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�Ask your local elected official who protects the over 3,000 �$1.5 million to secure $50 billion worth of data – would
water purification plants from cyber-attacks against their you want your PII or HIPAA data stored in a system whose
infrastructure�� Jordan added. cybersecurity was funded at that level� Just .15% of the

overall annual budget, or 6% of the IT budget��
The Security Budget Battle
Jordan says that Arlington faces the all big name threats Security Requires a Skilled Workforce
like state sponsored actors, cybercriminals, and hacktivists Another major issue Jordan pointed out is that the
just like any other organization, but another major threat country�s universities are producing thousands of students
that all governments in particular face today are elected with cybersecurity degrees that are basically unemployable
officials who provide too much lip service and too little because the Federal Government (namely DHS) is
funding for cybersecurity. operating with 20th century rules, regulations and

procedures, which have created a massive gap when it
�IT departments are the new kid on the block when it comes to getting talent to those organizations with
comes to governments, and IT budgets should grow every cybersecurity skillset needs.
year, but most are cut every year just like the other agencies
that have been around for over a hundred years. It�s a �We�re losing the cyber war and one way to do better is to
wrong-headed and a short-sighted mistake made by add talented cyber warriors to the battlefield. It�s a sad
politicians and CAOs who believe all agencies must be commentary when hacking groups like Anonymous are
treated equally,� Jordan noted. fighting ISIS in lieu of a national strategy that provides
university graduates with cybersecurity degrees an entry

�IT is the heart blood of all the other government agencies level security clearance,� Jordan said.
in the 21st century, and when IT is cut, those cuts impact
cybersecurity tremendously. Cuts hurts all the other �We are good when it comes to reacting to a successful
agencies� performance, but too many politicians and attack. We have plenty of practice, but I�d like to see fewer
bureaucrats are completely immured with 20th century successful attacks and more offensive measures
policies and procedures that just don�t work today.� undermining of cybercriminals and nation state mischief
makers.�
He says the typical best case scenario probably looks

something like this: He scoffs at why it is so complex and difficult for an agency
like DHS to fix these security clearance problems that have
● $1 billion government budget funded with tax existed for more than ten years when there are thousands
dollars of job openings for interested graduates, but they need-not-
● $25 million for IT apply without clearances.
● $1.5 million for IT Security
�This situation needs to be remedied ASAP. I think it is a

�At just 100,000 taxpayers with presumed personal data serious national security issue and DHS should cut down
value housed within the government�s data stores at on their speeches and get to working on a solution, even if
$500,000 each – if you value your personal private health it is an interim solution. We�ll lose these graduates to other
and financial data at $500,000 if it were stolen and it took venues if we keep them waiting too long, plus their skill
you years to restore your credit rating – then total stored sets will become dated. This is not a winning scenario.�
content value would be $50 billion,� Jordan said.

CYBER DEFENSE MAGAZINE - ANNUAL EDITION 3