About Forward Security Labs

Built by someone who’s actually
been in the room when it mattered.

Not a consultant who read about high-consequence decisions. One who made them. Forward Security Labs is a veteran owned cybersecurity consulting firm built on that experience, not a textbook.

U.S. Army Combat Veteran  ·  Afghanistan Deployment  ·  Paramedic and EMS Supervisor, 20+ Years in Emergency Healthcare  ·  B.S. Cybersecurity, Cum Laude  ·  SBA Certified SDVOSB  ·  SAM.gov Registered  ·  CAGE: 1AFL4

SBA Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Certified
Michael Messina, founder of Forward Security Labs
Michael Messina
Founder
LinkedIn
The Short Version

Ten years in the Army. Twenty-plus in emergency medicine. A cybersecurity degree earned in between.

I deployed to Afghanistan as an infantryman with the U.S. Army National Guard. When I came home, I spent the next two decades as a paramedic and, later, a paramedic supervisor, working inside one of the most regulated, high-consequence environments there is: emergency healthcare.

Along the way, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, Cum Laude, while working full time. I founded Forward Security Labs to bring that same operational discipline to compliance, security, and preparedness work for organizations that can’t afford to guess.

I’m also a volunteer firefighter with Wolcott Fire Department, which keeps me close to the same emergency response world this business is built to serve.

Why This Is Different

Veteran Owned Cybersecurity Consulting, Not a Textbook Approach.

Real high-consequence experience
Combat deployment and two decades of emergency medicine mean I’ve actually made decisions when plans failed in real environments, not tabletop scenarios I read about.
Built for real-world use
Every deliverable is built to actually get used, not to sit in a drawer. Practical documentation over theoretical compliance. Straight answers over fear marketing.
Veteran owned, veteran run
Forward Security Labs is SDVOSB certified and SAM.gov registered. Every engagement is reviewed personally, not handed off to a junior associate.
Still in the field
As an active volunteer firefighter, I stay connected to the emergency response world this work is built around, not removed from it.
What That Background Actually Changes

Most cybersecurity consultants have never run an incident.

Here is what real operational experience changes in practice. See the full step-by-step process →

On HIPAA Compliance
When I conduct a HIPAA security risk assessment for a medical practice or EMS agency, I ask the questions a purely clinical or purely technical consultant cannot, because I’ve worked on both sides of that line.
On Tabletop Exercises
When I design a mass casualty or active threat tabletop exercise, I know what command confusion actually looks like, and which discussion prompts force real gaps to surface instead of letting teams paper over them.
On Documentation
I write for the person who has to execute the plan under pressure, not for the auditor who reads it afterward.
Credentials

Background, in detail.

U.S. Army Combat Veteran Afghanistan Deployment Paramedic and EMS Supervisor B.S. Cybersecurity, Cum Laude SBA Certified SDVOSB SAM.gov Registered CAGE: 1AFL4 Volunteer Firefighter, Wolcott Fire Department
Company Information

Registered and ready.

Legal Name
Forward Career Labs LLC
DBA Forward Security Labs
CAGE Code
1AFL4
UEI
XLRANAT2ULJ9
SAM.gov
Active
SDVOSB
SBA Certified 06/26/2026
Primary NAICS
541512
Location
Wolcott, Connecticut
Contact
michael@forwardsecuritylabs.com
The Mission

Help organizations get prepared before they find out the hard way what’s missing.

Healthcare organizations, SaaS companies, government contractors, and emergency response agencies all share the same risk: finding out their gaps during a real incident instead of before one. Forward Security Labs exists to close that gap in advance.

Get Started

Have a project in mind?

Reviewed personally and responded to within 24 hours.

Have questions? Read the FAQ →

Looking for cybersecurity career help or resume audits?

Visit Forward Career Labs →
Forward Security Labs / Forward Career Labs LLC  ·  Wolcott, Connecticut  ·  LinkedIn  ·  FAQ  ·  Contact  ·  SBA Certified SDVOSB  ·  SAM.gov Registered  ·  CAGE: 1AFL4