Certifications

I've been accused of holding all of them. Most of my certifications come from GIAC, earned through a great deal of coursework toward my Master of Science in Information Security Engineering (MSISE) at the SANS Institute.

Cybersecurity training wasn't widely available when I started my career, and SANS is the oldest and most respected name in the industry. I took my first SANS class in late 2015, with a new baby in the house, and matriculated into the SANS MSISE program in 2018. Between full-time work, family, and coursework, I finally completed the degree in July 2022.

The following week, while relaxing on the beach and enjoying the relief of being done, I got an email from SANS letting me know I was eligible to sit for the GIAC Security Expert (GSE) certification. After all that coursework, I assumed it would be easy. I learned otherwise after failing my first attempt.

The GSE pulls together the skills a practitioner has built across several certifications and tests them under real time pressure, not just whether you have the skill, but whether you can apply it several different ways, quickly. It was a fantastic capstone to my master's journey, and it sharpened my ability to size up a security problem and act on it fast.

I bring up the timing, a new baby, then a toddler, through this whole journey, because it's part of the story. Juggling full-time work, family, and coursework, I used to joke that every accomplishment happened in 15-minute increments. It's not far from the truth. Read more about my background.