From Military Service to Cybersecurity Frontlines: My Journey with IBM X-Force

Jake is the Global Deputy Head of IBM X-Force, IBM’s elite global team of hackers, incident responders, intelligence analysts, and researchers who prepare and actively defend clients against real-world cybersecurity threats.

Starting his career in the US Air Force, Jake has since been at the forefront of cybersecurity. With a career that has seamlessly transitioned from protecting national security to safeguarding cyberspace, Jake’s role at IBM X-Force is a testament to the power of curiosity and the art-of-the-possible.

In this blog, Jake explains what IBM X-Force can do, and the challenges and benefits of how AI impacts security defenses. He dives into the cybersecurity problems his team is solving, and also provides perspective on feeder roles that may transition well for a cybersecurity job.

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The IBM X-Force team functions similarly to a special forces unit in the cyber world. The team specializes in different aspects of cybersecurity and works together to prepare, advise, and defend clients against cyber threats. X-Force is made up of four sub-practices:

• X-Force Red: This offensive security team can hack nearly anything to harden clients’ assets against cyber threats. They perform both penetration tests and adversary simulations of cyberattacks against clients’ enterprises to assess that organization’s security readiness.
• X-Force Incident Response: Their incident response hotline is available 24/7 year-round across the globe. They assist clients who are experiencing a cyberattack. Their proactive services are used to actively prevent, prepare, and build resilience within clients’ businesses.
• X-Force Threat Intelligence: These are the researchers and analysts behind IBM X-Force’s world-class reporting on industry trends, threat campaigns, and specific threat actors. Data and analytics drive this team, which also conducts malware reverse engineering for specific attacks. They search for client exposures across the dark web and provide curated threat intelligence subscriptions for clients around the world.
• X-Force Cyber Range: This cross-functional team develops business resilience for clients by assessing, building, training, and testing the client’s technical practitioners, business leaders, and/or even Board of Directors in cyber crisis business response experiences. The cyber range team gives clients a benchmark of their current capabilities measured against their peers based on the thousands of other clients who have practiced to-date. The team also provides industry-best practices in cybersecurity incident response & crisis management.

As Global Deputy Head of X-Force, Jake is responsible for creating X-Force’s Strategy and overseeing operational delivery of all X-Force services.

“We are the first responders – the firefighters for our clients – clients call us when they are under attack, or if they only suspect they smell smoke, but aren’t sure if there’s a fire or not.”

“We’re helping our clients prepare, identify, contain, eradicate, and recover from attacks. We reverse engineer malware used and conduct reconnaissance on the threat actor potentially attacking our clients,” said Jake. Conducting reconnaissance may consist of finding out information on the attacker’s usual tactics, techniques, procedures, motives, or overarching goals.

“We’re closing any open doors the attackers may have taken advantage of; as well as assessing the integrity of any new or alternative assets our clients seek to use as part of their business continuity or disaster recovery plans – especially to ensure the same weaknesses aren’t exploited again.”

The cyber range and cyber crisis management allows X-Force’s clients to simulate occurrences. “This lets clients measure their improvements since the [cyber] incident or breaks down the attack into stages. It ensures they are training on the parts that may have proven most difficult in their business’ overall incident response,” said Jake. Blockers may include people’s use of technologies, the cross-functional collaboration of the client’s technical and management teams, or the business’ crisis management capability.

The team that makes up X-Force is constantly seeing, analyzing, emulating, or simulating emerging threats and vulnerabilities for clients. Roles within X-Force include (but are not limited to):

• Incident Response Consultant (various levels)
• Penetration Tester (various levels and domains)
• Red Team Operator
• Adversary Services Consultant
• Offensive AI Researcher
• Threat Intelligence Analyst
• Malware Reverse Engineer
• Cyber Range Facilitator

This team of experts solve several cybersecurity problems, but according to Jake, the topic that is top-of-mind for clients is artificial intelligence.

“Clients want to know how to use AI to compete in their industries; equally, they want to know the risks, the downsides, potential vulnerabilities, over-reliance this introduces, or even how bad actors are using AI against them,” he said.

That’s where X-Force’s Red Testing Service for AI comes in, which focuses on four key areas: AI platforms, MLSecOps (the AI training/tuning pipeline), gen AI applications, and the production environments running gen AI applications.

Jake says the team is also focusing on combatting cybersecurity threats in OT (Operational Technology), Connected Vehicles, IoT, and Cloud environments.

There’s no doubt that the role of AI in cybersecurity is double-faceted: it’s both a defense mechanism and a tool that adversaries can exploit. So how is AI actually impacting security defenses?

Jake says the impact is significant for cybersecurity defense capabilities – and according to IBM’s 2024 Cost of Data Breach report, its saving time and money.

• Organizations extensively using security AI and automation identified breaches in 24 less days than those with limited use – that’s 70 days less than those with no use.
• Organizations contained breaches 32 days quicker than those with limited use of security AI and automation, which is 98 days quicker than those with no use.
• USD 2.2 million is the comparable savings from the average cost of a data breach for organizations with extensive use of security AI and automation deployed across prevention workflows.
• The use of AI and automations is up 10% compared to 2023. Now, about 67% of organizations report they’re deploying security AI and automation across their security operation centers.

Looking into the future, Jake believes the cybersecurity landscape is complex, innovative, and challenging. As IBM X-Force continues to stay ahead of how threat actors might use AI, they’re ensuring clients are protected from all angles. This requires constant vigilance, as the cybersecurity landscape is ever-changing, driven by rule-defying threat actors who collaborate in the shadows.

Before Jake became a global leader in cybersecurity, his life goal was to play in the NFL (National Football League), which is the highest professional level of American football in the world. But his dreams of NFL stardom evolved into what he describes as an even more fulfilling goal: to serve in the U.S. Air Force.

He attended the United States Air Force Academy, where he was a starter on the football team for three seasons and finished as the team’s Defensive MVP (most valuable player); but after accruing several injuries, Jake shifted his career: his new goal was to become the best security officer in the U.S. Air Force.

“The military offered me the chance to receive some absolutely incredible intensive training in discipline, physical security, policing, investigations, antiterrorism, emergency operations/crisis management, casualty affairs, cybersecurity, auditing, and overarching risk to the Air Force’s mission. It allowed me to get my Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a Minor in German, and my Master’s in Diplomacy with a focus in International Commerce.”

After leading over 600 Airmen, civilians, and families around the world, Jake says he was ready for his ultimate life goal.

“In 2015 as I raced toward my dream position in Egypt with the Air Force, I met my dream partner in life. We turned down Egypt, got married, I left the Air Force, and we started a family,” he said. “But I still wanted to serve and protect organizations, just like I did in the Air Force – and I knew how to do that, so my new goal was to be a business risk consultant.”

As a military spouse himself, he says he was looking for a workplace that would support his family’s military lifestyle, which requires them to relocate every few years. He targeted organizations that would allow him to keep growing within the company, regardless of his location.

Since then, Jake’s path has led him to make a difference in the world of cybersecurity at IBM.

“I think the most differentiating and incredibly fortunate thread to my career path at IBM is that I’ve managed to simply create continuity through five PCSs internationally,” said Jake. Unlike temporary military duty assignments, a PCS, or permanent change of station orders, are longer-term assignments that generally keep military members and their families in one location for two to four years. “My career has also grown with each move as a military spouse, even while being the primary parent and caretaker of our two amazing young boys.”

Jake says his security, risk, and crisis management experience have seamlessly translated into his role at IBM X-Force, where he leads with the same commitment and passion for defending clients against cyber threats.

“The best part about being around this special, unique, and awesome team? With every conversation, I’m learning new things, and I’m blown away at how awesome our team is. We have amazingly talented people who have the uncanny ability of blending altogether. They’re also proactively teaching and training on how to protect yourself and your business. They’re arming clients with the knowledge of what and how threat actors might target their business. I couldn’t be more fortunate and blessed with the opportunity to serve this team as their Global Deputy Head of X-Force!”

Jake’s military experience allowed him to transition into the civilian cybersecurity space.

“Here at X-Force, I truly get to blend together every bit of formal education (business & diplomacy), training (cyber- & physical security, emergency/crisis, and management), experience (people leadership, security advisory, investigations, auditing), and personality (outgoing, authentic, adventurous) into my role,” he said.

But what if you are trying to get into cybersecurity?

While IBM’s talent network allows you to receive updates on roles according to your interests, Jake provides valuable insight on feeder roles, certifications and skills that could benefit someone vying for a job in cybersecurity.

With tangential education, certifications, and knowledge about various tools, Jake believes there are certain jobs outside of the industry that may allow a candidate to be further considered for a cybersecurity role, including (but not limited to):

• SOC Analyst
• Forensics Examiner
• Security Administrator
• System Administrator
• Network Administrator

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification
• Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC), with a forensic analyst or incident handler focus.
• Certified Ethical Handler (CEH) certifications

• Incident response/incident handling
• Understanding the process of collecting, packaging, and storing of electronic evidence
• Skills in using endpoint detection & response (EDR) tools, log management and event correlation tools, and forensics tool suites
• Knowledge of malware analysis concepts and methodologies, adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures, and system and application security threats and vulnerabilities

• Quick/efficient judgement and decision-making
• Ability to analyze large data sets and draw conclusions
• Ability to deduce large amounts of information into concise updates
• Ability to handle pressure in stressful situations

For more than 110 years, IBM has been a catalyst that makes the world work better, and we remain dedicated to driving actionable change and outcomes for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive society – and in the world of delivery consulting, you could do just that. Each day is a chance to solve new puzzles, meet new challenges, and help clients achieve their goals, all while growing your expertise and expanding your horizons.

If you’re inspired by Jake’s story and eager to explore a career in cybersecurity, consider IBM as your employer of choice.

• To see a list of all current job openings around the world, visit our Careers Website.
• You can also join our Talent Network to receive updates on events and career opportunities.