Why veterans make excellent cyber specialists


E


x-service men and women possess a multitude of skills


to contribute to any organisation. With cyber security professionals in high demand, veterans are excellent candidates to fulfil these roles.


More than ever before, consumers and businesses alike are painfully aware of the high stakes associated with poor digital compliance and inadequate cyber security protections. The media have widely reported the sharp increase in serious data breaches, such as Dixons Carphone paying £400,000 in January before announcing another data breach in June. As well as facing financial penalties, organisations also risk devastating effects to their reputations.


Cyber Skills Gap


Skilled cyber specialists are key for any organisation to protect itself. There is,


however, a widely acknowledged global shortage of qualified cyber professionals. Estimates predict a shortfall of 2 million trained professionals by 2019, with some believing Brexit may exacerbate the scarcity of these skills in the UK. As it stands, the country is a long way from having a reliable, highly skilled and fit for purpose cyber workforce. All the while, cyberattacks on businesses are mounting.


Harness Veterans


To plug this skills gap, new initiatives are being set up to tap into and harness the well- honed skills of ex-service men and women by training them to become cyber security experts. As well as assisting the transition between military and civilian life, training provides the technical knowledge this well- adapted talent pool requires to flourish in cyber security roles.


But what makes veterans so well-suited to these positions? For one, ex-military personnel respond well to training. They possess a mindset which, when presented with a new


skill, sets out to learn it quickly and efficiently. Secondly, ex-service personnel are resilient to stress. With experience and training to think in terms of first, second and third order consequences, this ingrained technique allows them to efficiently assess a situation and its possible outcomes. In terms of application to cyber roles, this enables them to curtail a possible attack whilst ensuring that all eventualities are planned for.


In addition, many veterans possess exceptional leadership skills which are rare in the civilian workforce. It is not uncommon for a veteran to have experience managing hundreds of personnel yet, having worked in a rigid hierarchy, still be diligent in answering to a superior.


Further to this point, ex-service personnel have the personal soft skills necessary to clearly explain possible threats to somebody who has little technical knowledge. In the face of the cyber specialist shortage, UK organisations should open their minds to this demographic. Historically, veterans face disproportionate unemployment rates to those who have not served in the military. By embracing these well adapted ex-service personnel, employers can ensure their recruitment pipeline is primed for survival against a growing threat.


Neil Williams CEO and found of Crucial Academy - https://academy.crucialgroup.co.uk


Investing in quality: how can you prove the ‘gold standard’? P


oor quality security products


and software can result in high replacement costs, lost productivity and income, damage or loss of plant and property, injury to people, or – in extreme cases – even loss of life. Proving


quality can be tricky. It’s something you need to assess during the due diligence process.


Some essential questions you can ask of potential vendors to help determine whether what you’re buying meets the quality ‘gold standard’ include:


• Do you have a dedicated QA team? • Are there multiple quality checkpoints throughout the development and production process – not just at the beginning and end?


• Do you follow best practice and test your software using automated testing, where each build of the software is fully exercised?


• How reliable are you in delivering a new version/product on the date specified?


• What is the process for resolving technical queries?


30 © CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – AUTUMN 20 1 8


• How are issues recorded and addressed and is feedback shared where appropriate?


• How confident are you in your hardware? (A one year warranty period can indicate lack of confidence; five years to a lifetime warranty can indicate full confidence.)


• Do you use penetration testing to externally verify the security of the product?


• How accessible and responsive is the manufacturer?


Back up your questions with research


How does the vendor demonstrate their focus on quality? Can you ask to visit their factory or a client site to see the product in action?


You can discover a whole lot about a company by asking for references from existing and previous clients. Find out how long they’ve been with the company, whether they’re having a great experience and how any problems are responded to and resolved.


Quality Processes


Quality process standards like ISO 9001 are another good starting point; they will ensure that the company has some processes in place that should deliver reliable results. But to achieve a ‘gold quality standard’ security system takes more than that. The manufacturer needs to understand the needs


www. c i t y s e c ur i t ymag a z i n e . c om


of the security market and listen to the real- life problems and risks that users are trying to resolve and mitigate. Manufacturers need to be dynamically updating their offering to meet the changing environment. If they don’t, then the system you purchased two years ago with the expectation that it would last for seven to ten years may struggle to meet the current expectations.


Options to move forward


Is there an incremental path for you to migrate to the emerging security technologies - both hardware and software? This particularly applies to cybersecurity updates after the original purchase is made. It’s key to ask whether ongoing support and updates are provided after you purchase. It’s especially important to ensure that it’s possible to upgrade firmware, not just software applications, within the solution you choose.


There’s no replacement for your own high standards. Quality means different things to different people and you need to decide what’s important to you and your appetite for risk. Ultimately, you’ll never regret buying quality.


Steve Bell Chief Technology Officer at Gallagher Security www.security.gallagher.com


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