Having completed a bachelor's and master's degree at SUNY Fredonia studying Computer Science,
Communications, and Business, Michael first went into emergency management in Chautauqua County, NY
expanding his volunteer firefighting background into disaster planning and operations. After a relocation
to Ohio, Michael is now the Information Security Officer for an industry leading company focused on
staffing skilled trades and craftsmen. He is a long-standing Adjunct Lecturer at his alma mater, has
taught Bootcamp-style programming courses at Case Western University, and has published a textbook on
web development.
Geoff Sternecker is a Linux systems engineer building his way off the hyperscale cloud running hardened Linux and rootless containers on his own hardware and migrating the rest onto independent, energy-efficient systems he controls. Fifteen-plus years in InfoSec, he moved from security architecture to hands-on engineering, he works in the gap between the people who design security controls and the people who implement and run them. He enjoys self hosting security and all things Linux. He holds the GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) and GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA) certifications, is a past (ISC)² Cleveland chapter president, and serves as treasurer of BSidesCLE.
Tom Pieragastini comes into the security world from an untraditional background; philosophical education
within the university. Since leaving academia Tom has had roles in threat intelligence, web application
testing, and now as a consultant with a focus on red team tactics and long form security analysis. His
interests vary widely, from giving talks on disinformation theory and interdisciplinary approaches to
information security analysis, to low level Windows systems internals and novel ways to call internal
functionality. Tom is currently the Senior Technical Services Lead at Leviathan Security Group.
Juliette has worked in the cybersecurity field directly for the last six years, and in tech for eight.
She began building computer systems, and working with operating systems for over twenty. Current work
experience, and focus is as a security consultant focused on software and network penetration testing at
Leviathan Security Group. Experience includes web, native, and mobile application security testing, with
extensive experience in threat modeling and attack surface analysis. Juliette has a deep appreciation for
sci-fi/fantasy novels, and is a known coffee enthusiast. She can often be found reading technical
documentation, and organizing data for project management.
Ken Smith is currently the Director of Offensive Security Learning & Development for Praetorian.
Over the last fifteen years, Ken has served in various consulting and industry leadership roles. He
previously taught information security at the University of Mount Union for ten years and worked with
graduate students on proposals at the SANS Technology Institute for two years. Ken is a Cleveland native
and former US Army Signals Intelligence Operator with 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Cassie White is a cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience in security operations,
defending networks, untangling alert storms, and transforming cybersecurity chaos into manageable
challenges. Armed with CISSP and GSEC certifications, she has secured digital landscapes across multiple
industries and recently returned home to Ohio after surviving several winters in Philadelphia. Currently
serving on the BSides Cleveland board, Cassie is committed to strengthening connections in the local
security community whether by mentoring new talent, fostering collaboration among peers, or helping
Cleveland become a vibrant hub for cybersecurity enthusiasts.
