FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Tech

CSEC Is Recruiting From a Hackfest in Quebec

Are you a "security enthusiast" at Quebec's Hackfest? Well CSEC might want you to be its latest recruit.
Image: CSEC

If you're a "computer security enthusiast" looking to impress big league security scouts at Hackfest in Quebec City this November, rest assured Canada's spies will be watching from the stands.

The Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) is partnering with Hackfest, a meeting of over 400 security experts and enthusiasts participating in talks—and of course, hacking competitions like "Capture the Flag, 'Red team vs Blue team' unique in its style, lockpicking and more."

Advertisement

The Canadian federal agency joins security company sponsors like Symantec, Go Secure, and Trend Micro, that have also announced a presence at the conference.

When I asked Canada's signals intelligence agency if they'd be recruiting new workers from the event, spokesperson Ryan Foreman told me the agency pools from a wide range of candidates when the agency travels to several different trade shows.

Related: How Canada's Spies Spend Their Free Time

"In order to find the exceptional people we require, CSE needs to reach as many people in the IT field as is feasible," said Foreman in an emailed statement. "CSE participates in many recruiting fairs, both at universities and in professional settings across the country each year. Events such as Hackfest provide an excellent opportunity for CSE to introduce our organization to a group of skilled IT security experts."

Hacker conferences are a crucial recruitment arena for government agencies and private companies alike. But it would seem CSEC is currently having a better go of it than their colleagues to the south: The NSA was infamously asked not to attend Def Con in 2013 following the Snowden leaks, which put a big damper on the agency's recruitment efforts.

According to Foreman, CSEC finds talented candidates from multiple disciplines, with the ultimate objective to protect "the Government of Canada's information systems and our country from global threats."

And recruitment is clearly on the minds of Canada's secretive signals intelligence agency. The link to the release on the Hackfest website announcing the partnership with CSEC, links directly to the careers website and its "Can You Keep A Secret?" recruitment campaign. The agency also boasts of its top employment status.

Teams at Hackfest can expect a futuristic scenario for their hacking tournament setting. "The year is 2338," reads the tournament release. "The planet is filthy and overpopulated. Governments have been replaced by large self-preserving multinational companies. They regroup money and power, hiring hackers, known as "Cowboys", to spy, steal and even destroy." Teams of hackers then perform a series of cyber tactics to attain certain objectives.

Foreman maintains that any new recruit for the agency must go through "a rigorous security screening process."

Ultimately the agency is looking for the best of the best, to help protect Canadian assets. "We are also constantly on the lookout for people from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds with unique ideas, a sense of curiosity, a desire to learn, and a dedication to the country," said Foreman.