Instructors

Anuj Soni initially pursued a career fighting cybercrime for the thrill of the hunt.

"The rush of tracking bad guys and gals, uncovering their tools, and understanding their motives is just way too fun," he says. "I simply can't get enough of it."

These days, Anuj feeds his passion for technical analysis through his role as a Senior Threat Researcher at Cylance, where he performs malware research and reverse engineering. Anuj also brings his problem-solving abilities to his position as a SANS Certified Instructor, which gives him the opportunity to impart his deep technical knowledge and practical skills to students. When teaching SANS classes Reverse-Engineering Malware (FOR610) and Advanced Digital Forensics and Incident Response (FOR508), Anuj emphasizes establishing goals for analysis, creating and following a process, and prioritizing tasks.

"Tools come and go, but if you develop a process that works for you and are patient with yourself, creativity will flow," he says. "Automate what can be automated and enjoy working through the hard stuff" that is, the actual analysis.

Since entering the information security field in 2005, Anuj has performed numerous intrusion investigations to help government and commercial clients mitigate attacks against the enterprise. His malware hunting and technical analysis skills have resulted in the successful identification, containment, and remediation of multiple threat actor groups. Anuj has analyzed hundreds of malware samples to assess function, purpose, and impact, and his recommendations have improved the security posture of numerous organizations. Highly sought after as a technical thought leader and adviser, Anuj excels not only in delivering rigorous forensic analysis, but also in process development, knowledge management, and team leadership to accelerate incident response efforts. 

In addition to teaching SANS courses, Anuj frequently presents at industry events such as the U.S. Cyber Crime Conference, SANS DFIR Summit, and the Computer and Enterprise Investigations Conference (CEIC). He has bachelor's and master's degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and holds certifications in GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM) and as a EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

When not consumed by the excitement of his day job, Anuj spends time with his growing family and enjoys photography, hitting the gym, and mixing up creative cocktails.

Qualifications Summary

• More than a decade of experience performing forensic, malware, and network analysis.

Get to Know Anuj Soni

• Check out Anuj's blog at https://malwology.com/
• Listen to Anuj discuss "Closing the Door on Webshells" in this SANS webcast that every DFIR professional should hear.
• View Anuj's recent interview at the SANS Cyber Defense Initiative event in Washington, DC.

Student Quotes

• "Anuj is by far the most upbeat instructor. The excitement in class is infectious." - Divyashree Joshi, DIRECTV LLC
• "I value the time Anuj takes to make sure each student is progressing." - Shaun Gatherum, NuScale Power
• "He's very well spoken and very knowledgeable. He kept us on task and any sidebars were related to info being taught." - Ryan Gibson, Qualcomm 

SANS Instructor References

"Anuj's technical achievements are outstanding.  As an expert in the field, he works on some really critical areas for the government, but he still has time to write for the SANS DFIR blog, tweet, and provide suggestions to improve courses.  Anuj's teaching style is extremely engaging and easily show his love of the material.  He is one of our highest rated instructors." -Rob Lee, DFIR Curriculum Lead

"I've had the opportunity to see and hear Anuj share his knowledge of malware, incident response and forensics with attendees at several SANS events. Not only does he have deep expertise in these areas, he is also a wonderful teacher. His presentation style, the manner in which he breaks down difficult concepts, and his overall demeanor resonate strongly with his listeners. Even when he covered challenging techniques, students could not escape the grip of his logic and clarity of his explanation. It shows Anuj's inherent talents as an instructor." - Lenny Zeltser, SANS Senior Instructor