Ex-spooks spy out IT security careers

Planning for a server outage, a power cut or half your staff being taken ill from a rogue batch of sushi at the company party are all probably within the ability range of most competent managers. But if things escalate, it's time to call in the professionals.

The comfort and confidence that knowing the police, ambulance or even military are there to help if things take a real turn for the worse is just as vital to oiling the wheels of commerce as an effective regulatory or financial system. Luckily, as recent history has shown, the systems underpinning the police and military are more robust than those found in some areas of the City or Wall Street. A global financial crisis has been punishing enough, but imagine a similar meltdown in health provision, law enforcement or even the army.

The perception that law-enforcement agencies and the military adhere to more rigorous standards than the average citizen goes a long way to explaining the swathes of ex-army and law-enforcement types in the upper echelons of business. In the IT sector, companies including Microsoft, Unisys, Verizon and Xerox have all hired former military, intelligence or law-enforcement personnel. Tracking down exact numbers for how many IT professionals have come from law enforcement or the army is not easy but, for those personnel with technical experience, the computer industry is a natural progression. However, it's not only technical skills that make these individuals attractive; the abilities to stay calm in a crisis and deal with pressure are also highly valued.
People management is another key skill that commercial companies appear to value extremely highly when it comes to military personnel, according to insiders.

"I have found that working with ex-military over my career, [what is impressive] has been their ability to handle all kinds of skills sets and personalities," says Jeff Irby, vice president for global industries at services specialist Unisys. "If you think about who is in the military, from the most junior 18-year-old to some very seasoned veterans, their leadership skills have been honed to handle those multiple types of people, skills and knowledge."

Irby, who manages vice president of identity management and ex-UK army officer Neil Fisher, served in the US Air Force himself and claims that the leadership training in the military is second to none.

"I have found that MBA programmes, while they do talk about emotional intelligence and some of these other things, don't have the kind of rigour that goes into [military leadership] training because your real-time scenarios could include the death of human beings. You have to be pretty well grounded in how to lead that."

Solid leadership skills aren't just the preserve of the military though, according to Mike Mason, chief security officer for US communications giant Verizon. "The leadership opportunities I had in the FBI undoubtedly prepared me for my current role," says Mason, a 22-year FBI veteran and former head of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, who joined Verizon in January 2008.

"There were many times over the course of my FBI career when the days and weeks seem to require more from our people than anyone should be asked to give. Yet, with the proper application of leadership and attitude, the people always got the job done - and done well."

In the IT sector, and specifically in the arena of security, a law-enforcement or military background obviously has benefits, given the exposure to the latest technology which government service provides. However, the in-built mystique and respect engendered in civvies by those who have carried a gun or worn a badge for a living shouldn't be ignored.

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