english is increasing spending on thieving intellectual property and sabotage of foreign nations

[Ayaz Siddiqi]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072642/Spy-chiefs-spend-100m-hiring-cyber-war-experts-getting-times-salary-GCHQ-workers.html

Spy chiefs spend £100m hiring cyber-war experts with some getting
three times salary of GCHQ workers

Last year, MI5 spent £56.8 million on consultants - 73 per cent up on
previous year
Bill predicted to rise 52 per cent to more than £80 million this year



By Mail On Sunday Reporter
UPDATED: 00:42, 11 December 2011

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Britain has spent more than £100 million in the past year on
consultants to combat cyber espionage and the growing use of the
internet by terrorists.


Now, MPs are investigating the soaring costs of employing private
contractors, some paid the equivalent of £150,000 a year, three times
the average wage at GCHQ, the Government’s signal and intelligence
agency.


The specialists are mostly IT experts recruited to ensure the security
agencies have state-of-the-art systems to run complex surveillance
operations, thwart cyber attacks and provide digital back-up.



Soaring costs: MPs on the Intelligence and Security Committee are have
appointed an independent investigator to review bills being paid by
MI5, MI6 (pictured) and GCHQ
Soaring costs: MPs on the Intelligence and Security Committee are have
appointed an independent investigator to review bills being paid by
MI5, MI6 (pictured) and GCHQ

But MPs on the Intelligence and Security Committee are so concerned
about the size of the consultancy fees, they have appointed an
independent investigator to review bills being paid by MI5, MI6 and
GCHQ.


Last year, MI5 spent £56.8 million on consultants, 73 per cent up on
the previous year. This year, the bill is predicted to rise by 52 per
cent to more than £80 million.







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And GCHQ last year spent £43 million on 297 part-time contractors at
its Cheltenham headquarters. Under last year’s spending review, all
three agencies are facing an 11 per cent cut.


But the cutbacks have left gaps which are being plugged by outside
contractors.


The huge fees paid are understood to have angered serving staff, some
of whom are on salaries of less than £25,000.


Earlier this year, GCHQ directors complained they couldn’t keep staff
because of poaching by Google and Microsoft which could afford to
offer generous pay deals.


Whitehall sources argue that private consultant costs are high because
of ‘public sector pay constraints’.


A GCHQ spokesman said: ‘GCHQ takes controlling the cost of consultants
very seriously.’


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