Cyber Social Network Launches

A new website fusing elements of Facebook and LinkedIn aims to help cybersecurity workers hone their skills and employers get a bead on new talent.

U.S. Cyber Challenge, a nonprofit working to train the nation’s cyber workforce, and career-site conglomerate Monster.com officially launched Wednesday the new site, CyberCompEx.

Its creators hope the site will help to pinpoint, train and recruit star cyberwarriors to join the federal workforce and other critical organizations.

“We wanted to have a place where people could come together virtually online and be able to see the resources and see the opportunities, so this is that first step in that right direction,” said Karen Evans, the head of U.S. Cyber Challenge, in an interview with Nextgov.

Hours after its launch, the site had accumulated 95 registered users, according to U.S. Cyber Challenge spokeswoman Katie Hanson.

Taking a page from LinkedIn, CyberCompEx asks its users to create a free profile in which they list their skills. It then allows them to scroll through detailed information about competitions and training opportunities.

Despite the recent recruiting successes of the U.S. Digital Service and 18F, the government continues to struggle to get qualified cybersecurity personnel on board.

The Department of Homeland Security’s research and development division awarded seed funding to the site last year.

One of CyberCompEx’s focus area is cyber competitions.

“Competitions are a natural way to bring people together,” Evans said. And they can also help employers identify the most talented players in the cybersecurity world.

Registration for one of the key competitions, Cyber Quests, also opened Wednesday. The online contest gives participants 24 hours to compete, and those who work the fastest and most accurately will be selected to participate in a follow-up “cyber camp.”

(Image via Sergey Nivens/ Shutterstock.com)