Today we discuss recruiting in the cyber security field from a forces perspective - what to expect coming out of the military, recruiting people from the forces, and how we can bring people into this particular field to address the cyber security skills gap. 

In this episode, we cover:

• The experience of veterans and services leavers when they came out of the military – what can a leaver expect?
• How to prepare yourself, mentally and practically, for leaving the military
• Causes of underemployment among people from the forces
• Who are TechVets and how does their programme help the forces community
• Crafting a CV that shows your skills for corporate/non-military employment
• Translating experience and soft skills from military training into desirable corporate skills
• Recruitment of people from the forces into the field of cyber security
• How veterans and service leavers can help fill the skills shortage in information security

All our guests in this episode are ex-forces themselves – I’m joined by James Murphy, Claire Davies and Tom Mills to discuss their experiences after leaving the military, as well as how the qualities and skills they gained from their military training can help fill the cyber security skills gap.

Claire talks about how she went from a senior position in the military to a role in commercial security. Tom talks about some of the problems he ran into as he moved from the military to the business world. James tells us about hiring veterans and service members and helping them get jobs after they leave the military. 

When people leave the military and go into business, they often find it easy to port across the skills they learned there. There is a lack of skilled information security people in the job market, so tapping into the potential of veterans and helping them find a place in this field is an excellent way to make use of the skills honed in the forces. 

This episode gives a great guide to moving from the forces into the world of commerce from people who have been through the process themselves.

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform.

If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast, email podcast@razorthorn.com.

GUEST BIOS

James Murphy

James joined TechVets from GDS, where he was employed as the Head of Threat Intelligence.  

James served for 19 years in the British Military, deploying to Northern Ireland, East Africa and Afghanistan with the Infantry, receiving lifelong injuries as a result of enemy action. James then served until 2018 in intelligence, delivering support to global Joint Military operations. 

Since becoming CEO, he has used his military experience to build an unrivalled programme of professional tech training, resources, and support for UK veterans and their families. He is an excellent ambassador for the military and has proven his commercial prowess and business excellence by securing strategic partnerships with some of the world's leading tech companies. 

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Claire Davies MBE 

Claire has over 30 years of experience in the field of intelligence and security.   She cut her teeth within the UK military where she enjoyed a globe-trotting career identifying, assessing, exploiting and ultimately defeating the threat to the security of assets posed by those engaged in terrorism, espionage, sabotage and subversion.  In more recent times, she leads a team of information security and data protection professionals within Arriva Group.  She is particularly passionate about creating momentum around increased awareness of the cyber threat across the industry, mentoring new recruits into the field (so she can retire) and helping to fly the flag in providing a safe and trusted public transport network.      

Tom Mills

Tom Mills is an Information Security Consultant working for Razorthorn Security. Formerly a Counter-Intelligence and Security subject matter expert with the British Army specialising in physical security vulnerability identification and penetration testing, Tom has hands-on experience identifying and managing security threats and risks in a variety of operational environments. Transferring his military experience, he now supports and guides organisations to ensure their information security and cyber defence postures meet national and international regulatory compliance standards along with supporting key organisational outputs for Razorthorn Cyber Defence. Tom actively supports service leavers where possible and is a Member of the Security Institute and pursues CPD opportunities where possible. 

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Connect with your host James Rees

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cybersecurity professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult.

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security—from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights.

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals, providing insights, news, and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast, email podcast@razorthorn.com.

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.

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Website: www.razorthorn.com