The Challenge Of Educating The Military On Cyber Strategy
Malicious cyber activity is ranked by some as the primary threat to international security. The strategic implications of cyberspace are particularly salient in the military context. From an offensive perspective, the military has developed concepts for the use of cyber capabilities as an independent instrument of military power, as well as their use as part of shaping activities to enable conventional operations on the battlefield. From a defensive perspective, the U.S. Department of Defense is as vulnerable to cyber threats to its networks and critical warfighting capabilities as the rest of U.S. society, if not more so. Yet there are significant gaps in how the military educates the officer corps as a community about the nature and practice of cyber strategy and operations.
However, as the commission staff began to work on the implementation of the recommendation, we recognized that simply creating positions for professors would not address the full scope of the problem. Rather, the U.S. military should establish standardized and institutionalized programs not just professors of cyber strategy across the services to ensure an appropriate level of military cyber education.
Implementing Cyber Security Education in Professional Military Education
Institutionalizing the Solutions
Brandon Valeriano is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a senior adviser with the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission.
Staff Who Are Too Smart For Policy
Civilian healthcare organizations have struggled with HIPAA the set of requirements for protecting patient health data for years. Apparently, some corners of the military struggle with it, too.
Officials from the Army and Defense Health Agency failed to comply with DoD password complexity requirements for several systems because system administrators considered existing network authentication requirements sufficient to control access, according to the summary of a .
Two hospitals and an ambulatory care center also failed to develop standard operating procedures to manage system access because they did not consider document procedures necessary.
Good grief.
Take note: security policies exist for a reason. When a policy is routinely ignored, do not be afraid to act, whether by collaborating with stakeholders to craft a more workable solution, or with carrots and sticks.
Global Military Cybersecurity Market Scope And Market Size
The boom amongst segments enables you to analyze the area of interest increase and techniques to approach the marketplace and decide your core application areas and the difference for your target markets.
- The basic type of military cybersecurity market segment is data security, cloud security, and network security
- The military cybersecurity solution segment is into identity and access management, Response and threat intelligence, enterprise risk, and compliance managed security, and others.
- Military cybersecurity market segment into cloud and on-premise based on deployment mode.
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Get Some Commercial Experience
Many employers offer work placement opportunities for veterans to help you get an insight into the commercial world. Have a look to see if you can find companies that offer these for veterans interested in going into cyber security. Here are a few ways you can go about getting that valuable commercial experience that many employers might be looking for:
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NetworkingNetworking is important as you will be able to find out who offers these opportunities. If you like a company there is always no harm in asking too, as some employers may be keen to help you gain experience that could lead to employment.
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Armed Forces CovenantTake a look at companies that have signed the AFC make sure you check out our Forces-friendly directory, which lists all these supportive employers and their live opportunities and get in touch to see what work experience or job shadowing opportunities they offer.
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SaluteMyJobMany of the organisations we work with are keen to offer the job shadowing and mentoring opportunities to members of the Armed Forces community. Many of these opportunities will be listed on our website. However, if nothing is listed it would still be worth getting in touch with the organisation youre interested in as they might well be able to help.
Inside A Us Military Cyber Teams Defence Of Ukraine

Russia failed to take down Ukrainian computer systems with a massive cyber-attack when it invaded this year, despite many analysts’ predictions. The work of a little-known arm of the US military which hunts for adversaries online may be one reason. The BBC was given exclusive access to the cyber-operators involved in these global missions.
In early December last year, a small US military team led by a young major arrived in Ukraine on a reconnaissance trip ahead of a larger deployment. But the major quickly reported that she needed to stay.
“Within a week we had the whole team there ready to go hunting,” one of the team recalls.
They had come to detect Russians online and their Ukrainian partners made it clear they needed to start work straight away.
“She looked at the situation and told me the team wouldn’t leave,” Maj Gen William J Hartman, who heads the US Cyber National Mission Force, told the BBC.
“We almost immediately got the feedback that ‘it’s different in Ukraine right now’. We didn’t redeploy the team, we reinforced the team.”
Since 2014, Ukraine has witnessed some of the world’s most significant cyber-attacks, including the first in which a power station was switched off remotely in the dead of winter.
The US military Cyber Command wanted to discover whether Russian hackers had already infiltrated Ukrainian systems, hiding deep inside. Within two weeks, their mission became one of its largest deployments with around 40 personnel from across US armed services.
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Cybersecurity Scholarships For Military Members And Veterans
Veterans and service members may cover the entire cost of a bootcamp or degree by combining federal aid with private assistance. Colleges, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and military associations all offer private scholarships.
Research into cybersecurity scholarships for military members or veterans can take a lot of time. Still, the search can often lead to promising results, making it worth the time and effort.
Government Policies And Laws Relating To Cybercrime
The government enact policies to manage cyber security through standardising operating procedures in cyberspace so as to better protect classified networks, information and privacy which could house sensitive information and enable crucial war-fighting, counter-terrorism, law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security operations. The sharing of best practices for cyber security amongst the team members can provide operational norms to deal with cyber threats and incident responses, especially those that could cause exceptionally grave damage to national security. The developed cyber security governance and practices should be enduring against the fast-paced cyberspace, and towards building an approach to cyber defence strategy that deters interference and attack in cyberspace. The cyber defence strategy can be further enhanced by improving warning capabilities, articulating roles for the private sector and international players, and developing appropriate responses for both state and non-state actors. The Supreme Court held in R. Rajagopal v. State of Tamil Nadu that the right to privacy, or the right to be left alone, is protected by Article 21. The Information Technology Act, of 2000 was enacted by Parliament, It is the law that deals with cybercrime and electronic commerce in India. Section 43 of the IT Act of 2000 protects against illegal access to the computer system.
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Importance Of Cybersecurity In Military
Thebasic role of the military is to provide security to every citizen and itcannot protect the citizens if it cannot protect itself. The mass embracementof information technologies has triggered the risk of cyber-attacks. There is agreater need for the military to join hands with all the stakeholders andprofessionals to create awareness and provide secure cyberspace through theprovision of resilient and robust capabilities.
Themajor focus of these capabilities is to detect, Defend, respond to and preventcyber-attacks that can by any chance affect the military systems and networksthat in turn may have verse effect on the military operations. The essentialrole of the military in relation to cyber-security, therefore, is to offer protectionto the Communications and Information systems. There is more need to advance onthe resilience by the capabilities due to the increasing rise in theinterconnectedness.
Themilitary has been progressively making steps to have a deeper understanding ofthe challenges of cyber defense and this has led to better integrations ofoperational planning. We can say that the general purpose of the bigger agendacybersecurity and technology used by the military is to mitigate any possiblerisks. Its therefore mandatory for themilitary to fully incorporate and embrace the cyber defense aspect in theirwork and even in their thinking.
Role of Military in cybersecurity
How to keep safe
Cyber Issues For Governments To Consider
What this all means, of course, is that governments all over the world face major decisions about how they use their military in the course of building their national cybersecurity strategies. Considerations will need to include:
- Given all the variables, how involved should the military be in national cybersecurity?
- Given the factors in play, how should governments balance their cybersecurity investments across the military, law enforcement and the private sector?
- How, if at all, should the military be used to support the private sector?
- What can be done to facilitate international cooperation by non-military parts of the government?
- How can diplomatic initiatives reduce the need for the military to be used in domestic cybersecurity?
- How can government act to avoid international disputes over cyber issues that undermine cooperation on cybersecurity?
Related Topics
- Copyright 2022 The Brookings Institution
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Missile Data On Unscanned Workstations
Several contractors working with the Missile Defense Agency did not perform vulnerability scans on workstations that contained classified, technical material about missile defense systems.
In short, the contractors believed that they did not have to scan the workstations because they did not connect to the corporate network or the Internet, according to the summary of a .
While isolating workstations may lower their risk of compromise, the risk is not eliminated. The machines remained exposed to employees and others via physical access, and given the information they stored should have been secured.
Take note: when it comes to cyber security, dont be lazy. Critical data should never be stored on systems that are not maintained, scanned, and secured.
Translate Your Military Skills And Training
It is likely that some of your military training is actually very beneficial to commercial employers but it may need translating into civvy language so that they can understand what you have to offer. The best way to do this is to start by listing out all your relevant hard and soft skills your soft skills are non-technical skills such as communication, leadership, motivation and problem solving.
Next youll have to assess your skills from a civilian perspective it might help to ask your family and/or friends to look at your list of skills and to give you feedback on how they would present them for a CV. Remember that youll also need to break down or translate your military job titles and any military-specific acronyms too so that civilian employers can understand what you did and achieved never just assume that they will know what they mean.
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Military Cyber Security: Threats And Solutions
The entire world, especially the military, is firmly entrenched in cyberspace. Everything from personal messages among friends and family to top secret military and diplomatic dispatches are created, transmitted, received, and read in the 0s and 1s of computer code.
Power grids, water treatment and distribution facilities, hospitals, traffic control, aviation, railroads, sea transport, space-based communications, position, time and navigation – all are part of the cyber domain.
That domain also encompasses home appliances, office equipment, childrens toys, medical devices, TV sets, unmanned vehicles, baby monitors, and espionage.
In short, it touches nearly every aspect of 21st century life. This makes cyber attacks from annoying but benign hacking to deadly attempts to disrupt, control or destroy financial institutions, power grids, computer networks, and offensive and defensive military equipment perhaps the single greatest threat the world faces, at all levels, in all nations.
The technology to detect and deter such attacks has improved substantially in recent years, yet its the modern version of the old armor/anti-armor loop create a stronger, more resilient armor and someone will create a stronger, more potent anti-armor, leading to yet another new level of armor and more creative anti-armor.
Military a priority target
Reputations on the line
Built-in cyber security
Targeting the supply chain
Difficult to pinpoint
Threats to networks
Where To Find Cyber Security Jobs

It can be hard to know where to start when looking for a cyber security job when leaving the Forces. Fortunately, there are lots of organisations that are well-placed to help you make this transition. Here are some of the best places to start:
1. Recruitment Companies
SaluteMyJob specialises in the recruitment of ex-military people into cyber security jobs. We are proud to sit in the Defence Recognition scheme gold alumni group alongside 350 employers. We have connections with many employers specifically interested in hiring people with military skills and experience. Take a look at our job opportunities here or sign up to our job alerts to make sure you are kept up to date with new roles.
There are many other companies that specialise in finding jobs for veterans. It is good practice keep an eye on a few different job boards and recruitment companies to make sure that you dont miss any opportunities.
2. Your Corps or Regimental Association
Your regimental association or corps are very well connected places and are well-worth checking out to see if they currently advertise any relevant vacancies. If they dont have a specific jobs board they may have social media groups which you could get involved in and start to network with former colleagues.
4. TechVetsTechVets is an online community of veterans helping veterans in the tech sector. It provides a bridge to help Veterans and service leavers into the cyber security and technology sector.
6. Service Charities
8. CTP
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Careers In Cybersecurity: 5 Ways To Get Started
If you are a transitioning veteran who likes technology, wants to utilize your military skills and desires a career with great growth opportunities and strong six-figure earning potential, you should consider cybersecurity.
Information security is a $122 billion industry today and is expected to grow to $202 billion by 2021. There were an estimated 313,000 job openings posted for the 12 months spanning September 2017 to August 2018.
And job prospects will remain strong for the foreseeable future. Employers are eager to find talented professionals who have hands-on skills. They favor former military veterans for cybersecurity positions because of their demonstrated discipline, teamwork and integrity.
Search for Computer and Tech jobs.
I speak from experience. I recently transitioned from the United States Air Force with more than 23 years of service to our country. Today, at age 43, I am a cybersecurity analyst for RBR Technologies, working with the United States Department of Defense. In this position, I continue my commitment to my country by defending the Department of Defense information networks. I love the mission-based aspect of my job.
Related: To create a personalized transition plan for yourself, and for transition guides and checklists, visit the Military.com Transition Center.
If you are intrigued by the prospect of a career in cybersecurity, here are some firsthand tips for getting started:
Defensive Intelligence And Offensive
Defence Cyber Command concentrates on 3 areas of cyber security:
- Defensive capabilities: all digital systems must be secure against attacks and espionage.
- Intelligence capabilities: the armed forces must be aware of threats in the digital environment.
Those threats can come both from within the organisation’s own systems and from external parties.
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Offensive capabilities: the armed forces sees offensive cyber capabilities as digital resources the purpose of which is to influence or pre-empt the actions of an opponent by infiltrating computers, computer networks and weapons and sensor systems so as to influence information and systems. The Netherlands Defence organisation deploys offensive digital resources exclusively against military targets.
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What Kind Of Jobs Are Available In The Military With A Cyber Security Degree
There are several different avenues for working in cyber security within the United States military. One of the most common paths is known as the Cyber Network Defender . With this path you test and implement new hardware and software, respond to urgent situations, use defensive measures, provide a detailed analysis of certain security reports and conduct assessments of potential threats.
In most cases, whether it is the 25D position or somewhere else in the armed forces, it isn’t something you simply walk into. You do need to go through much of the same basic training as you would if you were to serve as a soldier in the field. The best way to find out different specifics regarding working within the military is to contact a recruitment center as they can go into further detail. However, nearly every available job within the branches of the military does require you to be within the military itself.
Cybersecurity Initiatives Included In The Us National Defense Authorization Act For 2023 Include Increased Funding For Cybercoms Hunt
Last week, members of the US House of Representatives and Senate reconciled their versions of the annual must-pass National Defense Authorization Act . Each year the NDAA contains a wealth of primarily military cybersecurity provisions, delivering hundreds of millions, if not billions, in new cybersecurity funding to the federal government. This years bill is no exception.
Titled the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, the legislation clocks in at over 4,408 pages. The entire package is worth $858 billion, an increase of 10.3%, or $80.4 billion, over FY2022 NDAAs topline with a good chunk of that amount going to cybersecurity efforts.
After the bills passage, Representative Rep. Bennie G. Thompson , chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, said, With respect to cybersecurity, I am pleased that we were able to reach an agreement on bipartisan provisions that originated in the Committee on Homeland Security. They include Congresswoman Slotkins legislation to reauthorize the Secret Services National Computer Forensics Institute, Congresswoman Lurias bill to authorize DHSs Presidents Cup Cybersecurity Competition, and legislation authored by Congressman Swalwell aimed at improving DHSs cybersecurity training to protect industrial control systems.
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