Cyber Defense eMagazine March Edition for 2022

8. Vets understand the emphasis of structure and clarity
Without a clearly defined structure, no organization will be able to achieve success or maintain that
success in the long run. Structure, however, is one of the core building blocks that military service helps
instill in veterans, and many veterans seek out that structure in the private sector after their military
service formally concludes. Therefore, many veterans will find themselves thriving in a role at a cyber
defense firm that offers them a similar sense of structure, as well as clarity regarding their purpose within
the organization. Through finding these, veterans are inherently able to rely upon their military training to
continue providing value to the firms they work for.
9. Vets are focused on the impact of driving meaningful change
If you ask a room full of veterans why they initially decided to join the military, most of the responses you
receive are bound to fall along the lines of their desire to be a part of meaningful, positive change in the
world. That meaningful change is precisely what the cybersecurity industry seeks to provide its clients in
the face of an ever-growing and ever-changing digital landscape. In transitioning to cyber defense roles,
veterans are able to carry that focus on driving impactful change into meaningful work in the private
sector, leaning on their military training and background to provide a positive service that protects
everyday people.
10. Veterans are taught how to combat threats and take risks
At its heart, military service teaches veterans how to react to threats of virtually any degree and respond
to them accordingly. In the realm of cyber defense, those threats are as numerous as they are varied in
their potential intensity. Additionally, veterans understand that responding to threats in a timely and
responsible manner can entail the need to take risks—another commonality shared in cybersecurity.
Veterans who seek to transition their skills into the private cyber defense sector are valuable to the firms
which might employ them since they already possess this mindset; they know the importance of their
skills and the purpose they serve in protecting others. Because veterans are inherently trained on how to
combat and overcome threats, even in high-risk situations, this makes them a valuable pool of candidates
for the greater cybersecurity industry.
About the Author
Bryon Kroger is the founder of Rise8, which places the bureaucracy of
the US military and the technological innovations of Silicon Valley in the
same realm. As a veteran of the US Air Force, and co-founder of the
DoD’s first software factory Kessel Run, Kroger is bridging the gap
between the archaic practices of govtech and the speed that Silicon
Valley startups are known for. Bryon can be reached online at
bryon@rise8.com and at our company website https://rise8.us/.
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