From Frontlines to Firewalls: Building a Better Pathway for Veterans in Cybersecurity
By Diane Vogel, Director, Recruiting Services
An estimated 2.8 million cybersecurity jobs are currently unfilled globally. This talent gap spans critical roles, including SOC analysts, threat hunters, incident responders, vulnerability managers and cloud engineers. Organizations are desperate for qualified professionals to defend against evolving threats.
At the same time, more than 200,000 veterans transition out of the military each year, many of whom have hands-on cybersecurity experience and are eager to apply their skills. Yet, these veterans often struggle to find employment, even though their backgrounds align with the industry’s needs.
The solution seems simple: hire transitioning veterans to fill cybersecurity vacancies. However, the reality is far more complex. First, many misconceptions and obstacles within the hiring process must be addressed. Also, successfully integrating veterans into the cybersecurity workforce involves more than just hiring them after their military service. It requires providing them with support, training, and clear pathways to convert their military skills into civilian credentials, helping employers recognize the value that veterans can bring to their teams.
A Dual Crisis Stemming from Disconnect
The growing number of open cybersecurity positions is harming both veterans and the companies desperate to hire good cybersecurity talent. Despite the clear alignment of needs, why isn’t more being done to bridge this gap and fix the veteran-to-cybersecurity pipeline?
Unfortunately, veterans are often overlooked due to misconceptions about their capabilities. Many hiring managers think first of combat and logistics when they hear “military veteran,” not realizing that service members frequently receive technical training in cybersecurity operations, with some even specializing in it during their time in service.
“A common misconception is that veterans only have experience in combat or logistics and lack technical skills for cybersecurity. In reality, many veterans develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills, along with technical training during their service. These abilities translate directly to cybersecurity and help veterans adapt quickly to fast-changing, technology-driven environments.” – David Cheever, TekStream Solutions
The disconnect often deepens because veterans are frequently trained as generalists, capable across many domains, but not specialized in any single skill set or platform, such as Splunk or Oracle. Companies often overlook this, frequently seeking specialists when writing their job descriptions and dismissing candidates with broader skillsets, even when they could quickly master specific tools with a bit of support and training.
“Transitioning to civilian life has been humbling and eye-opening. Within the job that I was put in, you’re tailored to be a jack of all trades but a master of none. Coming from that, I felt that if I have all these different skills, I would fit right into any company. What I came to realize is that a lot of cybersecurity jobs are looking for subject matter experts.” – Ramon Villareal, TekStream Solutions
Military job titles and certifications often compound the problem. Most don’t directly translate to public and private sector speak, making it challenging to align capabilities at a glance alone. With AI-powered resume screening now standard for most organizations, qualified veterans may be algorithmically eliminated before a human ever reviews their application. Veterans themselves often face confusion when navigating corporate job postings, struggling to translate their military roles into civilian equivalents.
Why Veterans Are Positioned to Excel in Cybersecurity
The perception that veterans lack the cybersecurity skills and mindset couldn’t be further from the truth. Their military training positions them to excel in ways that many civilian candidates cannot.
“Veterans tend to excel in areas that require discipline, attention to detail, and structured problem-solving. This includes threat analysis, incident response, and compliance-focused roles. Their experience working under pressure and following strict procedures makes them particularly effective at identifying risks, responding to incidents, and maintaining rigorous security standards.” – David Cheever.
For instance, while every veteran brings unique individual strengths, most share core advantageous soft skills from their time in service:
Mission-first mindset: Veterans have proven they can operate under pressure, maintain meticulous attention to detail, and stay focused in high-stakes environments — exactly what’s needed during an active threat or security breach.
Teamwork and leadership: Military experience involves learning to lead and collaborate across diverse, complex teams, where communication breakdowns can have serious repercussions, especially when coordinating incident responses or managing cross-functional security initiatives.
Security clearances and discipline: Veterans are already trained to handle sensitive information with trust and precision, often holding clearances that civilian candidates may take months or years to obtain.
Adaptability: Time in service requires the ability to rapidly learn new technologies and tactics to address evolving threats. That same agility is critical in the rapidly changing landscape of cybersecurity.
Ways Veterans and Cybersecurity Professionals Can Flip the Script
Successfully addressing the cybersecurity workforce crisis while also supporting the transition of veterans requires action from both sides of the equation.
Veterans must approach their transition strategically, beginning preparation well before their separation date.
“My advice for veterans would be to take every resource that you can and apply yourself. Make sure that you know what you’re doing when you decide to transition and understand what the job market is because it’s not as easy as, ‘well, I’m just going to find my next job and be ready to go.'” – Ramon Villareal, TekStream Solutions
This means actively seeking out opportunities to upskill through military education benefits, leveraging transition assistance programs and pursuing industry-recognized certifications that help translate military experience into civilian credentials. Programs that combine hands-on training with real-world applications at a pace and capability level personalized to the individual can be particularly beneficial, helping bridge the gap between foundational military knowledge and the specific technical skills employers seek.
Employers, meanwhile, need to rethink how they evaluate candidates. Rather than fixating on narrow job descriptions that demand expertise in specific platforms, hiring managers should recognize that transferable skills matter most: the ability to think and perform under pressure, adapt to evolving threats, and maintain discipline in high-stakes environments. These capabilities can’t be taught after hiring, but platform-specific knowledge can be.
The math is simple. 2.8 million open positions and 200,000 talented, security-cleared professionals transitioning annually. While it still leaves a wider-than-desirable hiring gap for cybersecurity positions, hiring more veterans can have a significant impact on closing it, with time.
About the Author
As Director, Recruiting Services, Diane manages client accounts and relationships, leads and mentors teams, and actively recruits for external clients. She also actively recruits for TekStream’s core Consulting, Splunk and AWS practices. Diane has a Masters in Education from the University of Georgia, Bachelors in Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia and more than 20 years of talent acquisition experience. Prior to joining TekStream, she supported several Fortune 500 companies, partnering with leadership to grow their Consulting and Global Innovation practices. She also worked directly with a Federal contractor for five years. Diane is a DDI Certified Interview Facilitator.
Outside of work, she enjoys being active, volunteering with the local chapter of Virginia’s TRIAD organization. She resides in the town of Mathews, Virginia located on the middle peninsula of the Chesapeake Bay.