From the Military to Entrepreneurship With Mike McNerney

Security threats are ever-evolving issues for companies to have to worry about, and unfortunately, it’s not a problem that’s going to go away soon. So where do companies begin to look for new areas, and how do they begin to make sure they’re focusing on the things that will have the greatest impact. In this episode of Cyber Warrior, the team welcomes Same Labee, Director of Sales at Identify Security, and Will Gragido, Principal Security Strategist at Prevallion. They talk about Critical Intelligence and what companies need to understand when it comes to understanding how to focus their resources when the threats seem constant. They also discuss careers in cyber security and what people who are looking to get into this industry should look for, and more importantly, to study in school. Plus Will talks about what he wishes he would have known before getting into this industry.

What do CEO’s need to know about protecting their company from cybersecurity breaches? This is just one of the questions answered in this episode of Cyber Warriors. The guys welcome Jayson E. Street, a Hacker, Author, Speaker, Scientific Hooligan, and VP of InfoSec. Jayson has dedicated his life to helping companies and teaching them where their vulnerabilities are, and what they need to do to mitigate an attack. It’s not about if it’s going to happen, it’s simply about when, and companies need to know how they’re going to handle it when it does. To connect with Jayson, you can find him at: http://jasonestreet.com/ https://twitter.com/jaysonstreet

Today, following our series of episodes at DEF CON 29, our host, Nigel LeBlanc, discusses the Air Force civil service and its mission with the United States Air Force Personnel Center members, Jessica Bartley, Laurie Coleman, Dionne Dunham, and Melissa Joyner.  Jessica Bartley and Dionne Dunham are Talent Acquisitions Consultants, and Laurie Coleman and Melissa Joyner are Cyber Security Specialists.  In this episode, the conversation revolves around working as a civilian for the Air Force, being a cyber-operator from a civilian perspective, and security clearance. Our guests also share their journeys into cyber security and the military, what keeps them going, and the characteristics and qualities they look for in candidates.  Resources: You can visit the Air Force Civilian Careers website: https://afciviliancareers.com/ Or you can connect with our guests on LinkedIn: Jessica Bartley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bartley-267a8847/ Dionne Dunham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionne-dunham-901b5a101/ Laurie Coleman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-coleman-4672b982/ Melissa Joyner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-joyner-82a58726/

Although the world seems to be more aware of gender inequality in the workplace, things like a lack of opportunities for women or unequal payment are still present in almost every company worldwide. The cybersecurity space is no different, and that will be the focus of our discussion today.  In this episode, Amanda Lee Keammerer, Founder and CEO of Javilud LLC, comes up with a deep conversation about gender inequality in cybersecurity with five unique and super talented women with different backgrounds, experiences, and journeys into the industry.  Participating with us today is Annalise Buonya, a leader in cyber security who placed top 25 last year in the Cyber Wraith Tournament.  From OneLogin, a company built to create an identity & access management solution as easy to use as the cloud applications businesses depend upon, we welcome four participants: Niamh Muldoon, Data Protection Officer; Rachel Ward, Security Technical Program Manager; Vanessa Pegueros, Chief Trust and Security Officer; and Kathy Ahuja, Vice President, Global Compliance and Information Technology.  Resources: You can visit Javilud LLC website: https://javilud.com/ and OneLogin website: https://www.onelogin.com/ Or connect on LinkedIn with: Amanda L. Keammerer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keammerer/ Niamh Muldoon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niamh-vianney-muldoon-b2174853/ Rachel Ward: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-perey-ward/ Kathy Ahuja: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-a-8878155/

Life in a startup company tends to be manic; dizzying highs and terrifying lows alternate from one day to the next. Getting through those days without being carried away during the highs or depressed throughout the lows requires steadiness, optimism, and, foremost, truthfulness. Our employees, our troops, must trust us and be confident we will guide them and overcome any challenge. That is the kind of leadership Mike McNerney learned in the military, and it has been vital in his entrepreneurship endeavors.  Mike McNerney is a technology entrepreneur and military veteran with a primary focus on cybersecurity. He is the COO of the cybersecurity insurance startup Resilience and a CNBC Technology Executive Council member. Mike has also served as a Cyber Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also worked in the U.S. State Department, where he pioneered the rule of law and economic development programs in the Middle East and Afghanistan. In this episode, we talk about Mike's transition from military life into creating and leading his own cybersecurity startup. We kindly shared some nuggets of his experiences in Silicon Valley and the skills he learned in the military that helped him launch his startup. We also go through the entrepreneur mindset, Mike's experiences at Vets-in-Tech, and some advice for those interested in getting into the cybersecurity space. Resources: You can visit the Resilience website: https://resilienceinsurance.com/ or connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecmcnerney/ Book: Jon Meacham - Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush: https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Power-American-Odyssey-Herbert-ebook/dp/B00VZZ2OY4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bush+destiny+in+power&qid=1628862020&sr=8-1

The transition from the military to the business world is neither easy nor happens magically. Kevin B. Wooton, former Brigadier General of the US Air Force, had to arm himself with patience, willingness to have an open mind and a deep understanding of the different markets.  Kevin B. Wooton is the Principal at Wooton Consulting Group, LLC. He has extensive experience in cybersecurity, cyber intelligence, and information technology arenas. During his time in the military, General Wooton, as Principal Deputy Director, participated in space lift and range operations, nuclear event detection, airfield operations, offensive, and defensive cyber operations, to name a few. General Wooton also served as the Director, Communications and Information Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. In this episode, we talk about General Wooton's transition from the military to the private business world, what made him choose that path, and the challenges he found in its way. We also spoke about the evolution of military working in civilian cybersecurity and the military strategies applicable to business cybersecurity. General Wooton talked about how military mindset, force capability, and mission-oriented work ethics can be applied and used in the corporate world, specifically in cybersecurity.  Resources mentioned: Book: Richard A. Clarke - Cyber War - https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-War-Threat-National-Security/dp/0061962244/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cyber+war&qid=1628774761&sr=8-1 You can connect with General Wooton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-wooton-67041815/# or you can send him an email at: [email protected]

Today’s guest is Keith B. Alexander, Founder, and co-CEO at IronNet Cybersecurity. This company was founded in 2014 to revolutionize how enterprises, industries, and governments secure their networks. General (Ret) Keith Alexander served as the Commander, U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service (NSA/CSS), and Fort George G. Meade, MD.  General Alexander was responsible for planning, coordinating, and conducting operations and defense of DoD computer networks. As the Director of NSA and Chief of CSS, he was responsible for a Department of Defense agency with national foreign intelligence, combat support, and U.S. national security information system protection responsibilities. In this episode, we talk about General Alexander's journey in the military, his transition into becoming a founder and co-CEO of his own company. He also shares his experiences working with both the Bush and Obama administrations explaining, articulating, and helping them develop processes to defend our country. General Alexander kindly shared his experiences as a keynote speaker at DEF CON. You can visit IronNet Cybersecurity’s website: https://www.ironnet.com/ Get in touch with them via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ironnet/ or Twitter: https://twitter.com/IronNet You can also connect with General Alexander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbaironnet/ Resources Mentioned: Book: David Cottrell – Monday Morning Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Monday-Morning-Leadership-Mentoring-Sessions/dp/0971942439/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20AEVR2YLWW9L&dchild=1&keywords=monday+morning+leadership&qid=1628867689&sprefix=monday+morning+%2Caps%2C331&sr=8-1 Book: LearnSmart - CISSP® Exam Manual: https://www.amazon.com/CISSP%C2%AE-Exam-Manual-LearnSmart-ebook/dp/B003O68FL8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cissp+manual&qid=1628867873&sr=8-1

Transitioning from the military to civilian life can be extremely hard, but the good news is that there are so many career opportunities for those to utilize the skills they’ve developed. This is especially true in the world of Cyber Security. In this episode Nigel welcomes US Army Colonel and CEO of BTS Software, David Tohn.  They talk about some of the most important things veterans need to know when coming into civilian life, what skills they need to have to land jobs, and what are some of the key components that should be on their resume, plus so much more. To learn more about David’s company, visit: https://unleashbts.com/. Or you can email him directly at: David.Tohn {at} BTS-S2.com To find out more about the Cyber Warrior Network, visit: https://www.cyberwarriornetwork.com/. This podcast is part of the MAP Esports Podcast Network. To learn more about this show and all of our other shows, visit: EsportsFPN.com

Imagine just getting married, starting a family and having the FBI show up at your doorstep. Although it sounds terrifying it was the real life situation of Higinio Ochoa. After what had started as an innocent way to extend game time, Higinio started moving up the stakes for his hacking, and it finally ended up in prison for two years. Once he came out, he decided to do something with the skills he had, and the new skills he had learned while in prison and now he helps the U.S. Government find vulnerabilities in their systems. Higinio shares his story with Nigel, and why he’s so passionate about helping others in the world of Cyber Security. To find out more about the Cyber Warrior Network, visit: https://www.cyberwarriornetwork.com/. This podcast is part of the MAP Esports Podcast Network. To learn more about this show and all of our other shows, visit: EsportsFPN.com