Jacob Elliott is a senior associate in the Software & DevOps Practice at Dark Wolf Solutions, LLC., a cybersecurity contractor working with numerous government and private entities. He was the CTF Coach for the Season II US Cyber Team and in his free time, he competes regularly in cyber challenges and boasts multiple national-level CTF wins including winning the Spring 2022 National Cyber League team game, representing the SANS Technology Institute.

Additionally, he volunteers as a Cyber Competition Coach at the University of North Georgia alongside Senior Tech Mentor Dr. Bryson Payne. He has helped lead the student cybersecurity club to first-place finishes nationally in the NSA Codebreaker Challenge in 2019 and 2020, and second place in 2021.

Christopher Haller is certified as GSE #329 and a US Navy Veteran who has a passion for uncovering operating risks for organizations.

He has been awarded his Master's in Cybersecurity Management and Policy from UMGC and a Graduate Certificate in Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking from the SANS Technology Institute.

Chris is a passionate CTF player, CTF coach, mentor, and HackTheBox creator. Chris has way too many certifications and will be publishing a book on computer hacking next year.

Season I, RvB Coach
Season II, Assistant Head Coach

Dr. Dane Brown is an Assistant Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy. Dane is the Cyber Security Team Curriculum Committee Chair for the Cyber Science Department and has a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering (VA Tech), M.S. in Computer Engineering (at Naval Postgraduate School), and B.S. in Electrical Engineering (at U.S. Naval Academy). Dr. Brown has been teaching cybersecurity for ten years, and in that time has helped set up a Cyber Operations major which became the first program accredited by ABET for Cyber Science.

Season II, Head Coach

Ken brings 24+ years of experience in enterprise cybersecurity and IT solutions. Ken has led advanced technical teams that possess decades of experience protecting our Nation’s most sensitive mission networks. Ken is skilled in both offensive and defensive cyberspace operations with a unique understanding of security risks in the cyber domain and how they directly impact business continuity.

Previous competitions include HTB, SANS Hackfest, SANS Netwars, SANS Cybercity, SANS DFIR Netwars, CyberGuard, CyberKnight, CyberFlag x 4, Kaizen CTF, Army Cyber Skills Challenge (Cadre), Quantum Dawn, CDX, USCC Commander's Cup, AvengerCon, various Bside's CTF, and CyberPatriot.

Dennis works for the US Navy doing Digital Forensics and Incident Response. Previously he was the Strike Officer on USS Decatur (DDG 73).

In his spare time, Dennis runs Roppers.org, a free website with the goal of bringing Capture the Flag to as many new students as possible in order to train the next generation of American cyber security experts.

I am a Teaching Professor in Computer Science and Cybersecurity, serving as the Director of the Cybersecurity Program at Xavier University in Cincinnati. I am currently teaching offensive and defensive cybersecurity, reverse engineering, and networking.

My goal is to train and equip the next generation of cybersecurity professionals for a safer digital world. My research is currently focused on advancing education in Cybersecurity, emphasizing practical learning through immersive hands-on experiences.

My focus lies in engaging students with real-world challenges, fostering teamwork, and providing them with exposure to the intricacies of the field. In essence, I am committed to equipping the next generation of cybersecurity professionals with the skills and expertise necessary to excel in this dynamic and vital domain.

Angela Ramos is a Lecture at the University of Tampa.

Angela brings over 15 years of experience from the Department of Defense to help shape the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

She holds a M.S. in cybersecurity from the University of South Florida along with multiple industry certifications.

Dr. Tyler Flaagan is an Assistant Professor at Dakota State University, teaching in the Cyber Operations and Network and Security Administration degrees. Tyler holds a Ph.D. and B.S. in Cyber Operations and an M.S. in Computer Science. Tyler is also the Director of the Deep Red Lab within Dakota State University MadLabs.

Besides degrees, Tyler holds multiple professional certifications specializing in offensive security, such as Offensive Security Certified Professional, GIAC Exploit Researcher, and Advanced Penetration Tester.

Previously, Tyler worked as a red team operator for Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, supporting various projects within the Department of Defense.

David is a Principal Intelligence Strategist and Instructor at CrowdStrike and helps lead the development and instruction of advanced threat-hunting and intelligence courses. He has also been a Counterintelligence Special Agent in the US Army for over 26 years and specializes in counter-espionage cyber forensics and investigations. He served on active duty for 10 years and has been a reservist for the past 16. David also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Florida and teaches Advanced Cyber Intelligence. David's previous employment includes technical positions at US Cyber Command, the NSA, FBI, US Treasury Dept, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He has a B.A. in Intelligence Analysis from AMU, a law degree from Concord Law School, and an M.A. in Info Mgt Systems from Harvard.

David mentors three local high school CyberPatriot teams, serves on the SANS Advisory Board, volunteers as a member of the IT Security Steering Committee at ASIS, and donates his time to serve as the Executive Director of Operations of the Armed Services Hockey Association (501c3). He holds nearly 20 certifications, including the CFE, GREM, EnCE, GCIH, and GISP. David is also an avid CTF competitor and competes every year in multiple DefCon Black Badge events, placing in the top three at Capture the Packet the past few years.

Dr. Cusak, is a cybersecurity education and talent development professional with a breadth of experience ranging from security operations to keynote speaking. With a background in Public Diplomacy, Dr. Cusak supports the Cybersecurity Division of CISA as a Leadership Program Manager, while also instructing junior technical staff in the art and science of leadership. Research-wise, Dr. Cusak is focused on the professionalization of cybersecurity through transitioning technical workers into first-time leaders.

Shreyas Kumar is a Security leader and researcher. He works as a Chief Information Security Officer at a Fintech Startup, and in the past worked at Adobe, Oracle and Uber. He serves as a board member and mentor at various organizations. He holds an MS degree in Computer Science from Texas A&M University, College Station.

I first got into cybersecurity during college, where I participated in the ACES Cybersecurity Honors program at the University of Maryland. One of my favorite things about the security industry is that it is constantly evolving. This means that in the field we have to be constantly learning and developing new skills and techniques. There are also so many different areas of expertise in cyber - from reverse engineering and vulnerability research to security engineering, to policy and legal. All of these areas contribute and work together to make the world a safer place and I'm excited to be a part of that.

I got into the cyber field through picoCTF 2013 and found all the categories really fun. I then played more ctfs and found re and pwn the best categories so I stuck with them. I hope to be able to do re and pwn for a living in the future. I was a member of the first US Cyber Team.

Joshua Klosterman is a cybersecurity engineer with over 10 years of professional experience and a long track record in cyber competitions, including CyberPatriot, the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC), the National Cyber League (NCL), and many more.

I come from a background in healthcare before deciding that the career path wasn't for me. I have always been interested in computers, so cyber security is a much more rewarding and fulfilling career path for me.

I find cyber games fun and interactive. With each challenge, there is always something new to learn.

I was a member of the first US Cyber Team.

Competitions:
Hack the Box CTF 2021
DawgCTF 2021
DCTF 2021

Joe Chmielewski is Senior Systems Engineer with Connection where he leads the penetration testing team.

He has over 6 years of experience in cybersecurity and over 15 years in IT. Joe is also a cybersecurity instructor at several institutions. He is passionate about penetration testing and is committed to teaching others and helping them prepare to join the cybersecurity workforce.

In his spare time, he loves to spend time with his family or make candles.

As the Head of Cyber Education at Work ED, Ben is dedicated to creating a bridge between academic learning and the practical demands of the cybersecurity industry.

Ben's career is a blend of education and technology, marked by significant roles. His experience as a Cybersecurity Teacher for Canyons School District and Chairman of IT/Cybersecurity for Utah ACTE reflects his commitment to guiding future professionals. His journey in this field was further enriched by his tenure as a Senior Vulnerability Analyst at Oracle, where he gained an in-depth understanding of the industry's intricacies.

At Work ED, Ben's role transcends traditional education. He is a mentor, guide, and visionary, ensuring the curriculum is theoretically sound and practically relevant. His approach is to prepare students for real-world challenges, ensuring their education is aligned with industry standards.

Alycia spent 15 years on Capitol Hill as a Professional Staff Member/ budget analyst on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Defense. She completed her Master of Arts in International Relations, Cyber Diplomacy (Technical Track) at Norwich University after leaving the Hill in 2015. Since being exposed to hacking and offensive security through the Norwich program, Alycia has continued pursuing a technical understanding of cybersecurity through CTF competitions and certification prep (currently pursuing the PNPT). She believes understanding cybersecurity's technical/ operational side will make her a better budget and policy analyst in her day job as a federal government consultant (and if she returns to government service one day.)

Alycia has acquired the CC from ISC2 and is a registered RP with the CMMC AB (Compliance). She serves on the Board of Directors for the Tortora Brayda Institute, a nonprofit think tank focused on Artificial Intelligence technology and cybersecurity. She is also one of the founders of the Association of US Cyber Forces. This nonprofit organization provides a voice and advocates for national security cyber professionals.

Currently, she is an independent federal government and business development official specializing in national security acquisition and budget policy, focusing on directed energy, space, and cyber/AI programs.

Chase Fontenot is a cybersecurity engineer and a security researcher with the Synack Red Team. He brings competitive CTF experience as a member of Team Nighthawk, winners of the NolaCon 2022 Capture The Flag (CTF) competition.

In addition to his achievements, Chase has shared his expertise as a speaker at NolaCon 2023 and will be speaking at the upcoming HackRedCon 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Chase's main goal is to promote cybersecurity awareness and support newcomers in the industry.