MPs: hire more Web-ready spooks. Government: OK

The Government has promised that funds from its £650m National Cyber Security Programme will be channelled into making good a shortfall in Internet specialists to combat cyber security threats.

Concerns about the inability of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) to retain enough cyber experts were raised earlier this year in the Security and Intelligence Committee's annual report.

The Committee had urged GCHQ to investigate what might be done to improve the situation and recommended that the Cabinet Office considers whether a system of bonuses for specialist skills, similar to that in the US should be introduced.

Now in a just-published response the government has basically agreed:

"The Cabinet Office and GCHQ are both supporters of initiatives such as the Cyber Security Challenge, which promotes careers in cyber security via annual competitions and events while providing advice and opportunities to individuals who wish to start a career in the information security field."

Policies for the recruiting and retaining of specialist staff are the responsibility of individual departments, it adds, but notes, "Under the National Cyber Security Programme the Government will support individual departments and agencies in developing cyber security training and skills programmes for their staff."

The Coalition also announced that three security agencies were to set up a single unified mechanism for hiring interim IT specialists and contractors after the Security and Intelligence Committee expressed worries about increasing expenditure on outside contractors.

Security agencies are also working on a joint IT strategy, said the government, after the committee raised concerns that the closure of a back-up site at Oakley might leave GCHQ exposed if its primary site were to be put out of action.