CybersecurityU.S. Air Force plans to add 1,000 new cybersecurity personnel

The U.S. Air Force plans to add 1,000 new personnel between 2014 and 2016 as part of its cybersecurity units.

Silicon Valley Business Journal reports that the 24th Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas is home to the U.S. Air Force cyber command. With a budget of about $1 billion and a staff of roughly 400 military and civilian personnel, the command oversees about 6,000 cyber defense personnel throughout the Air Force.

General William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, says the Air Force plans to increase its personnel count by 15 percent over the next few years despite budget cuts that may occur in other areas of the military. “This is the worst I have ever seen, (with) the pressures that are on all of us to try and make decisions without good information,” Shelton said in reference to the potential budget cuts. “This is the national security of the nation we’re talking about here.”

According to BizJournals, the mix of hiring will consist of 80 percent military and 20 percent civilian employees. “Our mission is to defend the nation. We defend. We deter. And if called upon, we take decisive action to defend our citizens,” Shelton says.

Qualifications and recruitment strategies for the additional personnel have not been announced, but many employees may be recruited from existing missions. Cyberattacks against the United States have increased dramatically in recent years, making the Air Force’s expansion of its existing cyber defense capabilities urgent. “I call it the Wild West, because you can be anywhere and do anything and be effective,” Shelton says. “All you need is an Internet connection.”