From the Frontlines to the Firewalls: The Empowerment … · Cyber Security & The Looming Talent...
Transcript of From the Frontlines to the Firewalls: The Empowerment … · Cyber Security & The Looming Talent...
USTGlobal ®
From the Frontlines to the Firewalls: The Empowerment of Veterans in Cyber Security
UST GLOBAL, July 2017
By: Tony Velleca & Cynthia Leimbach
Cyber Security & The Looming Talent Gap
UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY 2017 1
By 2020, the talent gap in cyber security will be 1.5
million positions, according to the 2013 (ISC) Global
Information Security Workforce Study. The Global
Risks 2015 report agrees that cyber security is a
massive issue. In January, the World Economic
Forum (WEF) issued this rather stark warning: "90
percent of companies worldwide recognize they are
insufficiently prepared to protect themselves against
[cyber-attacks]." Considering that cybercrime costs
the global economy over US$400 billion per year
according to the Center for Strategic and Interna-
tional Studies, the image we hold of cyber security
becomes crystal clear. The future of cyber security is
critical and as such, we must ensure its imminent
success.
Recently, on April 5, 2017, the Veterans Today
Network reported in alignment with the Bureau of
Labor report in early 2017, that only 3.9% of unem-
ployed citizens are veterans. Yet, if you look at the
number of unemployed veterans in West Virginia,
New Jersey, Louisiana, California, New York, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, the
rate increases to over 6%. Moreover, this only
accounts for young veterans aged 20-27. If you take
into account older veterans, the number of unem-
ployed veterans rises exponentially, creating a
superb solution to an upcoming crisis.
Transforming lives is the core mission at UST Global.
Through tremendous dedication to set a leading
example in communities around the world, we were
able to recognize that the unemployment rate
among veterans and women in the US offers a
unique opportunity to invest in their recruiting, reten-
tion and technological training. Women are becom-
ing invisible in the thriving tech world, a top field and
one of the fastest growing professional occupations
for US workers, with an estimated 1.8 million
computing jobs by 2018, according to the US Depart-
ment of Labor. UST Global and CYBERPROOF™
responded by creating Step IT Up America (SIUA).
With Step IT Up America, UST Global identifies and
invests in outstanding talent (both women and veter-
ans) through careful and rigorous assessment.
Our program transforms obstacles into opportuni-
ties. Unlike any other programs out there, we offer
guaranteed one year job placement to qualified
candidates upon graduation, and a generous stipend
during the training program. To address the dearth of
women and veterans working in technology, UST
Global launched Step IT Up America in 2013. The
proprietary STEM program aimed to create 5,000
new tech jobs by 2020 for minority women in urban
areas. To reach its goal, Step IT Up America started
by training and employing women in eight of the
UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY 2017 2
nation’s largest cities - Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit,
Chicago, Boston, Rochester, Bentonville and Kansas
City. The types of jobs that this helps women
become qualified for range from testers and
programmers to IT administrators.
We decided to test this approach leveraging our
Step IT Up America program – targeting veterans
and creating an intense cyber defense training
program. Fortunately, a lead Fortune 500 Retailer
supported us in this endeavor by sponsoring the
initial class of 15 veterans, and was rewarded with
formidable results. Our Step IT Up America Veterans
training is the first cyber security program that guar-
antees jobs to graduates. Here’s how:
The Step IT Up America program is a strategic
platform designed by UST Global, that empowers
veterans who have served and protected their
nation, and recognizes them as being the best
positioned to transition into vital cyber security jobs.
Step IT Up America, a UST Global National Program,
provides a highly effective formula designed to train
and employ women and veterans in the field of
technology (STEM), at an accelerated pace.
This year, UST Global’s first all-veteran Step IT Up
America Cyber Security batch of 15 students gradu-
ated at the retailer’s headquarters. The veterans
were trained over 14 weeks on a cyber security
curriculum jointly developed with CYBERPROOF™,
offering them next-generation cyber security servic-
es. The Step IT Up America (SIUA) Cyber Security
course covered necessary skills such as Java, .NET
and COBOL, for entry level Security Operations
Center (SOC) personnel. The graduates were
equipped with the know-how to monitor, track and
respond to security incidents as entry level person-
nel in a Security Operations Center (SOC).
A major Fortune 500 Retailer -Retail giants must protect their complex and widely
distributed IT environment. A Fortune 500 Retailer
had recently transitioned their cyber defense from a
transitional MSSP back to an in house team, but they
needed more people. Fortunately, they took a leap
of faith and sponsored our first veterans program as
we co-created meaningful results. They sponsored
our initial class of 15 veterans to be trained in cyber
security, but that was not enough. To induct the
team of veterans, there cyber defense operation
needed to be tuned and documented. CYBER-
PROOF™ filled the gap by helping them document,
assess and tune their incident response plans, and
create training materials specific to these needs.
Creating a robust cyber security mechanism for
complex IT infrastructure is a journey and not the
destination. There is immense need for highly expe-
rienced cyber security professionals to manage
security infrastructure in order to maintain a secure
data environment. In today’s exponentially growing
security market, top notch cyber security talent is
not only limited, but also hard to recruit and retain.
As is common in cyber security, this major Fortune
500 Retailer had used a Managed Security Service
Provider (MSSP) to manage their security operations.
When they decided to bring the responsibility of
security operations in-house, unfortunately, a lot of
the process and procedure was lost in the transition.
This company deeply cared that the veterans be
successful; so the next task was to set up the cyber
defense operation complete with incident response
plans and proper tools, and tuned to maximum
effectiveness. In other words, leveraging our cyber
experts, CYBERPROOF™ set up the cyber defense
operation as an extension of the retailer’s current
team, created a rigorous mentorship program and
tuned the systems to detect critical alerts and filter
out the noise.
CYBERPROOF’s™ custom program ensured that the
Veterans extended their basic cyber security training
to the retailer’s specific environment and had elite
support to ensure their success.
A Fortune 500 Retailer’sChallenges
The Solution – SIUA Veterans
UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY 2017 3
The graduates have started work at the SOC at this
Fortune 500 Company, monitoring security tools and
providing first-tier response to security incidents,
which are fully managed by CYBERPROOF™.
The trainees came from diverse backgrounds
including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. We
believe that there is a mindset that comes from
defending your country that can be applied here –
it’s less about being a hacker and more about
defense, and knowing how and when to defend – in
the first place, you need to recognize that there is an
enemy and they have an intent to harm you. Most
people trained in IT systems are trained how to keep
the systems up and running. For cyber security, it’s
distinctly backwards – being able to recognize that
there is an enemy inside your network, and that they
have an intent to harm is our foci. We found that vets
are distinctly better at cyber security jobs, since their
military training gives them the mindset that there is
an enemy with an intent to harm. UST Global and
CYBERPROOF™ know that the best possible hackers
are the ones with a military background, as they are
trained to predict malicious behaviors of potential
enemies, and able to prevent attacks. We believe
that military trained people have a distinct advan-
tage, because of how they view all situations from a
preemptive and dual lens of offense and defense.
This major retailer was able to recognize the power-
ful benefits a military mindset offers. Proof-point;
when our veterans hit the ground, their discipline
and work ethics were evident as they showed up ten
minutes early and were focused and attentive.
Veterans have a unique background of defense and
a pure understanding, of what it means to defend
something. The retailer was so pleased, that we
received an enthusiastic response to train more.
Pleased with the outcome of this mission, advocate
of Step IT Up America and CEO of CYBERPROOF™,
Tony Velleca, announced, “Veterans have the tenac-
ity and perseverance in getting through the curricu-
lum in record setting time.” Tony spoke highly of the
leadership and mentorship provided by former
marine and mentor of the Step IT Up America Gradu-
ating Class of 2017, Mark Rabbitt. When speaking
towards his unit, there was an unmistakable tone of
teamwork and pride for his cohort as he enthusiasti-
cally said, “Teach, coach and mentor – let’s getter’
done!” This spirit and mindset, is part of what sets
CYBERPROOF™ Step IT Up America Veterans at the
forefront of cyber security’s solutions today.
According to Mark Rabbitt, former US Marine, and
leader of the Step IT Up America 2017 graduating
class: “The program is life changing. The benefits of
veterans – goes into situational awareness – being
able to ID what doesn’t belong there – to be aware of
your surroundings – making sound and timely judge-
ments on what needs to be acted upon, and knowing
when it’s time to ask for help versus when to act.
They possess a sense of integrity and a sense of
sound judgement – because of what they have done
in their past – bringing a higher level of awareness,
Veterans of the Step IT Up America 2017 graduating
class shared these final thoughts with us –
Ron Perreault, Associate Systems Engineer, US
Marine Corps Veteran:
“Marine Corps Veteran (1987-1993) Desert
Storm/Desert War. I specialized in aviation electron-
ics working on helicopters. I moved back home to
Boston and started at EMC Corporation. I started as a
test technician and was then promoted up to a Test
Engineer working on large data storage equipment
(1994-2000). For the next 5 years, I worked as
Test/QA Engineer Consultant with both hardware
and software testing platforms. I then took a right
turn into real estate, professional realtor for 10+
years, selling over 300 homes resulting in over 75
million in sales. 2015 is where things changed; my
wife became ill with the pregnancy of my 4th daugh-
ter and I had to take care of her and my family. My
real estate career slowed down accordingly and I
had to reassess what was best for my family and my
career going forward.
During fall 2016, after searching for jobs online, I
came across the Step IT Up America Veteran
Program and thought cyber security was out of my
reach; I submitted my resume for the opportunity as
what did I have to lose. The most challenging part for
me was the initial test screening with over 75 people
looking to fill 20 spots. Making the cut, I committed
all of my time and efforts to learn and relearn the
course material. Working together as a team
reminded me that we all have strengths and weak-
nesses and good communication was critical. I am
excited to see what the future holds for me as a
Cybersecurity Analyst; being versatile and open
minded will be keys to my success.”
A Raging Success!
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Brandon Cooley, Associate Systems Engineer & U.S.
Army Veteran:
“Before the Step IT Up America opportunity, I had
been laid off as a QA Specialist in the biotech indus-
try and took on a special role as a stay-at-home dad.
Although I worked over 10 years to strengthen differ-
ent skills and learned many computer applications to
stay in demand in the industry, I always knew that it
would not be a satisfying career for me. I wanted to
be in a career with purpose and meaning like my
time in the Army. When SIUA offered this in-demand
career opportunity, it was great timing.
The 14 weeks I have spent in the Cybersecurity
Analyst training has been greatly beneficial not only
because I learned the foundation and tools I needed
to become a Cybersecurity Analyst, but all that SIUA
has provided to help better my future and career
path. This is a one-of-a-kind golden opportunity.
Even though I made it through the intensive selec-
tion process, I knew I wasn’t there yet. It was up to
me to do the work, put in the sacrifices, and the time
to not only pass but excel as well.
The curriculum as well as the incentive of being paid
to learn is an incredible deal. The soft skills taught
and the class mentor were also apart of a deal that
enhanced my progress throughout the process of
reaching the end goal of receiving my certificate with
my fellow classmates. I really wanted this and SIUA
gave me the tools I needed to succeed. I am excited
to see where I go in this ever-changing field of
Cybersecurity. I wanted a stable and fulfilling career
and through SIUA, I am on my way to creating it.”
Paul Pambah, Associate Systems Engineer & US
Army Veteran:
“After 6 years of a successful career in Business
Analysis in Kenya, I decided to pursue an MBA in the
US, with a focus on advancing my career in Business
Process Management. As the days went by and
graduation came, I struggled to find a job because
most employers were not willing to sponsor me for
work visa. Just before I headed out, the US Army
offered me a new lease of life as Supply Specialist in
the Army Reserve. Upon completion of military
training and in the search for a job, I heard about
SUIA, contacted them and jumped onto it as I liked
what they offered. It wasn’t a smooth ride through; I
had to endure the science on how computers
process, store and transmit data which I initially felt
wasn’t for a non-engineer like me. As time passed
by, with support from our mentors and a great team
of classmates, I came to understand that you can
never protect a computer system, let alone fix some-
thing unless you understood how it worked.
In the cyberspace, there are no known enemies; so
this class has transformed me from thinking about
solutions to anticipating problems and crafting
appropriate defense. I look forward to taking on the
challenges and opportunities in our new role as
Cybersecurity Analysts working with a diverse team
sharing in their success and learning as much from
their challenges to grow in knowledge and advance
my career.”
These vets have been wildly successful picking up
the job.
CYBERPROOF™, a fully owned subsidiary of UST
Global, serves as a long-term cyber security partner
for global Fortune 500 clients. The next generation
cyber defense capabilities of CYBERPROOF™ are
powered by military grade, Israeli intelligence exper-
tise, and is unparalleled in the cyber security indus-
try. CYBERPROOF™ manages Threats, People, and
Assets with precision while leveraging AI-powered,
fully automated threat intelligence capabilities that
detect anomalous behaviour patterns through deep
learning.
CYBERPROOF™ started as a company that focused
on advanced attack simulations. After conducting
60+ successful cyber-attack simulations against
some of the most sophisticated financial institutions,
critical infrastructure and global 2000 companies,
we decided it was time to think differently about
cyber security managed services. We asked
ourselves: “What would we do differently to defend
against our attacks?”
Our people are the core of what we do, and MSSP
(Managed Security Services Provider) is what we do
best. Our expert team comes from Israeli Intelli-
gence led by the former Director General of Israeli
Intelligence, Yuval Wollman. Our defense teams
must be global; so we need talent based all over the
world. We found that military-trained people
perform extremely well in cyber security, especially
when led with our experts from the elite Israeli
intelligence units.
Introducing CYBERPROOF™:
UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY 2017 5
The custom program of CYBERPROOF™ ensured
that the veterans extended their basic cyber security
training to the retailer’s specific environment and had
elite support to ensure their success. This unique
combination of advanced detection capabilities is
designed to work with and complement any existing
stack of security technologies, and offers five differ-
ent tiers of front line intelligence. Our processes and
procedures are tuned to the unique characteristics of
our clients and utilizes years of military-grade cyber
defense methods and capabilities. CYBERPROOF™,
takes a rigorous and practical approach to drive
best-in-class cyber security governance for the
international companies that we protect. CYBER-
PROOF™ teams are the best in the world, offering
Defensive (Tier 1-2), Offensive (Tier 3-4), and Cyber
Intelligence, FORTRESS 5 ™ (Tier 5).
For more information on how you can help us create
jobs for veterans while filling the gap in cyber
positions, please contact: www.Cyberproof.com
One of the many ways UST Global is transforming
lives of veterans is by giving them the training and
the opportunity for not only a secure career, but a
better future, in cyber security.
UST Global is passionate about changing lives
through technology. In a rapidly changing world,
digital transformation is necessary, as technology
touches how we live, work, connect, play, and grow.
Our commitment to transform lives through humani-
ty, humility and integrity has recently led to a
partnership between the 2017 Step IT Up America
graduating class and many retail giants. One of the
many ways UST Global is creating meaningful
change is by transforming the lives of veterans who
have faithfully served their country. By providing our
vets with opportunities to succeed in cyber security,
we are agents of positive and compelling change in
US communities from coast to coast.
UST Global believes in social responsibility and UST
Transforming Lives is taking action. By implementing
meaningful change, we are transforming communi-
ties across the globe. Our valuable programs like Step
IT Up America give others a glimpse into our gateway
of innovation. We possess the capabilities, commit-
ment, and ability to transform the world, by acting
locally – to become agents of change, globally.
UST Transforming Lives seeks to create strong
bonds in underserved communities throughout the
US, by helping under-represented and marginalized
people rehabilitate themselves, in order to gain
valuable skill sets and remain competitive in today’s
(and tomorrow’s) fast changing world. Our desire to
give and help others less fortunate than us is a
common denominator among many UST associates
and our families. Our philanthropic hearts are aligned
with a vision to serve 5 million by 2020.
Step IT Up America & UST Global’s Mission to Transform Lives:
UST Global® is a fast-growing digital technology company that provides advanced computing and
digital services to large private and public enterprises around the world. Driven by a larger purpose of
Transforming Lives and the philosophy of “fewer clients, more attention”, we bring in the entrepreneurial
spirit that seeks the fastest path to value in today’s digital economy. Our innovative technology services
and pioneering social programs make us stand apart. UST Global is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Califor-
nia and operates in 21 countries. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies in Banking and Financial
Services, Healthcare, Insurance, Retail, High Technology, Manufacturing, Shipping, and Telecom. UST
Global believes in building long-lasting, strategic business relationships through agile and client-centric
global engagement models that combines local experts & resources with cost, scale, and quality advan-
tages of global operations.
For more information, please visit: www.ust-global.com
ABOUT UST GLOBAL
Corporate Office UST Global ®5 Polaris Way, Second Floor, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Tel: (949) 716-8757 Fax: (949) 716-8396www.ust-global.com
For further information contact: [email protected]
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