Dave Shackleford

Senior InstructorFounder at Voodoo Security

Specialities

Offensive Operations, Cyber Defense

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About Dave Shackleford

Dave Shackleford has spent more than two decades working in cybersecurity across consulting, enterprise architecture, and security leadership. As CEO of Voodoo Security and a Senior Instructor with SANS Institute, he brings practitioner experience to courses including SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling and SEC501: Applied Cyber Defense His work in cloud security, virtualization security, penetration testing, and enterprise defense gives students exposure to defensive techniques and real-world security operations.

Dave began his career in information security engineering before moving into leadership and architecture roles with organizations including Vigilar, Configuresoft, EMC, the Center for Internet Security, and IANS. Previously serving as CTO for the Center for Internet Security, he contributed to early virtualization security benchmarks during a period of rapid enterprise virtualization adoption. Those experiences inform the practical focus of the course labs and exercises, particularly in infrastructure assessment and defensive operations. Through Voodoo Security, Dave has advised organizations on cloud security, compliance, penetration testing, and security architecture. As CTO for IANS, Dave developed a wide range of security research and helped to build a robust consulting practice, as well.

A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and VMware vExpert, Dave is the author of Virtualization Security: Protecting Virtualized Environments and has contributed to industry research and security architecture guidance focused on cloud and infrastructure security. Dave Shackleford is also a faculty member of the SANS Technology Institute, which has been designated an NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and is a multi-year winner of the National Cyber League competition. Beyond the classroom, he regularly contributes to industry conferences, podcasts, publications, and community initiatives focused on defensive operations and cloud security.

His teaching draws on experience in consulting, cloud security, and enterprise security architecture. He emphasizes practical application and hands-on analysis in both lectures and labs, helping students connect security concepts to operational environments. Outside of cybersecurity, Dave has written and spoken about his interests in music, outdoor activities, and experimentation with new technologies—interests that reflect the curiosity and technical exploration that have shaped his career.

Qualification Summary

BS, Computer Information Systems, Kennesaw State University
Founder and CEO at Voodoo Security
Previously served as CTO of the Center for Internet Security, CSO at Configuresoft, and CTO at IANS
Co-author, SEC501: Applied Cyber Defense
SANS Senior Instructor, SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling and SEC501
Author of Virtualization Security: Protecting Virtualized Environments
Founder, Cloud Security Alliance Atlanta Chapter
CISSP Certified

Press & Media

Students Say

Slide 1 of 3
This has been the best security training I ever attended! Thank you, Dave!
Pawel ChwieckoCiti
Slide 2 of 3
Dave brings enthusiasm and experience, the course content really shows how cloud can become a security-enabler within organizations! SEC545 is my Swiss knife for cloud security.
Jeroen VandeleurNVISO
Slide 3 of 3
As an information assurance person, I need to understand the fundamentals of the systems I am auditing. This class and instructor significantly exceeded all my expectations. Dave's knowledge, skills, and abilities make the course.
Chris OswaldHigher Education Institution