These same technical experts could be valuable hires for companies that need internal cybersecurity resources. “Commercial organizations that may not be as robust in testing their software, their platforms, their operations – with availability of the federal cyber experts that are now hitting the street, this may be a great time for them to actually hire and shore up their resources,” says Chris Coligado, executive vice president and federal market lead at Fedstack.
Cybersecurity professionals with years, or even decades, of experience could be valuable hires precisely because they understand the inner workings of the government. “I got brought into a company specifically because of my government background and my government knowledge,” Barlet shares. He was a federal CIO and Air Force cyber operations officer before making the switch to the private sector.
Enterprise CISOs can also benefit from non-technical cyber talent. Consulting firms that offer management, technology and policy services, for example, could tap their expertise. “These guys could be great advisors that can augment the team,” says Coligado. “They [companies] could really benefit from very strong policies and standards that’ve been honed in the government space.”