For cyber defence, UK to hire criminal hackers
The UK’s new cyber defence unit could recruit convicted criminal hackers, the defence secretary has said. Philip Hammond
said the armed forces did not have an “absolute bar” on signing up
criminals, and told the BBC’s Newsnight that former hackers would be
assessed on case basis. Lieutenant Colonel Michael White,
head of the new team of “cyber reservists”, said he would not be
setting “hard and fast rules about individual personality traits”.
The Joint Cyber Reserve Unit will be responsible for protecting the UK from cyber attacks — attempts to extract information and attempts to deny services by bringing websites down.
In addition, hackers will be used as a military asset with an “offensive capability” — striking out at enemy targets for the benefit of national security.
David Day, a computer forensics expert, told Newsnight that former malicious hackers represent “some of the best talent” in the country. And White said, “I think if they could get through the security process, then if they had that capability that we would like, then if the vetting authority was happy with that, why not? We’re looking at capability development, rather than setting hard and fast rules about individual traits.”
The Joint Cyber Reserve Unit will be responsible for protecting the UK from cyber attacks — attempts to extract information and attempts to deny services by bringing websites down.
In addition, hackers will be used as a military asset with an “offensive capability” — striking out at enemy targets for the benefit of national security.
David Day, a computer forensics expert, told Newsnight that former malicious hackers represent “some of the best talent” in the country. And White said, “I think if they could get through the security process, then if they had that capability that we would like, then if the vetting authority was happy with that, why not? We’re looking at capability development, rather than setting hard and fast rules about individual traits.”
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