The class of 2025 chose “The Final Flight,” inspired by the movie Top Gun, as their senior theme. Looking back, one might wonder if they somehow knew the aviation issues the U.S. and the rest of the world would face during the 2024 – 2025 academic year. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there have been 44 fatal aviation crashes in the U.S. so far in 2025. The most notable being January’s American Airlines Flight 5342 crash, which many Americans view as the starting point of the ongoing chaos. Despite the need to address all facets of aviation safety, delays in meaningful changes persist.
I completed my job shadow requirement for the Global Studies Certificate at Guidehouse Inc., a consulting firm for businesses and government entities. Here, I interviewed John Saad, who is a partner and leads the defense and security segment at Guidehouse. He oversees the firm’s work with the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and other accounts, including the Department of Justice and the FBI.
During our interview, I shared my interest in learning more about cybersecurity with Mr. Saad, and he explained how Guidehouse helps clients navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape. “Think[ing] about the clients that we have, some of them are setting policies. How [can we] help them think about what the policy should be to keep the government and commercial industry safe in the United States? [We] have to know what threats are out there [and] know what vulnerabilities exist. That’s the policy side. Then there’s the measurement side. What are the right metrics to look at to make sure we are safer? Are the policies and programs working? [Lastly,] the implementation side, building the actual infrastructure to combat these types of threats that are out there. Our technologists and cybersecurity experts help with that.”
Intrigued by this response, I recalled a concept I had heard in a few of my prior history classes, like AP U.S. History and World History Year Two: the U.S. tends to be a model of innovation and internal interrogation on the global stage. This thought led to a question about how important confidence is for the U.S. in any subject matter, for example, cybersecurity systems and programs, before we interact with others, like our allies.
“It’s extremely important. I’d say that at home, it’s not just the government; it’s also what we call our critical infrastructure segment. Whether it’s our power grids, our water, or our transportation networks, we have to secure all of that. Everything now is technology-enabled, which makes everything vulnerable to cyber threats. We have to make sure that there are safe and secure ways to share information. [That our allies are] not vulnerable because we don’t want anything to happen to them as well.”
The term “transportation networks” jogged back a memory. About a month before I started the job shadow, the major summer news headline involved an update malfunction from a software company called CrowdStrike, whose main users are Microsoft devices. The systems affected included airports and airlines. News outlets focused on the delays and stress felt globally because so many devices were down. I decided to ask Mr. Saad what his thoughts were on the situation.
“I’d say my perspective on it is that it shows how vulnerable we are to cyber threats. Now, in this case, the claim is that it was more of a computer glitch than an actual cyberattack. But regardless, because of the way that things are networked and interlinked, it’s all so vulnerable. Even just one major airport or airline shutting down can throw off the whole global travel network.”
Looking back on this interview, I am in awe that problems in the aviation realm have not improved. However, the outcome of this interview for me is not a fear of flying but rather a deeper understanding that cybersecurity and aviation systems need to be stable, secure, and efficient because it keeps Americans safe and helps the U.S. take charge on the global stage.
