Tech companies will soon be competing for talent with a new player in Silicon Valley: the Department of Homeland Security.

During a speech today at the security-focused RSA Conference in San Francisco, US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced that his department is opening a cybersecurity office in Silicon Valley.

And Johnson wasn’t coy about why: he wants to tap into the Valley’s minds.

“We want to convince the talented workforce to come to Washington,” said Johnson. “The government doesn’t have all the answers nor do we have all the talent…We need each other and we must work together. There are things government can do for you and there are things you can (help us do).”

Among the cybersecurity jobs Homeland Security is looking to fill is the role of top cop. Johnson said he’s looking for an “all-star” to head DHS’ National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, or NCCIC.

The department’s move into Silicon Valley marks a recognition of the increasing threat of hacking and the importance of cybersecurity. The Department of Homeland Security, whose main mission has been counter-terrorism, has increasingly focused on cybersecurity, and with good reason: some of the biggest hacking attacks in history have happened in just the past couple of years, and experts warn there’s no indication they’ll be abating any time soon.

Read the Full Article: Source – c|net
http://www.cnet.com/news/homeland-security-department-to-open-silicon-valley-office/

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