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NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
11–20 of 89 posts
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
From what I learned and searched for (sorry, no references), in general the important thing for a security background check for government agencies is not that you have shady business in your past - but that you're willing to be totally transparent to your (governmental) employer. Was in the past a heavy consumer of weed/was part of a cult/always attending protests against federal government policies? No problem, jus…
Doesn't this approach seem kind of backwards though? For example, weed. If they want to prevent enemies from blackmailing their employees for past weed use. They should come out and say we don't care how much weed you smoke, we're not going to drug test you now or ever, we just don't care what you do in your free time. The fact that they polygraph & question you to find the exact # of times you have done drugs in the…
I don't know the specifics about the NSA (or about any other agency), but the whole "don't care much about past, caring about trust and transparency" is pretty standard security model in western governmental agencies. Notice that CURRENT illegal activities can be a source of blackmail - if I'd work for the NSA and run over someone with my car I wouldn't expect a three letter agency to come and make the charges disappear (and that's a good thing of course, we don't want an above-the-law military class).
As I said, I don't know the specifics of the NSA (maybe they do or do not care about future light drug use) but I would expect them not wanting you to continue any illegal activities, to a reasonable degree (continue stealing the office toilet paper if it gives you kicks).
Unless you're some sort of a world-level genius they would probably also shy away from evident extreme sociopathic behavior. From a reasonable human resources angle, not just security. Most of us wouldn't want to work with someone who released a worm that specifically targets thesis drafts for example.
ANOTHER EDIT: I really think the #1 concern for applicable defcon recruits is "computer crimes", not drug use. Found/tested exploits? Use bittorrent? Cracked WinRAR (and hopefully something else that is more than simply changing a je to jne)? don't be afraid to send a CV and be honest. That is all.
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#13Then if you zoom in on bottom of the background (http://www.nsa.gov/careers/dc20/images/Back.jpg)
in the light blue swoosh there is a message:
"GNXR N PYBFRE YBBX NG ANGVBANY FRPHEVGL NG AFN"
Which is ROT13 for "TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT NATIONAL SECURITY AT NSA"
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#14Impressive, who would have thought a government agency could have signs of imagination and even fun!
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#15Then if you zoom in on bottom of the background ( http://www.nsa.gov/careers/dc20/images/Back.jpg ) in the light blue swoosh there is a message: "GNXR N PYBFRE YBBX NG ANGVBANY FRPHEVGL NG AFN" Which is ROT13 for "TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT NATIONAL SECURITY AT NSA"
Nothing there, I'm afraid.
That is, unless they're intercepting Google searches for the decoded phrase, in which case, hello! Feel free to check out my resume, which you can find in my Documents folder, and I look forward to hearing from you shortly.
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then if you zoom in on bottom of the background ( http://www.nsa.gov/careers/dc20/images/Back.jpg ) in the light blue swoosh there is a message: "GNXR N PYBFRE YBBX NG ANGVBANY FRPHEVGL NG AFN" Which is ROT13 for "TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT NATIONAL SECURITY AT NSA"
Nothing there, I'm afraid. That is, unless they're intercepting Google searches for the decoded phrase, in which case, hello! Feel free to check out my resume, which you can find in my Documents folder, and I look forward to hearing from you shortly.
I can confirm it's there, look closer.
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#17Appalling.
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#18Have to appreciete the direct honest approach: "It's true that you must be a U.S. citizen, and you'll need a security clearance that requires a background investigation and polygraph. But ... If you have a few, shall we say, indiscretions in your past, don't be alarmed. You shouldn't automatically assume you won't be hired. If you're really interested, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot."
and polygraph
Are they still serious about doing the polygraph dance? Even after all these years with questionable results and even the Supreme Court rejecting it as neutral evidence. I guess they are starting pretty early in making employees believe into made-up Security Theater mechanisms.
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#19Have to appreciete the direct honest approach: "It's true that you must be a U.S. citizen, and you'll need a security clearance that requires a background investigation and polygraph. But ... If you have a few, shall we say, indiscretions in your past, don't be alarmed. You shouldn't automatically assume you won't be hired. If you're really interested, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot."
and polygraph Are they still serious about doing the polygraph dance? Even after all these years with questionable results and even the Supreme Court rejecting it as neutral evidence. I guess they are starting pretty early in making employees believe into made-up Security Theater mechanisms.
The polygraph isn't about lie detection. If you can't beat an NSA poly, they wouldn't want you. The poly isn't about finding 'truth' inasmuch as it's about your abilities to pass it. I can't speak to the NSA specifically, but in other agencies, the poly is a screening tool. Even if you're lying but can beat the poly, then you have proven that you can maintain while under extreme pressure. Intel agency polys are seriously stressful. Often 3 days long, sometimes administered in a generic northern Virginia chain hotel room with constant badgering. The goal is to maintain physiological control under mental duress. Polys are worthless as lie detectors, but they are a good test of mental toughness (or sociopathic skills.) the easy part is just to tell the truth. Unless there's something in your immediate past that's a disqualifier, usually within the previous 12 months, then there's nothing to fear.
If you're easily rattled, even if telling the truth, the poly weeds that out.
Re: NSA Careers for DEF CON Attendees
#20Have to appreciete the direct honest approach: "It's true that you must be a U.S. citizen, and you'll need a security clearance that requires a background investigation and polygraph. But ... If you have a few, shall we say, indiscretions in your past, don't be alarmed. You shouldn't automatically assume you won't be hired. If you're really interested, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot."
and polygraph Are they still serious about doing the polygraph dance? Even after all these years with questionable results and even the Supreme Court rejecting it as neutral evidence. I guess they are starting pretty early in making employees believe into made-up Security Theater mechanisms.
As mentioned the polygraph bluntly measures lying-ability (to a lesser degree) and measures mental stress-management, which in this line of work is very mandatory.