The Boom (Or Bubble) In Federal Cybersecurity 72
Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post reports that the increasing number and intensity of cyberattacks has attracted the attention of the Obama administration and Congress, which have begun steering dollars to the problem. Much of that new spending, estimated at $6 to $7 billion annually just in unclassified work, is focused on the Washington region, as the federal government consolidates many of its cybersecurity-focused agencies in the area. 'I think it is a real growth opportunity in coming years,' says David Z. Bodenheimer, a partner at law firm Crowell & Moring in Washington, who leads the firm's homeland security practice and specializes in government contracts. 'The market is still rather fragmented and in flux, but is developing with a speed that it is attracting both the major defense and homeland security contractors who are establishing independent business units to pursue these opportunities, and it is also a real opportunity for the smaller players who have niche products.' One reason the field is attracting so many companies is that the barriers to entry are low — at least, relative to other defense industries. But as start-ups and others rush to stake claims, some wonder if a bubble of sorts is beginning to inflate and recall that many venture firms in the early 2000s chased similar prospects. 'A lot of the early people made significant money,' says Roger Novak, founder of Novak Biddle Venture Partners. 'But there were [also] a lot of "me too" companies.'"
Re:Bubbles are not as nasty in labor-intensive sec (Score:1, Informative)
The reason it's hard to get security clearance for most is that private companies don't want to pay the thousands of dollars for the investigation, more people than you think could get a clearance, but it's just too expensive. If you want a piece of pie, do what I did and join the military for a few years, they're more than happy to give you a clearance if you choose the right job. The only people that really have trouble have financial issues, criminal records, or aren't citizens. I'm sure most of you on /. are good, well behaved nerds like me, so there you have it. IMO a lot of people just don't like the idea of the military, like war, or getting exercise. So here they are complaining about how hard it is to get a clearance, when the easiest opportunity for most to earn one is right under their noses.
Disclaimer: Spent 6 years as a USAF 2E2X1: A specialty pretty much cookie cut for the huge cybersecurity craze, now known as 3D1X2.