FBI Director Stresses Need for Skilled Cyber Pros

FBI Director Robert Mueller on Thursday pointed to the need for a top notch cybersecurity workforce to respond to and collaborate outside the boundaries of their agency or organization to address cyber threats.

Speaking at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, Mueller pointed to the need for training professionals to have the highest possible skill sets to address cyber threats. "We are creating a structure whereby a cyber agent in San Francisco can work in a virtual environment with an agent in Texas, an analyst in Virginia and a forensic specialist in New York," Mueller said.

Mueller also stressed that the government needs the help of the private sector to combat cyber attacks -- a threat he believes is becoming as big a threat to the nation as terrorism. He assured business to not withhold reporting threats for fear of bad publicity or eroding shareholder confidence. "It is no longer a question of if, but when, and how often," he said. "There are only two types of companies -- those that have been hacked and those that will be."