Job Responsibilities
I "certify and accredit" government computer systems, that it, I
fill out paperwork certifying that the govt. agency has complied
with laws (e.g. FISMA) requiring that the government's computer
systems be made as secure as possible.
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Job Requirements
The best qualification for a position like mine is a bachelor's
degree in any subject plus a CISSP certification (see
www.isc2.org). Many positions require a government security
clearance, which is nearly impossible to get unless you already
have one, or you were in the military.
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Uppers
Lots of job opportunities chasing relatively few job seekers. My phone rings
nearly off the hook with job leads just from posting my resume to monster.com .
Salaries from $90-115K (W-2) and consulting work from $45-75/hr are not hard to
come by. Sometimes you might get to do penetration tests (ethical hacking) or
other fun things.
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Downers
Some government agencies are more interested in doing the
paperwork than in actually making their systems secure. Also,
security clearances are required for many positions and they are
virtually impossible to get if you don't already have one.
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Lifestyle
Casual dress. Zero to extensive travel. Relatively benign work hours. You
have to be able to stand Washington, DC culture which can be pretty conservative.
Some positions can require privacy-invasive personnel security measures such as
urine tests or "background checks." You would typically be working for a
government contractor, e.g. Lockheed, Northrop, EDS, or a subcontractor (a woman
or minority owned small business working under the larger, prime contractor).
There are supposedly direct US government hires in the field, see
usajobs.opm.gov, but in my experience if you send your resume directly to the
government it will go into a black hole and you will never hear back from them.
After you are hired as a contractor you will discover it is the contractors who
do the actual work while the civil servants sleep or chat all day.
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Compensation
$90-115K W/2 with benefits (generally health insurance and
401(K)). Forget about bonuses or stock options. You can also be
a consultant (1099) for $55-75/hr.
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Advice to Jobseekers
If you are a techie, becoming involved in the cyber security area
is a good way to keep from having your job outsourced to some
foreign country. Study networking and other elements of the Cisco
and CISSP exams.
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