USTGlobal. From the Frontlines to the Firewalls: The Empowerment of Veterans in Cyber Security. By: Tony Velleca & Cynthia Leimbach

Transcription

1 USTGlobal From the Frontlines to the Firewalls: The Empowerment of Veterans in Cyber Security UST GLOBAL, July 2017 By: Tony Velleca & Cynthia Leimbach

2 Cyber Security & The Looming Talent Gap 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 International 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 unemployed 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 If you take into account older veterans, the number of unemployed 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, retention and technological training. Women are becoming 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 Department 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 veterans) through careful and rigorous assessment. Our program transforms obstacles into opportunities. 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 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

3 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 guarantees jobs to graduates. Here s how: A Fortune 500 Retailer s Challenges 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 experienced 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. The Solution SIUA Veterans 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 graduated 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 services. 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 personnel in a Security Operations Center (SOC). UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY

4 The graduates have started work at the SOC at this the systems up and running. For cyber security, it s Fortune 500 Company, monitoring security tools and distinctly backwards being able to recognize that providing first-tier response to security incidents, there is an enemy inside your network, and that they which are fully managed by CYBERPROOF. have an intent to harm is our foci. We found that vets are distinctly better at cyber security jobs, since their The trainees came from diverse backgrounds military training gives them the mindset that there is including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. We an enemy with an intent to harm. UST Global and believe that there is a mindset that comes from CYBERPROOF know that the best possible hackers defending your country that can be applied here are the ones with a military background, as they are it s less about being a hacker and more about trained to predict malicious behaviors of potential defense, and knowing how and when to defend in enemies, and able to prevent attacks. We believe the first place, you need to recognize that there is an that military trained people have a distinct advantage, because of how they view all situations from a enemy and they have an intent to harm you. Most people trained in IT systems are trained how to keep preemptive and dual lens of offense and defense. A Raging Success! This major retailer was able to recognize the powerful 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 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: minutes early and were focused and attentive. Veterans have a unique background of defense and Marine Corps Veteran ( ) Desert a pure understanding, of what it means to defend something. The retailer was so pleased, that we received an enthusiastic response to train more. Storm/Desert War. I specialized in aviation electronics 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 Pleased with the outcome of this mission, advocate of Step IT Up America and CEO of CYBERPROOF, Tony Velleca, announced, Veterans have the tenacity and perseverance in getting through the curriculum in record setting time. Tony spoke highly of the leadership and mentorship provided by former marine and mentor of the Step IT Up America Graduating Class of 2017, Mark Rabbitt. When speaking towards his unit, there was an unmistakable tone of teamwork and pride for his cohort as he enthusiastically said, Teach, coach and mentor let s getter done! This spirit and mindset, is part of what sets Engineer working on large data storage equipment ( ). 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 is where things changed; my wife became ill with the pregnancy of my 4th daughter 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. CYBERPROOF Step IT Up America Veterans at the forefront of cyber security s solutions today. During fall 2016, after searching for jobs online, I came across the Step IT Up America Veteran 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 judgements 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, 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 weaknesses 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. UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY

5 Brandon Cooley, Associate Systems Engineer & U.S. Army Veteran: Paul Pambah, Associate Systems Engineer & US Army Veteran: Before the Step IT Up America opportunity, I had After 6 years of a successful career in Business been laid off as a QA Specialist in the biotech industry and took on a special role as a stay-at-home dad. US, with a focus on advancing my career in Business Analysis in Kenya, I decided to pursue an MBA in the Although I worked over 10 years to strengthen different skills and learned many computer applications to graduation came, I struggled to find a job because Process Management. As the days went by and stay in demand in the industry, I always knew that it most employers were not willing to sponsor me for would not be a satisfying career for me. I wanted to work visa. Just before I headed out, the US Army be in a career with purpose and meaning like my offered me a new lease of life as Supply Specialist in time in the Army. When SIUA offered this in-demand the Army Reserve. Upon completion of military career opportunity, it was great timing. training and in the search for a job, I heard about SUIA, contacted them and jumped onto it as I liked The 14 weeks I have spent in the Cybersecurity what they offered. It wasn t a smooth ride through; I Analyst training has been greatly beneficial not only had to endure the science on how computers because I learned the foundation and tools I needed process, store and transmit data which I initially felt to become a Cybersecurity Analyst, but all that SIUA wasn t for a non-engineer like me. As time passed has provided to help better my future and career by, with support from our mentors and a great team path. This is a one-of-a-kind golden opportunity. of classmates, I came to understand that you can Even though I made it through the intensive selection process, I knew I wasn t there yet. It was up to thing unless you understood how it worked. never protect a computer system, let alone fix some- me to do the work, put in the sacrifices, and the time to not only pass but excel as well. In the cyberspace, there are no known enemies; so this class has transformed me from thinking about The curriculum as well as the incentive of being paid solutions to anticipating problems and crafting to learn is an incredible deal. The soft skills taught appropriate defense. I look forward to taking on the and the class mentor were also apart of a deal that challenges and opportunities in our new role as enhanced my progress throughout the process of Cybersecurity Analysts working with a diverse team reaching the end goal of receiving my certificate with sharing in their success and learning as much from my fellow classmates. I really wanted this and SIUA their challenges to grow in knowledge and advance gave me the tools I needed to succeed. I am excited my career. to see where I go in this ever-changing field of Cybersecurity. I wanted a stable and fulfilling career These vets have been wildly successful picking up and through SIUA, I am on my way to creating it. the job. Introducing CYBERPROOF : CYBERPROOF, a fully owned subsidiary of UST critical infrastructure and global 2000 companies, Global, serves as a long-term cyber security partner we decided it was time to think differently about for global Fortune 500 clients. The next generation cyber security managed services. We asked cyber defense capabilities of CYBERPROOF are ourselves: What would we do differently to defend powered by military grade, Israeli intelligence expertise, against our attacks? and is unparalleled in the cyber security indus- try. CYBERPROOF manages Threats, People, and Our people are the core of what we do, and MSSP Assets with precision while leveraging AI-powered, (Managed Security Services Provider) is what we do fully automated threat intelligence capabilities that best. Our expert team comes from Israeli Intelligence detect anomalous behaviour patterns through deep led by the former Director General of Israeli learning. Intelligence, Yuval Wollman. Our defense teams must be global; so we need talent based all over the CYBERPROOF started as a company that focused world. We found that military-trained people on advanced attack simulations. After conducting perform extremely well in cyber security, especially 60+ successful cyber-attack simulations against when led with our experts from the elite Israeli some of the most sophisticated financial institutions, intelligence units. UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY

6 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 different 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: Step IT Up America & UST Global s Mission to Transform Lives: 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 humanity, 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 communities across the globe. Our valuable programs like Step IT Up America give others a glimpse into our gateway of innovation. We possess the capabilities, commitment, 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 UST GLOBAL I FROM THE FRONTLINES TO THE FIREWALLS: THE EMPOWERMENT OF VETERANS IN CYBER SECURITY I JULY

7 ABOUT UST GLOBAL 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, California 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 advantages of global operations. For more information, please visit: USTGlobal Corporate Office UST Global 5 Polaris Way, Second Floor, Aliso Viejo, CA Tel: (949) Fax: (949) For further information contact: info@ust-global.com /USTGlobal /USTGlobal /ustglobalweb /company/ust-global