Ed Skoudis
FellowPresident at SANS Technology Institute
Specialities
Offensive Operations

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Ed Skoudis is the President of the SANS Technology Institute, which has been designated an NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and whose students are multi-year winners of the National Cyber League competition. Ed is also a SANS Fellow and the Founder of the Counter Hack cybersecurity consultancy and cyber range-building company.
Widely recognized for shaping modern penetration testing and incident response training, Ed is the original author of SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling and SEC560: Enterprise Penetration Testing, and translates decades of frontline breach investigation and adversary emulation into hands-on learning experiences, with over 40,000 students taking his cybersecurity courses over the past 25 years.
Ed leads his team in the construction of large-scale cyber ranges, including NetWars, the SANS Holiday Hack Challenge, and other cyber ranges, which directly influence SANS course labs, enabling students to practice real-world attack and defense techniques in safe, high-fidelity environments. Ed’s contribution to the U.S. military personnel’s cybersecurity training was recognized with the Military Cyber Professional Association’s Order of Thor award.
A++++ instructor!!!
I work in the nuclear field. We simply cannot make mistakes. Our InfoSec goes hand in hand with our safety awareness. SANS and Ed Skoudis have prepared me to take current day cyber issues and build rock solid solutions.
Ed Skoudis is a superb instructor. He breaks down complex ideas into simple to understand ones, all with a smile and a great welcoming attitude.
Explore content featuring this instructor’s insights and expertise.
According to Anthropic, their new Claude Mythos model discovered thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities across every major operating system and web browser—and the model is so powerful they will not release it publicly. The conversation so far has been heavy on alarm and light on practical guidance.

Join us for the grand finale of the Holiday Hack Challenge 2025 where we’ll reveal the names of the big winners as we bid farewell to another chapter of challenges, victories, and innovation!

Hear the stories from top SANS faculty of how they became the cybersecurity experts they are today and how their stories can be applied to your career journey. Learn how they build their skills to become one of the top practitioners within cybersecurity.

Come learn the outcomes of the 2024 SANS | GIAC Cyber Workforce Research Report, which is based on a first-of-its-kind survey that analyzed the cybersecurity workforce with the goal of identifying the key factors to successfully build high-performing cybersecurity teams.

Join us for an interactive SANS Day where cybersecurity experts and enthusiasts come together to explore the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in the field. This event promises a full day of insightful presentations, hands-on experiences, and valuable networking opportunities, and is designed for professionals at all levels. You will have the opportunity to engage with SANS Instructors and hear their insights on cybersecurity threats, customer landscape, AI, and how you can continue to development and advance in your career path. This is a must attend event for anyone passionate about staying ahead in the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity. Don't miss out on the chance to learn, engage, connect, and grow in your cybersecurity journey!

Join us for an interactive SANS Day where cybersecurity experts and enthusiasts come together to explore the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in the field. This event promises a full day of insightful presentations, hands-on experiences, and valuable networking opportunities, and is designed for professionals at all levels. You will have the opportunity to engage with SANS Instructors and hear their insights on cybersecurity threats, customer landscape, AI, and how you can continue to development and advance in your career path. This is a must attend event for anyone passionate about staying ahead in the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity. Don't miss out on the chance to learn, engage, connect, and grow in your cybersecurity journey!

Join us for an interactive SANS Day where cybersecurity experts and enthusiasts come together to explore the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in the field. This event promises a full day of insightful presentations, hands-on experiences, and valuable networking opportunities, and is designed for professionals at all levels. You will have the opportunity to engage with SANS Instructors and hear their insights on cybersecurity threats, customer landscape, AI, and how you can continue to development and advance in your career path. This is a must attend event for anyone passionate about staying ahead in the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity. Don't miss out on the chance to learn, engage, connect, and grow in your cybersecurity journey!

Players will have to use their cybersecurity skills to venture by boat across the Geese Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, all the way to outer space where they will learn the Space Packet Protocol (SPP). To solve each challenge along the way, players will have to use AI tools – helping Santa and the elves as they grapple with their own new AI technology called ChatNPT (North Pole Technologies). This special November 29 Sneak Peek is a whole week before the 2023 game officially launches and opens for play. Come see what else is in store in this invite-only webcast – before anyone else – and get ready for the 2023 game to open for play the second week of December.
