Cyberthreats continue to affect small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), amounting to billions of dollars in losses annually, with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) anticipating an increase in critical infrastructure victimization in the coming months and years. By building a diverse information security team that includes former law enforcement personnel, your MSP will be better equipped to recognize and respond to potential threats and ensure that your business and your clients’ businesses continue to operate efficiently with minimal downtime. Former law enforcement professionals can help build out security protection and response plans backed by deep-rooted experience handling high-profile cybersecurity issues, extensive training from government entities, and strong networks of like-minded individuals.
Robust Experience
Federal agents have built their careers on real-world experience and are battle tested. With firsthand exposure to intrusions—the good, the bad, and the ugly—they understand company policies that should be implemented, tools that should be used, and immediate fixes to broken systems and processes.
Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, stresses the importance of the FBI’s relationship with private sectors. He notes that those with FBI or law enforcement backgrounds tend to have knowledge and expertise that can prove powerful in protecting companies in the private sector. Hiring security personnel with a law enforcement background can also help organizations better understand the threat landscape and better protect their clients from harm.
Extensive Training
In addition to field experience, most federal agents possess extensive formal training and certifications. At the FBI, for example, agents working in cyber investigations or cybercrime are required to undergo training like the Cyber Investigator Certificate Program (CICP), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Incident Response Training curriculum, SANS Institute cybersecurity training courses, and the Mandiant Academy Cyber Security Training. This type of professional development is exclusive to those within government positions and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, ensuring that agents are equipped with a thorough understanding of threat actors, who they are, and how to protect against and neutralize them.
Strong Networks
Those who have worked in cybersecurity at the government level typically build strong networks of like-minded professionals who are dedicated to keeping both public and private sectors safe from bad actors. They are connected not only within their own government agencies, but also across bureaus, worldwide governments, and other cybersecurity professionals around the globe. These professional networks can prove beneficial when hiring a former law enforcement agent, not only as you build out your own internal security team, but also as you consult outside authorities for professional guidance.
Often, those in law enforcement positions enter the space out of a sense of duty; to make a difference in the world. They tend to be leaders in their fields who are self-driven, motivated, and have a strong work ethic, traits that make for successful information security leaders in the private sector. They are true assets to your chief information security officer (CISO) in helping company leadership understand cybersecurity language, environments, and ongoing threats. By utilizing the backgrounds of those in law enforcement, CISOs can arm themselves and executive teams with powerful information with widespread impact.
With so many far-reaching cyberthreats, the worst thing a company can do is not act. SMBs are increasingly turning to MSPs for help as the cybersecurity landscape becomes more complicated. By hiring former law enforcement leaders who are battle-tested, trained to handle complex threats, and have built strong networks within cybersecurity, you can better protect yourself, your clients, and their businesses, ready for any threat that may come your way.
JASON MANAR is the chief information security officer (CISO) of Kaseya, the leading global provider of unified IT management and security software for managed service providers and small and SMBs. He plays a pivotal role in further solidifying the company’s security stance. Manar oversees information security and compliance, leading the cybersecurity division to identify the industry’s latest threats and vulnerabilities and intercept them. As CISO, he also ensures compliance with security requirements associated with government regulations, which vary by global region. Prior to joining Kaseya, Manar was a supervisory special agent (SSA) with the FBI’s Cyber Division where he worked in the Major Cyber Crimes Unit combating cybercriminals’ threats targeting U.S. entities.
