14 DAY TRIAL // Speaking with the BBC, Lieutenant Colonel Michael White revealed that even convicted computer hackers could be recruited for the United Kingdom’s new Joint Cyber Reserve Unit.
Announced last month, the Joint Cyber Reserve Unit is set to recruit current and former reservists, military personnel leaving the armed forces, and even civilians who possess the necessary skills.
However, according to White, even convicted hackers could be accepted.
“We're looking at capability development, rather than setting hard and fast rules about individual personality traits,” White said.
For hackers to be accepted, they would have to undergo security checks. If they pass this process, they could become part of the unit in which the UK government plans to invest hundreds of millions of pounds.
British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has noted that in the case of convicted hackers, several factors are taken into account: the length of the conviction, the seriousness of the crime, and the sentence that followed. “The Cyber Reserves will be an essential part of ensuring we defend our national security in cyberspace. This is an exciting opportunity for internet experts in industry to put their skills to good use for the nation, protecting our vital computer systems and capabilities,” Hammond noted in September.
Experts agree that hiring individuals who were convicted for cybercrime is a smart move, especially since in some cases, it’s difficult for them to get a job in the industry.
On the other hand, the hackers don’t appear too thrilled about the idea. For instance, former member of the LulzSec hacktivist group Mustafa al-Bassam, currently a student at King’s College in London, has told the BBC that the recent spying revelations by government agencies might discourage people like him from contributing to the country’s national security.
The fact that a government “stomps” on civil liberties is going to “repel talented people,” al-Bassam believes.