Leaving the armed forces to join the private sector is a significant career shift, and it isn’t always an easy one. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of speaking with veterans about their career transitions into enterprise security — to dig more into this topic, I wanted to speak to veterans who took their career in a different direction: into the world of cybersecurity. 

3 Veterans Discuss Their Career Journeys

Shawn Dappen, Senior Director, Sales Engineering at Menlo Security, shares his journey from the armed forces to cybersecurity, stating, “What drew me to cybersecurity after the Marines was realizing the battlefield had simply shifted. In the Corps, my mission was to protect people and assets in the physical world. Now it’s about defending them in the digital one. The same mindset applies: stay alert, adapt quickly, and protect your team from unseen threats. Cybersecurity felt like a natural continuation of service — just a new domain, same fight.” 

Like Dappen, many veterans feel that defending cyber assets is simply a new battlefield. Frankie Sclafani, Director of Cybersecurity Enablement at Deepwatch, shares this sentiment.

“I dedicated nine years of service in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, which is where I honed my skills in malware analysis, insider threat detections and national-level incident response at the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command,” Sclafani explains. “I was originally drawn to cybersecurity because my father was in law enforcement, and I always kind of felt that responsibility to do some good in the world. When I got to college, one professor who taught digital forensics, a former FBI agent, really showed me how powerful forensics and cybersecurity can be. I saw the impact it can have, the justice it can bring. Whether you’re doing it in the military, for the FBI, or in the private sector, it’s all about being a defender.”  

Even if cybersecurity isn’t initially included a veteran’s plans for their career, that doesn’t make it impossible to pivot. Jeff Liford, Associate Director at Fenix24, describes his own experience in making the shift. 

“In uniform, I served as an All Source Intelligence Analyst across multiple commands. One of the key tenets of that role was developing deep technical expertise on a subject or organization that could later be used to disrupt an adversary’s operations. I later transitioned to Systems Engineering as a contractor supporting the Department of Defense, where my role became enabling Intelligence Operations through the deployment of highly reliable and redundant systems,” Liford says. “I didn’t originally intend to end up in cybersecurity. As I transitioned out of the military, I had my eyes set on Systems Engineering and Network Operations, but the modern threat landscape basically dictates that all operators are also defenders. The Department of Defense reinforces this — it’s nearly impossible to work in IT for DoD without becoming involved in security in some form. It started with engineering for redundancy and availability and gradually expanded as my technical competence grew.” 

Why Should Veterans Shift to Cybersecurity? 

Dappen explains, “The cybersecurity industry makes sense as a next step for veterans because it aligns perfectly with how we’re trained to think and operate. Veterans understand mission focus, chain of command, and the importance of protecting something bigger than ourselves. We’re used to adapting to evolving threats and working as a team under pressure — exactly what cybersecurity demands. It’s a natural transition from defending territory and people to defending data and systems — same principles, new battlefield.”  

Does Cybersecurity Need Veterans? 

“Veterans bring a lot of strength to the cybersecurity workforce — discipline, mission focus, teamwork, and a mindset built around defense and readiness,” Dappen asserts. “Many of us are already trained to think in terms of threat detection, risk assessment, and response coordination, which translates directly into the cyber domain. Veterans also tend to have a strong sense of accountability and integrity, which are critical traits in security work.”  

The culture and work ethic ingrained into veterans can make them adept at taking on crucial cybersecurity functions. Sclafani elaborates on this, stating, “In the military, when you’re given a mission, you do everything in your power to accomplish it because lives may depend on it. As I transitioned into cybersecurity, lives may not be at stake, but a lot still is when it comes to this job, so it was easy for me to feel that this was my mission now. Veterans will take the same level of professionalism and importance from their service to their civilian careers. You can trust them to answer the call at three in the morning and get the job done right the first time without having to double-check their work.”

The training veterans receive while in the armed forces can be challenging to replicate elsewhere. It provides them unique opportunities to hone essential skills — skills that serve them well in the cyber world. 

Liford states, “My professional inclination to understand how an adversary behaves and then operationalize that information as part of the recovery process closely parallels my work as an intelligence analyst. The military also trains you to act quickly and operate comfortably with imperfect information. That mindset is critical in recovery scenarios, where time is of the essence and organizations cannot afford to wait for perfect data. When a ransomware event occurs and the environment is down, you have to find ways to operate. That’s where the training really shines.” 

How Can the Industry Bring In More Veterans? 

“Companies could definitely do more to bring veterans into these roles,” Dappen argues. “That starts with better awareness — helping veterans understand how their military experience fits into cybersecurity and offering training or bridge programs to close any technical gaps. Partnerships with veteran organizations, mentorship opportunities, and clear career pathways can make a huge difference. Veterans already have the mindset; they just need a door open to the mission.”  

Advice to Veterans Making the Shift

“My advice to veterans who are looking for opportunities within the cybersecurity field is to take advantage of every resource available,” says Sclafani. “There’s a program called SkillBridge that lets vets do an 180-day internship with a company of their choice while still on active duty. If you’re unsure where to start, communities like VetSec are great for networking and information sharing. These programs benefit everyone, helping fill the cybersecurity skills gap while giving veterans an opportunity to apply their existing strengths in a growing field.”