By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
This isn’t J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI.
A new criminal – a far more elusive one – is attacking companies, governments and personal computers.
The rising number of cyberattacks has prompted the FBI to look for more computer-savvy agents who can “keep pace with the evolving threat” of hackers, the Boston Herald reports.
“Although this wasn’t in response to the Sony hacking, investigating cyber crimes and widespread intrusions is a top priority for the FBI,” said Kristen Setera, spokeswoman for Boston’s FBI office. “This push to hire new people is an effort to keep pace with the evolving threat.”
This year has been been especially damaging for hacking victims like Sony and the customers of stores like Target, Neiman Marcus and Home Depot.
“We are completely understaffed and under attack from Iran, Russia, China and now North Korea — if that was actually them,” said Gary Miliefsky, a cybersecurity expert. “We’re bombarded, whether it’s our business or our critical infrastructure, and I think the FBI is going to have to find gems, and it’s hard to find talent.”
