On this monthly column, highlights individuals from across the federal government, industry and academia whose efforts contribute day by day to national defense, from this system managers to the human resource leaders, to the engineers and logistics officers.
Felipe Fernandez is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Fortinet Federal, Inc (FFI), where he leads a team of security architects and engineers to offer mission-critical cybersecurity solutions for Federal Civilian, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Community applications. He also oversees the U.S. Federal product strategy and certification process for the Department of Defense Information Network Approved Products List (DoDIN APL) and the National Security Agency’s Business Solutions for Classified (NSA CSfC) program.
How did you get entangled within the defense industry or community?
I started my profession within the defense industry with the Marine Corps as a Cybersecurity Engineer where I spent 12 years cultivating my passion for technology and learning how progressive technologies affect the safety aspect of operations.
With the ability to experience first-hand the ability of technology to make an impact has transferred on to my role at Fortinet Federal, where I work with government agencies to discover the correct cybersecurity solutions to attain their mission objectives.
What are some challenges you faced working through your profession?
As most service members can attest, a transition out of the military is usually a jarring adjustment. It’s not a lot what must be done, but how. Within the military, relationships between stakeholders are well-defined and detailed processes exist for even the smallest activities; that isn’t at all times the case within the private sector. Nevertheless, it is identical results-driven mindset cultivated within the military that has helped me successfully construct connections with like-minded people, proceed to attain business objectives and overcome recent challenges.
How do you’re employed to be a mentor yourself to younger counterparts?
Those leaving the military can feel like a fish out of water since they have to change into accustomed to civilian life again while attempting to work out their next steps. Because of this, I make it my personal mission to assist others in my field expand their skillsets and prepare them for a fast-paced profession. With the present skills gap in cybersecurity, there is a big opportunity for others’ careers, and I would like to assist them find it.
In cybersecurity, threats are changing and arising each day. I’m an enormous advocate for certification courses in cybersecurity and I urge anyone interested to pursue them to face out to employers. Whether it’s utilizing Fortinet’s Training Institute courses or others, that is at all times my piece of recommendation.
What does it mean to achieve success in your profession field?
As previously mentioned, cybersecurity is a always evolving landscape. To achieve success on this industry, you have to not sleep to this point on essentially the most progressive technologies, trends, attacks, solutions and for presidency specifically, guidance and regulations.
This enables employees and corporations to offer the very best insight and proposals to their customers, protecting networks and national security, which is the goal.
What are a number of the under-appreciated positions within the defense field, the unsung heroes or essential cogs within the machine that help the job get done with less recognition?
While every individual within the defense industry is invaluable, those within the forefront of operations, whether on land or behind a pc, hold essentially the most perspective. I started learning on my first day in the sphere and it was those foundational skills that allowed me to successfully progress in my profession.
Veterans across all defense departments hold significant technical training and experience, as they’ve at all times been hands-on. The staff experiencing the threats as they arise are critical to success.
How has the culture modified around diversity inside your profession?
The present cyber skills gap within the industry proves there is critical need for recruitment and, in tandem, there was less emphasis on certain job requirements. For instance, the White House recently released the Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, which emphasized the potential for alternative/multiple paths to a profession in cybersecurity. Other government leaders have also been promoting the diversification of the workforce to utilize the unique skills that will not be at all times learned in a classroom.
A notable example of that is the Training Institute at Fortinet – while we offer training services to all individuals, we specifically developed our Veterans Program to assist the transition of military service members, veterans and spouses to the cybersecurity industry. With our program alone, we’ve got been capable of help 3,000+ veterans and military spouses transition right into a profession outside of the military.
What’s your advice for brand new entrants to the defense/military community?
I suggest recent service members take full advantage of the tremendous opportunity before them. Few occupations provide earlier exposure to a greater number of use cases, stakeholders, and technology than the military. As well as, the military has invested in incredible resources in making each business and customised training available to service members freed from charge.
What do you see as the long run of your sector in national defense?
My role and Fortinet Federal’s role in national cyber defense will only change into more essential moving toward the long run. My team and I are always seeking to automate, secure and improve government networks because there may be at all times room to refine. With the state of the threat landscape today, industry partnerships and cybersecurity will only proceed to rise in value.
Who’re the Force Multipliers in your community? Tell us at [email protected].