Beyond the Uniform: Blackpoint Cyber Upskilling with SkillBridge
Blackpoint Cyber is proud to partner with our service members in the United States Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program to provide opportunities for smooth transitions from the public to private sectors.
Blackpoint has partnered with SkillBridge to source and facilitate our country’s veterans with hands on positions in our SOC to make real world impact.
Each SkillBridge analyst works alongside our security operations center (SOC) as if they were a full-time employee and provides 24/7 monitoring and response coverage for our partners and small and medium business end clients. Blackpoint is grateful to have this opportunity to work with veterans and provide them experience in the commercial sector to help facilitate their transition further, employing a large percentage of SkillBridge analysts as full-time analysts within our organization to further bolster our world-class SOC and capability.
To provide deeper insight into Blackpoint and the SkillBridge experience, we spoke directly with analysts who’ve participated in the program. Their perspectives highlight the unique challenges and opportunities faced during the transition from military service to civilian in cybersecurity roles.
Voices from the Front Lines: SkillBridge Analysts Share Their Journey
Meet Charlie Collins
Describe your experience with the SkillBridge program. What was it like working with the Blackpoint team?
Blackpoint’s SkillBridge program exceeded my expectations above and beyond. The SOC is full of great leaders, mentors, and trainers that were with me every step of the way through the entire program.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to fellow veterans looking to transition to the private sector? How did SkillBridge help you with the transition process?
My advice to veterans transitioning would be to begin the process as early as possible. Make your intentions known to your command that you want to take advantage of the SkillBridge program and start to advocate for yourself to get as much time as possible, up to the maximum of 180 days, if your situation and unit manning allows for it. SkillBridge gives you the time to adjust to civilian life in the employment setting, and it allows you to learn how to apply skills you’ve learned in the military to the private sector.
Discuss an interesting incident or event you encountered during the program. How did that change your perspective as an analyst?
I don’t think I can point to one specific incident that changed my perspective. Moving from military to civilian employment, I was really worried about personal job satisfaction and seeing how my work would have an impact on others. In the Air Force, I knew I was doing my job right when I saw F-15s takeoff from the make-shift runway we built in the middle of nowhere and the communications equipment I setup facilitated the necessary intelligence, command and control, and air traffic communication for that to happen. With Blackpoint I’m also able to see how my work has an impact on others because we are constantly stopping malicious threat actors from causing harm to a wide variety of businesses and their customers.
What is one thing that you encountered during the program that you didn’t expect?
One thing I didn’t expect was the little bit of adjustment period I needed to be an effective employee. Originally, I thought my military experience in cybersecurity would be directly transferable to Blackpoint and I’d be able to hit the ground running. I quickly learned though that there was a little adjustment needed to be able to leverage my military experience in a way that would be valuable to the company. Blackpoint’s SkillBridge training pipeline is full of guidance, mentorship, and extensive support from the SOC leadership. Because of Blackpoint’s training and guidance, within two weeks I was able to get to a point where I was completely autonomous with minimal oversight.
Now that you’re officially a Blackpoint employee, what are you looking forward to in the future?
I really look forward to growing with Blackpoint. I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to join the company while it’s still in its rapidly expanding phases, so there are almost endless possibilities for development. I also look forward to working with the future SkillBridge interns and being able to use a common experience we have in helping them transition from the military, adjusting their skillset, and finding civilian employment.
Meet Kevin Horton
Describe your experience with the SkillBridge program. What was it like working with the Blackpoint team?
My experience with Blackpoint and the SkillBridge program has been amazing. It was refreshing working with the Blackpoint team because I got to collaborate with individuals from diverse professional paths and technical backgrounds. This was different from my military experience, where most of us go through the same training pipeline and share similar experiences. At Blackpoint, I was exposed to analysts, engineers, and threat hunters who brought unique perspectives to problem-solving. It made me appreciate how diverse experiences can strengthen a cybersecurity team. The collaboration and real-world exposure I gained through the program gave me a deeper understanding of how an MDR team operates in the private sector on a daily basis.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to fellow veterans looking to transition to the private sector? How did SkillBridge help you with the transition process?
The best advice I can give fellow veterans is to start preparing early. Take time to identify the type of role you want, earn certifications that align with it, attend cybersecurity conferences or virtual events, and start networking within the industry. The earlier you start building connections and developing skills that translate to civilian roles, the smoother your transition will be. SkillBridge was invaluable during my transition. It gave me the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the private sector while still on active duty. I was able to apply my analytical mindset and discipline from the military to real-world incidents, all while learning new technologies and workflows used in MDR operations. Transitioning out of the military can be stressful, but SkillBridge eased that process by letting me get a real feel for the private sector, build confidence, and prove myself before stepping into a full-time role.
Discuss an interesting incident or event you encountered during the program. How did that change your perspective as an analyst?
An interesting incident I encountered during the program involved SSL VPN compromises. This was something I hadn’t seen before during my time in the military. The challenge was how similar the attacker’s behavior looked to legitimate user activity, which forced me to rely heavily on context and deeper analysis to make accurate calls.
This experience changed my perspective as an analyst because it showed me how fast threat actors can move once they gain access. In some cases, I saw full network compromise and ransomware deployment within minutes. It reinforced how critical it is to act quickly during triage and make confident, informed decisions to contain threats before they escalate.
What is one thing that you encountered during the program that you didn’t expect?
I didn’t expect how fast-paced and collaborative the environment would be. In the military, investigations tend to follow a strict process, but in an MDR setting, things move quickly across different clients. You have to stay flexible, communicate clearly, and be confident when making decisions. I was also surprised by how supportive the team was. From the analysts to leadership, everyone was willing to share knowledge and provide feedback. That level of teamwork made it easy to learn and feel like part of the group right away.
Now that you’re officially a Blackpoint employee, what are you looking forward to in the future?
Now that I’m officially part of the Blackpoint team, I’m looking forward to continuing to grow as a threat hunter and contributing to the team’s detection and response capabilities. I want to expand my technical depth in areas like reverse engineering and detection tuning, and help continue to improve efficiency for the SOC. I’m also excited to give back by mentoring future SkillBridge interns and helping new analysts make a smooth transition into the company. It feels rewarding to have gone through that journey myself and now be in a position to help others do the same.
Meet Kaleb Mayfield
Describe your experience with the SkillBridge program. What was it like working with the Blackpoint team?
My SkillBridge experience was incredibly rewarding and eye-opening. It gave me the opportunity to apply my military discipline and analytical mindset in a fast-paced, real-world cybersecurity environment. From day one, the Blackpoint team made me feel welcome and supported. Everyone was genuinely willing to share their knowledge and help me grow. What stood out most was the collaborative culture. No one hesitated to take the time to explain concepts, tools, or even share lessons learned from their own experiences. I never felt like “just an intern”. I felt like a valued member of the team contributing to something meaningful.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to fellow veterans looking to transition to the private sector? How did SkillBridge help you with the transition process?
My biggest piece of advice would be to stay curious and open-minded. The private sector moves quickly and can feel less structured than the military, but that’s not a bad thing, it gives you room to grow and think creatively.Your adaptability, discipline, and problem-solving skills are huge assets that translate directly to this kind of environment.
SkillBridge helped bridge that gap for me by letting me experience the pace, expectations, and culture of a civilian workplace while still having the safety net of being in a learning phase. It gave me the chance to build confidence, understand how teams operate outside of the military, and really see how my skill set could make an impact.
Discuss an interesting incident or event you encountered during the program. How did that change your perspective as an analyst?
While no single incident stands above the rest, what truly surprised me was the sheer volume of genuine threats we encountered daily. Coming from a background where most alerts tend to be false positives, it was eye-opening to see just how many real, active threat campaigns were unfolding across multiple customer environments at any given time.
One situation that stood out involved the SonicWall SSL VPN incidents. At first glance, the activity looked completely normal, lateral movement from an SSL VPN connection into the environment, something we see regularly across customers. But with deeper investigation, we started noticing patterns that pointed to coordinated malicious behavior tied to a broader threat actor campaign. Seeing that unfold in real time changed my perspective as an analyst.
It reinforced how critical it is to combine pattern recognition with curiosity and context — not everything that looks routine always is. It reminded me that true analysis comes from asking “why” a few more times and never assuming that surface-level normal equals safe.
What is one thing that you encountered during the program that you didn’t expect?
I didn’t expect how much of cybersecurity relies on soft skills: teamwork, communication, and the ability to clearly explain technical details to non-technical people.
Coming from a military background, I initially thought success in this field was all about technical expertise. But I quickly learned that being able to articulate findings, collaborate effectively, and help others understand the ‘why’ behind an issue is just as important as the technical side. It really highlighted how much cybersecurity is a team effort, not just an individual technical challenge.
Now that you’re officially a Blackpoint employee, what are you looking forward to in the future?
Now that I’m officially part of the Blackpoint team, I’m excited to continue growing as an analyst and expanding my technical skill set, especially in areas like threat hunting and incident response. I’m also looking forward to giving back, helping future SkillBridge participants and new hires the same way others supported me when I was starting out. Blackpoint’s mission and culture really resonate with me, and I’m proud to be part of a team that’s passionate about defending our partners and constantly pushing to get better every day.
Bridging the Gap in Cyber
The SkillBridge program at Blackpoint stands as a testament to the value of integrating experienced service members into the fast-paced world of continuous threat operations. By providing veterans with hands-on roles in the SOC, Blackpoint not only supports their transition to civilian careers but also enriches its own capabilities with the discipline, adaptability, and analytical skills honed through military service. The unique perspectives and real-world impact shared by SkillBridge analysts highlight how these partnerships foster growth, innovation, and resilience within cybersecurity teams. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, companies that welcome and empower veterans position themselves to meet challenges head on building stronger defenses and shaping the future of cyber defense together.
To learn more about SkillBridge program and opportunities visit the official U.S. Department of Defense’s SkillBridge website.