JPMorgan beefs up cybersecurity with ex-military officers

One of the largest financial institutions in the United States is hiring ex-military officers to beef up its cybersecurity in the wake of a massive hack last year.

JPMorgan Chase has drafted James Cummings, a 24-year Air Force veteran who headed the service’s cyber combat unit, and Gregory Rattray, also a former Air Force colonel and onetime aide to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The two men oversee a digital security team of 1,000 people, according to Bloomberg News.

{mosads}To court other former government and military officials, the bank built a security outpost near the National Security Agency headquarters in Maryland, Bloomberg reported.

The moves follow a cyberattack in which hackers stole information on more than 80 million JPMorgan customers. The data included names and contact information but not Social Security numbers or dates of birth.

Hiring former high-ranking officers gives JPMorgan the advantage of deep connections in Washington at a time of tensions between the executive agencies and industry. Some banks have expressed frustration that the government is not doing enough to protect companies from cyberattacks.

Ex-military personnel also have expertise in spotting attacks by nation states and arguing to government officials that cyber breaches are a matter of national security.