cyber-experts

Meet Alyssa Slayton, Army Veteran Turned Senior Security Specialist at DeepSeas  

We had the pleasure of interviewing Senior Security Specialist and cybersecurity expert at DeepSeas, Alyssa Slayton. In the interview below, Alyssa shares more about her background, expertise, and role at DeepSeas. 

Hi, Alyssa. Can you tell us a little bit about your role at DeepSeas?

Part of my role as a Senior Security Specialist Risk is to help our clients and their leadership teams understand the importance of risk management and transform that into a long-term, ongoing effort. A lot of the clients I work with are just looking to test the waters with a risk assessment. It is my job to conduct that assessment and also provide as much value to them as possible. I work with them as a partner to show them the potential long-term benefits of risk management. All these interactions are an opportunity for me to help a client transform their cyber posture. 

How has your military service prepared you for your current career as a Senior Security Specialist?

My military service helped prepare me for my current career by understanding the importance of organization, consistency, and reliability. Nothing in the military is a one-man or one-woman show. It’s a team made up of a diverse group of people, all dependent on each other in some way. I believe that this applies to any job or area of life. People want to work with and be around someone they know they can rely on. It is a significant foundation of any relationship – work or personal. 

While in the military, I attended Officer Candidate School (OCS). I learned a lot about leadership while taking the course but ultimately developed the most as a leader by having great leaders mentor me. There is plenty to be learned in courses and books, but nothing beats the true experience of one human being teaching another through experience. The leadership skills I developed in the military helped me be a confident speaker and advisor in my current role in cybersecurity. 

What advice do you have for women/women veterans who want to pursue a cybersecurity career? 

If I were to give advice to women veterans on pursuing a cybersecurity career (or any civilian career), it would be to leverage all your experiences and relationships, even if they seem like they aren’t as relevant. Many veterans (male & female) have difficulty transitioning out of the military and understanding how that translates to civilian life. The good news is that your military experience is much more applicable than most people think. No matter your military role, you hold many unique and valuable skills.   

We’re fortunate to have Alyssa as a Senior Security Specialist at DeepSeas, and thank her for her service. Come back to meet more of our DeepSeas cybersecurity experts in future issues of our “Meet Our Deeps” series.