Aaron Cure

Aaron Cure is a SANS Principal Instructor and Director of Cyber Security at Cypress Data Defense, where he specializes in penetration testing, secure software development lifecycle (SDLC), static code analysis, and secure architecture. At SANS, he teaches SEC542: Web App Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking and SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing (co-authored), bringing deep, hands-on expertise into the classroom to help students understand how modern applications are attacked and secured in real-world environments.

Aaron’s career spans more than three decades across military, development, and cybersecurity domains. He began his professional journey in the U.S. Army, serving for 10 years as a Russian linguist and satellite repair technician, before transitioning into technical roles including database administration and programming on the Iridium project. He later worked as a telecommunications consultant and senior programmer, building a strong foundation in software development before entering the information security field in 2006. Since then, he has led and contributed to engagements involving secure code reviews, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and security research. His progression from developer to offensive security expert helps him connect with students and understand their trials, as he guides them through learning to think like attackers while building stronger defenses.