Retired military personnel are uniquely positioned to fill cybersecurity vacancies in the U.S. government and private sector, according to a senior State Department official.

In pre-recorded remarks delivered during a Atlantic Council Event U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel Fick on Friday said veterans’ military training prepared them for cyberspace-focused careers once they left active duty .

“With a global shortage of cybersecurity talent numbering in the millions and a relentless pace of innovation from criminals and attackers, the skills you’ve learned through your service and the dedication to a cause you’ve made Evidence is critically important to help us tackle cybersecurity. this challenge,” he said.

There are more than 500,000 unfilled cyber positions in the United States alone, according to at the White House. The Biden administration’s month of July 2023 national cybersecurity strategy said it was important to fill these vacancies to defend against an expected increase in cyberattacks in the future and recommended improving veteran participation in the cyber workforce.

“Because the military has already provided them with opportunities to gain skills and experience, veterans may have less need for employer-sponsored training and have a higher success rate within the first year employment”, indicates the strategy. “Many veterans leave the service with active security clearances, making them good candidates for sensitive cyber jobs. »

To help maximize these opportunities, Matt Noyes — the director of cyber policy and strategy for the U.S. Secret Service, who spoke at Friday’s event — said veterans should take advantage of their GI Bill benefits to attend school and fully prepare for their next career. He noted that many federal vacancies include a hiring preference for veterans and that more than 20 percent of Secret Service personnel are retired military personnel.

“You have a lot more power in your choice of job, aided by the military…and you have to lean into it, accept it and recognize the continued effort that needs to be made to define the right fit for you,” said Noyes, who was a former U.S. Army infantry officer and now serves as a major in the Army Reserve.

He added that taking on more cybersecurity-focused roles while on active duty can also help open up more career opportunities for veterans after they return to civilian life.

When he was in graduate school, Noyes said he attended an event attended by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was surprised when the officer said that positions in cybersecurity were the most essential to provide.

“That seemed to me the most absurd response when there are two active conflicts going on and you need help for something that has never killed anyone,” Noyes said. “So I took that as a sign that they must really need help then.”