Cyber-security is becoming a hot-button issue, which means more congressional interference, and for people in the field more time spent responding to political pressures instead of real security threats.

The recruitment process is long and tedious -- obtaining a security clearance can take 18 months -- and the pay is generally lower than in the private sector.

But the challenges are unique and at Defcon this week the DoD's chief security officer made a recruiting pitch to attendees, describing it as a place where geeks could develop world-class cyber security skills. "I have never seen in my entire career a more concerted effort.... to focus on this are area of education, training and awareness," CSO Robert Lentz told conference attendees. "Any one of you in this room who want to seek positions in the government…. the opportunities are there; the resources are there. "

There might be one other reason why a government job could appeal to Defcon attendees.

The feds like to talk about developing cyber-security capabilities to protect the nation's infrastructure, but they may also be spending time at Defcon looking for people who know how to attack systems as well, said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with security vendor F-Secure. "If you want people who know how to attack, this is the place."