Cyber, Community, and Challenge in San Antonio

Nate Vidal is all about pitching in where needed to protect people and help them grow.  

In the Navy, he served in multiple theaters of operation and multiple roles, including cyber defense. As a senior lead engineer at Booz Allen San Antonio’s Cyber Fusion Center, he helps his team and clients understand and navigate the many aspects of ransomware attacks. And he actively supports and guides the next generation, both at work with his cyber team and as a father of four at home.  

Here Vidal shares what inspires him, why he feels at home at Booz Allen’s San Antonio office, and what advice he has for those starting in cyber. 

Throughout his time in the Navy, Vidal constantly encountered Booz Allen. “I saw Booz Allen in every facet of my career. From the battlefield, ship, shore, port, Booz Allen was always there,” Vidal said.  

As he got to know people at Booz Allen and saw how their teams operated, “It mimicked a lot of my experience in my youth, what I saw with my family—an inclusive style of communication and a feeling that ‘you’re welcome at any point in time, just ask.’ They lead with the trust,” he said. He also saw from Booz Allen’s Latin American Network that “voices are heard and people are represented. That represents a lot for me, coming from a Latino culture.” 

Vidal spent his first 2 years with Booz Allen in Fort Meade, Maryland. When his parents needed support caring for his grandfather, he wanted to move closer to help.  

“They sacrificed a lot for us. My dad worked 80 hours a week, two jobs, just to support us,” he said.  And so he transferred to the firm’s office in San Antonio.  

Booz Allen’s San Antonio office is the firm’s largest presence in Texas, with long-standing ties to the business and nonprofit community. It also maintains an enduring commitment to building the area’s STEM workforce through scholarships, internships, involvement in FIRST Robotics, and sponsorship of the University of Texas at San Antonio National Security Collaboration Center. 

In Texas, Vidal joined a 200-person-and-growing cyber team that supports clients including the Air Force, Army, Defense Health Agency, and National Security Agency, along with a growing roster of commercial clients. 

“Bad guys are coming for their data every day,” he said. The Cyber Fusion Center helps organizations gather intelligence, reduce their attack surfaces, and detect and respond to threats. All of these elements work together to deliver cyber defense. 

“Being able to tell people, ‘Here’s the threat, here’s the solution.’ It gives them solace,” he said.  

The other part of the job that gives Vidal satisfaction: mentoring others and “watching them shine.” As demand for cyber talent grows in San Antonio and elsewhere, there are plentiful opportunities for mentorship in the field. 

“CISOs [chief information security officers] are looking for someone who knows what to do when a ransomware attack goes down and decisions need to be made,” he said. “There’s a much-needed presence for senior tech staff who understand the playing field and have intermediate or expert knowledge in every aspect of the community, to help translate risk decisions.” 

For those interested in a cybersecurity career, Vidal offered the following guidance: Be resilient, adaptable, and open to new experiences. It’s advice that has served him well, from becoming the first person in his family to attend college to his successful career path in the Navy and at Booz Allen. 

“Always be ready to pivot and shift for that next thing. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket and don’t wait for the ideal opportunity,” he said. “It might not be comfortable at first, it might be a bit of a challenge. But grow yourself and your network and see what happens.” 

Learn more about cybersecurity at Booz Allen, Booz Allen’s San Antonio office, and careers with Booz Allen’s Commercial Cyber team.