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Israel Accelerates Cybersecurity Know-How as Early as 10th Grade

(Christian Science Monitor) Christa Case Bryant - Amid a rapid rise in cyber attacks on Israel, the state is accelerating efforts to recruit and develop the cyber expertise it needs to keep pace with emerging threats in the Middle East and beyond. With double the number of scientists and engineers per capita compared to the U.S. and 10 times more active-duty soldiers relative to its total population, Israel already has impressive human capital in scientific fields such as cybersecurity. But now it is also tapping everything from high school classrooms to venture capital firms to extract cream-of-the-crop cyber experts, hone their skills and ideas, and fund their development. Israel's model, though tailor-made for its unique size and capabilities, offers potential lessons for other countries looking to improve their cybersecurity game. Some American experts say Israel may be zeroed in to an even greater degree than the U.S. on developing cyber Top Guns with the ability to write and modify computer code, spot software vulnerabilities, move clandestinely inside networks, and manipulate systems, rather than just develop cybersecurity policy. "What Israel has done is focus much more heavily on technical skills and leave the political work to the politicians," says Alan Paller of the SANS Institute, who examined Israeli cybersecurity strategy as part of the US Department of Homeland Security's Task Force on CyberSkills last summer. "Their skill level [per capita] ... outdoes everyone, even China," he adds, despite China's "massive program" for developing skilled cyber experts. Israel achieved a top-3 ranking in preparedness for cyberattacks in a 2012 report (PDF) by security technology company McAfee, along with Finland and Sweden and ahead of the U.S., China, and Russia. The IDF sends select soldiers to universities such as Ben Gurion for specialized training, especially in the sciences. But given the urgent need for talent, the IDF launched a special program three years ago to identify exceptionally qualified high school students and begin their cybersecurity training as early as 10th grade. Currently 200 students are enrolled in the program, but graduates have so outperformed their peers in the IDF that commanders are clamoring for more.
2013-06-11 00:00:00
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