Obama in May.

UK Lags in Cyber Preparations

While the United States appears to be moving quickly in developing a cyber strategy, officials in the United Kingdom are getting heat for not moving fast enough. Computerworld cites the nation’s former security minister in a report claiming that Britain is only starting to plot its cyber strategy and there may be little progress seen for 18 months.

Cyber Secret Could Run in Derby

The Daily Racing Form reports that this year’s Triple Crown horse races could have a cyber connection, as officials at Churchill Downs said that they have accepted the nomination of a horse named Cyber Secret to run in the Kentucky Derby. The 3-year-old thoroughbred is the son of a horse named Broken Vow.

This column is a periodic roundup of news related to U.S. Cyber Command and cyber security. Send your news tips to timl@patch.com.