National-security workforce needs young people, former NSA chief says
Paul Nakasone says fifteen times more 50-plus-year-olds work in national security than under-30s. At least one university is trying to step up.
David DiMolfetta | August 12, 2024 02:00 PM ET
Personnel Cyber Civilians
LAS VEGAS — Presidential election interference, a once-in-a-generation pandemic, the SolarWinds Orion hack and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are just a small sampling of what Gen. Paul Nakasone witnessed during his time leading the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.
In taking the position in 2018, he set “wake-up conditions” for when an on-duty officer would call him during an emergency that would require attention from the president or secretary of defense. In his first year, he got 3 calls. In his final month on the job, he was phoned over 10 times.
“It’s for you. It’s them. Good luck,” he recalled his wife telling him whenever a call came through. His description of what became a routine habit for the Nakasone family elicited laughs from an audience of hackers and security practitioners at the DEF CON hacking conference here.
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2024/08/former-nsa-chief-wants-academia-play-larger-role-national-security/398743/
