NICCS continues, “Veterans’ backgrounds in managing high-pressure situations, attention to detail, and understanding of secure communications make them particularly well-suited for this career path.”
Gretchen Bliss, director of cybersecurity programs at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), speaks specifically to security execs on the matter: “If I were talking to a CISO, I’d say get your hands on a veteran. They understand the practical application piece, the operational piece, they have hands-on experience. They think things through, they know how to do diagnostics. They already know how to tackle problems.”
But like Elgee and Radliff, Bliss says many transitioning veterans need some guidance on moving into corporate America, where “the chain of command and hierarchy aren’t the same,” as well as integrating into civilian work environments that often operate in ways significantly different than the military.
