The National Security Agency (NSA) emphasizes talent recruitment and retention as technology evolves at an unprecedented pace, according to Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, agency Director and commander of US Cyber Command. He noted that amidst all the revolutionary technology and high-speed computers, it is the talent that drives the agency.
- NSA launched its largest hiring surge in three decades aimed at recruiting more than 3,000 new employees by the end of 2023.
- The agency has also focused on revamping its recruiting and retention practices to attract a future-ready workforce.
- Emphasis is given to adapting to work-life balance demands and facilitating career mobility between the government and private sector.
General Nakasone affirmed that the coming workforce will be predominantly millennials and Generation Z, marking a significant shift in the demographic makeup of the NSA. Acknowledging this, he highlighted the agency’s focus on accommodating the work-life balance demands and easing career mobility between the government and the private sector.
In response to fast-paced technological changes, the NSA has been proactive in anticipating and adapting to these changes. New technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, are set to have a major impact on the national security landscape.
- Earlier this year, Gen. Nakasone announced the launch of the AI Security Center, aimed at overseeing the development and integration of AI capabilities within U.S. national security systems.
- The AI Security Center will serve as the main hub for developing best practices, evaluation methodology, and risk frameworks with the aim of promoting the safe adoption of new AI capabilities across the national security enterprise and the defense industrial base.
- The center has started partnering with multiple organizations to tackle the issues linking AI to national security.
Gen. Nakasone emphasized the transformative potential of AI, stating it is “probably the most transformative things that we’re going to experience in our lifetime”. Ensuring the security of the infrastructure and information that supports AI operations within the nation forms a critical part of the NSA’s mission, he added.