Maxim’s first experience with cybersecurity was during an ISO/IEC 27001 audit project while completing his education at Howest University College. Following that project, he was hired as a Cybersecurity Officer. He has been involved in incident response for private and public sector organizations, including incidents that often make the news. He previously served as Technical Team Lead for Belgium’s national CERT, where he worked on digital forensics and incident response at a national level. He has also worked as a Cyber Defense consultant in the Middle East. His work has included building and maturing Security Operations Centers, conducting threat hunting, developing detection strategies, and supporting incident response activities.
Maxim holds multiple GIAC certifications, including GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN), GIAC Continuous Monitoring (GMON), GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA), GIAC Network Forensic Analyst (GNFA), GIAC Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP), and GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH). He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Howest University College in Belgium. He has spoken at SANS Summits, RSA, and private events. Maxim Deweerdt 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.
Maxim has been involved in incident response activities and has conducted threat hunting and compromise assessments in environments of varying size. He has worked with governments, large corporations, and businesses in the EMEA region. He has also contributed to initiatives supporting cybersecurity education, including programs focused on helping individuals transition into cybersecurity careers. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys reading, diving, swimming, and volunteering for not-for-profit projects.
Qualifications Summary
- Bachelor of Computer Science in Networking & IT Security, Howest University College
- Cyber Defense Expert, NVISO Managed Cyber Defense Services
- Former Technical Team Lead, CERT.be / Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB)
- Member, ENISA Security Operations Center Work Group
- Course Author, SEC559: Cloud and Hybrid Identity Security
- Principal Instructor, SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring and LDR551: Building and Leading Security Operations Centers
- GIAC Certifications: GPEN, GMON, GCFA, GNFA, GICSP, GCIH
