VetSec: Veteran Security Conference 2020
Are you an active duty service member close to transition, or a veteran? Are you interested in a career in Information Security? If the answer to these questions is YES, then please keep reading!
It is no secret that the Information Technology career field is growing at an astounding and exponential rate. According to the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, Information Security Analysts average about $99K per year, with employment expected to grow 32% through 2028! For Software Developers, the DOL projects a job growth of 21% through 2028 with an average salary of $105,590 per year. There are so many openings in the IT field up for grabs, it’s no wonder that many companies seek to hire veterans who bring discipline and determination to the field. If you are transitioning from the service, or a veteran, where do you begin?
VetSec, a veteran cyber security community, is hosting VetSecCon 2020, their second convention aimed at achieving their vision of “A world where no veteran pursuing information security goes unemployed.”
Convention Information
The convention, sponsored by Layer8 Conference, will take place on October 16-17, 2020, and features key speakers from the information security industry. The convention will unfold into three tracks:
- Track 1 – targets military members who are preparing to transition to civilian life. Speakers will address topics like job interviews, resume writing, LinkedIn networking, veterans benefits, educational benefits, and many more.
- Track 2 – This is the technical track. Speakers from the VetSec community and other industry leaders will address topics relevant to entry-level information security and other highly specialized talks.
- Track 3 – Covers the human aspect of information security. This track focuses on philosophical topics that extend beyond the technical, like making a difference in the field and managing burnout.
Building on the foundation laid by their first convention, VetSec wants to call further attention to their mission of providing support for “active duty, transitioning, and veteran members of the military who are currently working in or transitioning into the Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or Cybersecurity industries.”
With the three tracks listed above, VetSecCon 2020 will offer 26 workshops and 28 speakers. Who are those speakers?
Featured Personalities
The Keynote speaker for the event is Chloe Messdaghi, Vice President of Strategy at Point3 Security. Other great speakers include:
- Matt Kiely (USMC), author for huskyhacks.dev
- Lesley Carhart, Principle Industrial Incident Responder at Dragos, Inc.
- Tom Marsland (USN), Board Chair at VetSec, Inc.
- Katelyn Bowden, Founder and CEO of BADASS (Battling Against Demeaning and Abusive Selfie Sharing)
- Michael Smith, Independent Consultant
- James Murphy, CEO at TechVets
- Gary Tsai, Strategist at Veterans Voice NYC
- Brad Rhodes, Head of Cybersecurity at zvelo
- And more to come!
You can view the tentative schedule here: Convention Schedule.
Training and Certifications Promoted by VetSec
Veterans are a valuable commodity to all employers. Many entry-level positions within the IT field do not require a four-year degree, but some specialized training.
Amazon has sponsored a program called AWS Educate, which is a program that supports U.S. veterans, transitioning service members, and their spouses by providing access to cloud computing resources and training.
The Federal Virtual Training Environment (FedVTE) is an amazing resource sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and offers free online cybersecurity training for the US military and veterans. They have a comprehensive training catalog offering courses for various skill levels and career fields.
Vetforce offers free Salesforce training and certification for veterans. They seek to upskill the military community with high demand technology skills to prepare them for careers in IT.
Next Steps to Take
I have already registered for this amazing event, and if you wish to attend, register here! Make sure to have your LinkedIn profile information handy when you register. If you are not yet on LinkedIn, I highly recommend securing your account at www.linkedin.com.
If you have experience in the IT or cyber fields and want to speak at the convention, use this link to connect with VetSec.
To make a donation and help fund this and future events, VetSec accepts PayPal donations.
If you have questions about VetSec Inc. or VetSecCon 2020, reach out. Here’s their contact information:
Website: www.veteransec.org
Phone: (360) 362-0225
Email: info@veteransec.com
VetSec Inc. is one of those organizations that I love to highlight because of the support they provide to the military community. I believe we need more veterans in every career field, and VetSec is making that a reality by focusing their efforts on transitioning our sisters and brothers into Information and Cyber Security careers.
I’ll see you at VetSecCon 2020!
(Image courtesy of VetSec Inc.)
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