BSides Cleveland is the Cleveland, OH chapter of Security BSides. We are a non-membership community of the information security curious, students, practitioners, and professionals, and support North East Ohio and beyond with our programming efforts. Our primary event is an annual conference, but we strive keep our community engages throughout the year.
Board of Directors
Michael G Mendez
President
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
treasurer
Geoff keeps the lights on and makes sure the bills get paid. One of these days, he may submit a bio of his own. Or maybe not. Time will tell?
Tom Pieragastini
Secretary
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 Moss
Board Member
– 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 secultant 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. Notable projects include [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and performing comprehensive analysis of open-source libraries in conjunction with OSTIF.
Ken Smith
board member
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
board member
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.
