Chris Nickerson

IANS Faculty

Chris is the Co-Founder and CEO of LARES Consulting, an information security consulting firm that leverages a blend of assessment, testing, and coaching. He also serves on the Board of Directors at CREST, an international not-for-profit accreditation and certification body that represents and supports the technical information security market.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Appeared on Tiger Team on TruTV
• TEDx Presenter, Hackers are all about curiosity, and security is just a feeling
• Founding member of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES)
• Co-founder of the BSides security conferences
• Speaker at information security conferences such as DEFCON, CyberWeek, and BlackHat
• Author of Red Team Testing: Offensive Security Techniques for Network Defense (2016)
• Collaborator with the Red Team Alliance Training Collective
• Former Senior Information Security Compliance Manager at Sprint

Certifications & Credentials

• IEM, IAM –National Security Agency(NSA)
• CISA – ISACA
• CISSP – (ISC)2
• BS7799

Hobbies & Fun Facts

In his free time, Chris can be found out on the ski slopes or playing with his dogs.

Jake Williams

IANS Faculty

Jake is the Founder, President, and Principal Analyst of Rendition Infosec, an information security consultancy. He also sits on the Vulnerability Review Board at Peerlyst, a startup social networking platform exclusively for security professionals. Jake is a prolific speaker and instructor on a variety of information security topics such as reverse engineering malware, memory forensics, threat intelligence, and advanced exploit development.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Two-Time Winner of the Annual DC3 Forensics Challenge
• Speaker at information security conferences such as Black Hat, DEF CON, ShmooCon, RSA, and DC3
• Designated a Master Computer Network Exploitation (CNE) Operator by the NSA
• Former Vulnerability Analyst at US Department of Defense
• Former Senior Systems Engineer at Dell Services

Certifications & Credentials

• MSIA, Information Assurance –Capitol College
• GSE, GSNA, GCFE, GREM, GCWN, GCIA, GCIH, GPEN, GCFA, GXPN, GSEC –GIAC

Joff Thyer

IANS Faculty

Joff is a Security Analyst and Penetration Testerat Black Hills Information Security (BHIS). He has extensive experience covering intrusion prevention/detection systems, infrastructure defense, vulnerability analysis, defense bypass, source code analysis, and exploit research. He is also an Instructor at the SANS Institute where he primarily teaches the use of Python for information security purposes.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Co-host on the Security Weekly podcast
• Speaker at information security conferences such as DerbyCon
• Former Senior Security Consultant at NWN Corporation, a security innovation SaaS platform
• Former Senior Network Security Architect & Pen Tester at University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Certifications & Credentials

• MS, Computer Science – University of North Carolina, Greensboro
• BS, Mathematics – University of North Carolina, Greensboro
• GPEN, GWAPT, GXPN, GCIA, GCIA Gold–GIAC

Hobbies & Fun Facts

When Joff isn’t working or co-hosting the Security Weekly podcast, he enjoys making music and woodworking.

John Strand

IANS Faculty

John is the Owner of Black Hills Information Security (BHIS) where he leads the Hunt Teaming, Command & Control (C2)/Data Exfiltration and Pivot testing development. He is also a SANS Institute Senior Instructor. In these roles, John has both consulted and taught hundreds of organizations in the areas of security, regulatory compliance, and penetration testing.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Co-author of Offensive Countermeasures: The Art of Active Defense (2013)
• Contributor to the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES)
• Contributor to the 20 Critical Controls frameworks
• Former co-host of Hack Naked TV and Security Weekly podcasts
• Presenter at information security conferences such as RSA and Black Hat
• Author of Black Hat’s "Active Defense, Offensive Countermeasures, and Hacking Back" course
• Author of SANS Institute’s "Hacker Tools, Techniques, Exploits and Incident Handling" course
• Former Information Assurance lead at Northrop Grumman and Accenture Certifications & Credentials

Certifications & Credentials

• CISSP – (ISC)2
• GCIH – GIAC

Hobbies & Fun Facts

In his free time, John enjoys mountain biking, AT Skinning (or Ski Touring) and ranching.

Tim Medin

IANS Faculty

Tim is A Principal Consultant and Founder at Red Siege, an information security company focused on adversary emulation and penetration testing. He also serves as the MSISE Program Director, Course Author, and Principal Instructor at the SANS Institute.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Speaker at information security conferences such as BSides, Wild West Hacking Fest, DerbyCon, and ShmooCon
• Creator of Kerberoasting, a technique to extract Kerberos tickets in order to offline attack the password of enterprise service accounts
• Former Senior Security Consultant at FishNet Security (now Optiv)
• Former Senior Technical Analyst at AgStar Financial Services (now Compeer) and Counter Hack
• Former Network Engineer at LeTourneau University
• Former Software Engineer at Tegron

Certifications & Credentials

• MBA – University of Texas, Tyler
• BS, Electrical Engineering – LeTourneau University
• GWAPT, GPEN, GMOB, GCED, GCIH – GIAC

Hobbies & Fun Facts

In his free time, Tim enjoys traveling and watching football.

Dave Kennedy

IANS Faculty

Dave is the Founder and Owner of TrustedSec, an information security consulting firm, and Binary Defense, a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) that detects attackers early to prevent large-scale invasions. In addition to creating several widely popular open-source tools, including 'The Social-Engineer Toolkit' (SET), PenTesters Framework (PTF), and Artillery. David has also released security advisories, including zero-days, with a focus on security research.

Prior to his work in the private sector, Dave served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC), focusing on cyber warfare and forensics analysis activities, including two tours to Iraq. He also served on the board of directors for (ISC)2, which is one of the largest security collectives and offers certifications such as the CISSP.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Founding Member of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES)
• Co-Author of Metasploit: The Penetration Testers Guide (2011)
• Guest appearances on Fox News, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Huffington Post, Bloomberg, BBC, and other high-profile media outlets
• Presenter at information security conferences such as Black Hat, RSA, DEF CON, ShmooCon, INFOSEC World, ISACA, ISSA, United Security Summit, INFOSEC Summit, Hack3rCon, BSides, and DerbyCon, which he co-created and expanded into DerbyCon Communities

Certifications & Credentials

• BA, Business Management – Malone University
• CISSP – (ISC)2
• Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) – PCI Security Standards Council
• ISO/IEC 27001 Certified – ISO
• GSEC - GIAC
• Certificate Professional (OSCP) & Certified Expert (OSCE) – Offensive Security
• Global Information Assurance Gold Certification
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) – Microsoft

Kevin Johnson

IANS Faculty

Kevin is the Founder, CEO, and Principal Security Consultant of Secure Ideas, an information security consulting company that focuses on penetration testing services and training. He is also a founder and contributor of many open source projects including the Samurai Web Testing Framework (SamuraiWTF), a web penetration testing and training environment, and the Basic Analysis and Security Engine (BASE) project, a web front-end for Snort Analysis

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Presenter at information security conferences such as Black Hat, DEF CON, and ShmooCon in addition to organizations such as Infragard, ISACA, and ISSA
• Former SANS Institute Senior Instructor (8 years)
• Author of SANS Course, Security 542: Web Application Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking
• Former Senior Security Consultant for InGardians, an independent information security consultancy
• Former Technical Architecture Engineer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida
• Former Programmer at ANC Rental Corp, Orlando.com, and eSiteCreation

Hobbies & Fun Facts

Kevin enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid Star Wars fan and member of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars charity group.

Bill Dean

IANS Faculty

Bill is a Shareholder at LBMC Information Security,where he is responsible for security assessments, incident response, digital forensics, electronic discovery and overall litigation support. He also serves as an expert witness in federal courts and numerous state courts and has conducted digital forensic investigations and electronic discovery services to support litigation efforts. He is also an active member of the International Society for Forensic Computer Examiners and Board Member in East Tennessee’s InfraGard Chapter.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Former Director of Computer Forensics and Security Assessments at Sword & Shield Enterprise Security
• Former Founder of Forensic Discoveries before merging with Sword & Shield Enterprise Security
• Former Senior Systems Analyst at Covenant Health
• Former Systems Manager at Citizens Bank of Tennessee

Certifications & Credentials

• BS, Information Technology –East Tennessee State University
• AS, Computer Science –Walters State Community College
• Certified Computer Examiner –International Saociety of Forensic Computer Examiners
• GPEN, GCIH, GCFA – GIAC
• PCI Professional – PCI Security Standards Council

Hobbies & Fun Facts

In his free time, Bill enjoys boating, UT Football, and hanging out with his two sons.

Kevin Beaver

IANS Faculty

Kevin is the Founder and Principle Consultant of Atlanta-based Principle Logic, LLC, an independent information security company that focuses on vulnerability and penetration testing, security operations reviews, and virtual CISO services. He also serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Computer Engineering at Kennesaw State University – Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. Kevin has served in many information technology and security roles for healthcare, e-commerce, finance, education, and consulting organizations. Kevin is also a prominent writer having written over 1,000 articles on information security.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Author of Hacking for Dummies (2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018)
• Co-Author of Hacking Wireless Networks for Dummies (2011), Laptop Encryption for Dummies (2007), PCI Cardholder Data Protection for Dummies (2010), Identity & Access Management for Dummies (2011), Next-Generation IPS for Dummies (2013), Point-of-Sale Security for Dummies (2015), Securing the Mobile Enterprise for Dummies (2006)
• Co-Author of The Practical Guide to HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance (2014)
• Author of white paper Implementation Strategies for Fulfilling and Maintaining IT Compliance (2011)
• Contributor to TechTarget's SearchSecurity.com, Ziff Davis's Toolbox.com, and Iron Mountain’s InfoGoTo.com
• Speaker at security conferences such as Gartner, ISACA, RSA and SecureWorld Expo
• Appeared as a security expert on CNN Television and CBS Radio
• Quoted as a security professional in Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fortune Small Business, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Woman’s Day, and Inc. Magazine’s IncTechnology.com.

Certifications & Credentials

• MS, Management of Technology – Georgia Tech | Dupree College of Business
• BS, Computer Engineering Technology – Southern College of Technology
• CISSP – (ISC)2

Hobbies & Fun Facts

For fun, Kevin enjoys road racing his Mazda Miata in the Spec Miata class with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), riding dirt bikes, and snow skiing.

Jason Gillam

IANS Faculty

Jason is a Principal Security Consultant and CIO at Secure Ideas, a boutique information security consultancy that focuses on penetration testing and training, where he leverages his software design, architecture, and security testing experience. He is also the author of many extensions for Burp Suite and is a contributor to several other projects including SamuraiWTF, MobiSec, and Laudanum.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Speaker at information security conferences such as BSides and ISSA Charlotte
• Former Lead Security by Design Engineer at Bank of America
• Former Software Engineer Team Lead at Vignette and Epicentric

Certifications & Credentials

• BE, Engineering –Royal Military College of Canada
• CISSP –(ISC)2

Hobbies & Fun Facts

In his free time, Jason enjoys running, homebrewing, and spending time with his wife and two kids.

Dave Shackleford

IANS Faculty

Dave is the Founder and Principal Consultant with Voodoo Security, an information security consulting firm with broad expertise. He is also a Senior Instructor, Analyst, and Course Author for the SANS Institute and a VMware vExpert with extensive experience designing and configuring secure virtualized infrastructures. In addition, Dave has served as Co-Chair of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Top Threats Working Group and founded the CSA Atlanta Chapter. Dave has consulted with hundreds of organizations in the areas of security, regulatory compliance, network architecture, and engineering. He has also worked as a security architect, analyst, and manager for several Fortune 500 companies.

Achievements & Noteworthy Contributions

• Former CSO for Configuresoft
• Former CTO for the Center for Internet Security
• Speaker at information security conferences such as RSA, DEF CON, and BSides
• Author of Virtualization Security: Protecting Virtualized Environments (2012)

Certifications & Credentials

• MBA – Georgia State University
• BS, Computer Information Systems – Kennesaw State University
• BS, Psychology & Microbiology – Georgia State University
• CISSP – (ISC)2

Hobbies & Fun Facts

In his free time, Dave enjoys running, camping, cooking and playing music (piano, guitar and DJing).