Arun Chauhan is a passionate person. His prodigious knowledge on information security is supplemented by a career in the Indian Navy that spans over 21 years. Arun applies his passion rigorously in his current job at Apple as a security expert with a professionalism that can only be taught in an arm of the military. His incredible zeal is something to be respected. And to truly understand it, one must follow the journey of his life up till this point.
Foundations of Love
Arun was born to a middle-class family in the small town of Agra in 1971. It was a life full of love, no matter how hard things got.
"My father was a first-generation college student, and worked hard for a better life," Arun smiles as he speaks, "My mother was a homemaker and infused all the love and care into our lives."
It was that hard work that allowed him to study in the best school in town, and that love that made him strive to stay in the top ten of his class.
"I remember playing cricket and soccer with my friends after school," Arun reminisces, "They gave me a good childhood."
A New Life
After high school, Arun joined the National Defense Academy at Pune, India. Joining the military was a respected choice in the community he grew up in. "The image of a person serving his country that I imagined from reading stories and watching movies was a big motivator in shaping my ambitions," he recalls.
It was a time filled with opportunities and experiences he never dreamed of before. "I grew up in a landlocked town," Arun says, "Water-based activities like sailing and diving filled me with excitement and a sense of accomplishment."
Arun explains how he didn't know much about the Navy at first. The other branches of the military were more visible during his education, and those branches' way of life was more prominent. Even his diving instructor wanted to recommend Arun for the special forces. But he chose to join the submarine arm. The reason: a fascination with the capabilities of submarines.
"Subs are game changers in naval warfare," Arun explains with fervor, "Especially as strategic weapons. It was fascinating to read about the submarine campaigns during World War II . I wanted to be a part of it."
A New Family
"When I joined the Navy, I unknowingly bid farewell to my family," Arun says, a tinge of melancholy touching his words, "I spent the next 21 years serving in the Indian Navy, staying in various bases, moving every three to four years, only being able to see my family twice a year. The separation and loss of time with them is something I can never truly put into words."
But it is a known fact that humans long for close connection and community. And it was those Arun met in the Navy that would fulfill this role and create a brotherhood that would last a lifetime.
"Over time, the people I worked with became my extended family," Arun says fondly, "We looked after each other, and the bond remained strong even after moving to different bases."
Conventional Submarines units are small by design. And the close-knit community that forms, that camaraderie, and that willingness to do anything for these people you know and love is as important to the functioning of the unit as it is to the functioning of a human as a social creature.
Responsibility and Respect
Life is hard and demanding in the Navy, even more so in the submarine unit. After all, there's no room for error when a lot of lives depend on your orders and actions hundreds of meters underwater.
"It's not an easy way of life," Arun says, his experience showcased in his confidence, "It's claustrophobic, and uncomfortable. But on the flip side, it's an extremely professional environment. Your competence is on display at all times."
It's a life of duty, in the end. Well-rehearsed procedural responsibilities, with severe consequences for even a single mistake.
Arun recalls the impact of an incident at Mumbai harbor 15 years ago. A submarine unit had an explosion in harbor, resulting in the sub sunking and the loss of all lives onboard . "It showed us firsthand the kind of dangers a submariner goes through his service," Arun says, "We had to deal with that pressure on a regular basis."
It's easy to respect such dedication and refusal to bow to the pressure in a person like Arun.
Ups and Downs
It was mid-way through his career that Arun encountered a setback. It was the Executive Officer Qualifying test, a competitive bout that tests ones' knowledge and skills acquired over the years.
"The batch I was part of comprised 9 people, and the bar was set exceptionally high," Arun recalls, "but only five of us qualified, and I wasn't part of that group. I remember my course officer shook my hands after the results were announced and congratulated me for trying very hard."
Leaving the submarine arm that he loved so dearly was hard, but Arun found a new opportunity- studying Information Technology, a newly growing domain at the time. Arun talks about how he had always been interested in computers, but didn't have the money to buy one.
"It was expensive. And there was little time to devote to any hobby as a submariner."
Arun joined the IT course at INS Hamla, Malad, in Mumbai. The 10-month IT Managers Course exposed him to a variety of technologies, and expanded his horizons beyond the sea that would always be a part of his soul.
Challenges
Arun graduated from the IT course with a best all-round performer trophy, and immediately took on a new challenge. He was appointed as the Executive Officer of a large LST- an amphibious class ship that carries military vehicles and personnel to make a landing on a beach. He was charged with bringing the ship out of refit. It had a maintenance cycle of over 12 months, and was docked on land.
In addition to that, the manpower he was supervising was highly reduced. He had to motivate a little over 100 men to maintain their tight schedule even when they were short on resources.
"We had longer working hours and worse working conditions compared to fully operational crafts. It is often tiring and demotivating," Arun unravels the story of the ship with a seriousness befitting his station.
It seems the ship he was assigned to had just had a major accident at sea before it went into its refit (aka maintenance) cycle. The loss of life during said incident resulted in quite a bit of effort on his part as the Executive Officer. The families of those who died had to be taken care of, and other had to be formalities completed. And then, people were being transferred out of working on the ship.
"The long days left us exhausted," Arun says, "We didn't even have the energy to relax and play sports at the end of the day."
To make matters worse, Arun lost his mother while sailing the ship out at sea. "It reminded me of the distance between me and my family. But I had to go on."
Then, a chance to rise above the obstacles came- a pulling regatta, a boat pulling competition in which all the ships under a specific command race. It was a prestigious competition. But ships in refit usually don't stand a chance of winning. "Those under my command were overworked and tired," Arun explains, "They had no interest in competing when they had so much to do."
But Arun rallied them up and injected the air with excitement. "We narrowly missed first place," he says excitedly, even after all this time, "Our triumph was a unique one in the long history of our ship."
Secret Defense
Another new opportunity came Arun's way when he was picked up for an Information Warfare Cell recently formed in Delhi. The Cell was preparing for the new domain in warfare- cyber warfare
"That was the beginning of my journey in cyber security," Arun explains, "Protecting the country's network was my primary job, and I spent years learning the many offensive and defensive facets of cyber warfare."
The issue with these types of attacks was the anonymity of it. Attackers had a high degree of plausible deniability, and little action could be taken against any actors. Arun spent his time protecting the country's critical infrastructure and coming up with methods to secure them against attackers, including creating a secure operating system and encryption of sensitive communications.
Another New Start
It was after serving the country for 21 years that Arun decided to move pastures, starting with a voluntary retirement and moving across an ocean to the US. He completed a Masters degree in cyber security at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University and then moved to Silicon Valley.
That was six years ago.
"I wanted to study more in the field I had grown to love," Arun explains his decision to pursue further education with passion, "And Carnegie Mellon is an internationally recognized institute."
There were still challenges he had to face. "There were expenses with furthering my education and moving, of course," Arun smiles ruefully, "And also many changes in my personal life. Even so, I wanted to follow this path to where it would take me."
Towards the Future
Arun has since worked as a leader in cyber security at various industries like connected cars, e-commerce, and big tech. His current work at Apple has him devoting time to securing the companies' network from attackers using his extensive knowledge from 21 years of experience in the Navy and Information Warfare Cell.
He attributes his passion and professionalism to his time in the military. "It shapes who you become for the rest of your life," Arun says, "The discipline, the natural leadership, the way you become accustomed to overcoming challenges. Tough times bring out the best in you"
But those very experiences create a mindset that not everyone truly understands. Thankfully, he is not alone. "There are many veterans at Apple. Not just from the US, but from other countries as well. It's good to interact with them and share our experiences."
Arun looks back at his transition from the military and into the private workforce. "The transition can be tough," he says, "and I was helped by many people during my journey. I know what the challenges are and how to overcome them. And I want to help others who are in a similar position."
Arun Chauhan is truly a man who has been shaped by his journey through life. And seeing how he just wishes to pay his experience forward is humbling. And his life still sails on, with even greater experiences waiting just beyond the horizon.
