CHEMISTRY

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.-- Computer Sciences Corporation is experiencing what many predicted in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, but what until now had not come to pass -- growth in demand for information security and intelligence information technology (IT) support services. Despite the recent downtrend in parts of the technology industry, CSC expects the increase in demand for these services to continue through the next 12 to 24 months and is increasing its staffing accordingly. "Since mid-summer, there has been a noticeable upturn in demand for information security-related services among our clients in the U.S. government and commercial sectors," said Joe Stafford, vice president of CSC's Global Information Security Services (GISS) unit. "We've been positioning to respond quickly and effectively to clients' expanding security concerns and requirements. As a result, we're looking for top-drawer, experienced security professionals to help us meet current and future demand." Overall, CSC has opportunities for approximately 400 qualified information security and IT intelligence support specialists. Of these positions, about 100 are with CSC's GISS unit, and the remainder are with CSC's new Enforcement, Security and Intelligence (ESI) organization. The ESI organization has recently won eight intelligence community systems integration and consulting awards, bringing $202 million in new awards to the group just three months after its creation. "A strong factor influencing the demand for services relates to proposed reorganizations within the government, including creation of the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security," said Tim Sheahan, president of CSC's ESI organization. "We've not only realigned our business to better serve these anticipated needs, but have moved out very aggressively in this market and are actively seeking to add to our already extensive resources in support of our current and anticipated growth." About 3,000 employees currently work for the ESI unit. Customers include the Department of Defense, Department of State, several organizations within the U.S. intelligence community and the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. ESI was created to support programs enhancing U.S. national security posture. Current client programs focus on enterprise resource planning, enterprise management systems, information operations and assurance development, systems engineering and customer relationship management. Although the new CSC job openings are generally for seasoned security engineers and specialists, network engineers and system administrators, some opportunities are also available to college-level applicants. Specifically, CSC is recruiting skilled professionals with clearances and expertise in the areas of system security testing and evaluation, vulnerability analysis, risk and threat assessments, computer forensics, security architecture and design, and emerging security technologies and techniques. Of the 400 new information security and intelligence IT support openings at CSC, about 10 percent are in support of commercial clients, while the remainder are focused on U.S. federal government defense and intelligence clients. The new positions are located throughout the United States, although the primary focus is in the greater Washington D.C. area. In that region, CSC is employing a variety of tools to recruit new employees, including radio and billboard advertisements, recruiting fairs and visits to local college campuses. A key factor driving demand is the number of new government regulations requiring organizations to implement and comply with new security guidelines. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is forcing companies in the healthcare field to address stringent security, privacy and reporting regulations that take effect in 2003. Similarly, the financial services industry is being impacted by a number of new federal regulations such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 2001, which addresses customer security and privacy issues. Additionally, the 2000 Government Information Security Reform Act requires U.S. government agencies to assess and report on the security of their IT systems. "We also expect that, once finalized, the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace will also have an impact on government and industry," said Stafford. "The requirements of that strategy will sustain, if not increase, the current increase in demand for information security services. The Cyberspace Strategy and new regulations require application of many of the information security solutions for which CSC has extensive expertise, and our specialists are positioned around the globe to help our clients meet those requirements." CSC's GISS unit supports clients through its CyberCare enterprise information risk management line of service. CyberCare services cover the full spectrum of information and infrastructure security -- from security policy and program development to comprehensive security assessments to state-of-the-art managed security services. Solutions are delivered through consulting, integration and operational activities tailored to the unique needs of each client. Qualified specialists can find out more about current job openings at CSC's CareerSource Web site at careers.csc.com, or contact human resources representatives Charmayne York, GISS, at (301) 794-2568, or submit resumes online (for ESI openings) at www.eagle-alliance.com.