Eric Thompson

Eric Thompson is the Director of Cybersecurity Operations and Incident Response at AECOM. His eclectic background as a journalist, CPA, speaker, writer, and info sec professional, provides him the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with all levels of an organization. He has authored three books and is an expert in the Healthcare Payer space. Currently, Eric holds 9 GIAC certifications, the CISSP, and CPA. He can be found teaching LDR512: Security Leadership Essentials for Managers.

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Eric is a performance-driven professional with extensive years of increased responsibility and exposure as an information security director. His skill set encompasses a wide array of data protection, cyber security management, and governance through metric and dashboard enhancement, as well as providing multiple security robust solutions via SIEM, network segmentation, and endpoint detection and response. Additionally, he holds broad-reaching knowledge in the HIPAA space. Throughout his career, Eric has been driven by challenge, undeterred by obstacles, and committed to furthering standards of excellence. He is accustomed to the rigors of fast-paced, collaborative environments requiring threat and vulnerability management, penetration testing, security operations, SIEM solutions, intrusion analysis, incident response, and network/endpoint forensics.

Eric's skills include implementing and maturing all elements of security operations, analyzing network traffic and investigating anomalies. He is a passionate user of many open-source solutions and loves building and working with new implementations of Snort, Zeek and SOF-ELK. Eric also has significant experience assessing and managing cyber risks and complying with HIPAA. Thinking outside-the-box allows Eric to meet objectives, exceed expectations, and optimize collective working efficiency. Through multiple channels, he has cultivated rewarding relationships by working effectively and persuasively with senior leaders to achieve complex, multi-project organizational goals.

His genuine enthusiasm for empowering and mentoring those new to information security makes him an ideal instructor. Story-telling is a key component of Eric’s teaching approach, as well as encouraging students to share their own experiences. Many people have helped Eric get to where he is in his career, and he now is grateful to help support others on their own journeys in cybersecurity.

Eric earned a master’s degree in Information and Network Security from DePaul University, has been a SANS Mentor and Community Instructor for LDR414: SANS Training Program for the CISSP Certification, is currently a Virtual Teaching Assistant for SANS, as well as a GIAC Advisory Board member. In addition to being a published author, Certified Public Accountant and a CISSP, he has earned 11 GIAC certifications including: GSLC, GCIH, GCIA, GCED, GCFA, GNFA, GSEC, GCED, GPEN, GEVA, GMON.

When not living inside the cybersecurity world, Eric enjoys home improvement projects and landscaping. You may also hear him playing drums, with a focus on the hard rock/heavy metal genre.

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