About Me#
My name is Mike, also known by my handle “Rem” in most internet circles. I am a SANS Technology Institute graduate, with a focus on digital forensics and incident response. I am also involved in the Python Software Foundation as a supporting member, and dedicate a large portion of time towards open source security.
Professionally, I work at Huntress as a security analyst by day and run a Cybersecurity organization of my own called Vipyr Security by night.
I can also be found on the Python Discord, where I contribute frequently towards Cybersecurity related discussions and help steer new members towards appropriate resources, answer questions, and assist in internal projects.
Experience#
Huntress
Present
Security Analyst
Security analyst levying malware reverse engineering skills to detect, triage, and mitigate security
threats. Experienced in ELK, Sigma, YARA, Python, and Typescript with a focus on detection and response
in enterprise-sized domains.Vipyr Security
Present
Founder, Detection Engineer
Founder & detection engineer implementing hand-written YARA schema to detect and mitigate at-scale supply
chain security threats on the Python Package Index. Led program design specifications for cluster-based
code security engine.Wells Fargo
Risk Management Analyst
Analyzed corporate financial risk utilizing SQL & Python to perform data reconciliation and deviation analysis. Also authored secure and maintainable tooling for organizational data pipelines utilizing Python, Powershell, and M (Language), and SQL in PowerBI and Excel.
United States Air Force
Program Analyst
Performed a variety of duties including software testing, IT asset management, configuration management, software distribution lifecycles, and physical penetration testing. Managed secure systems and oversaw unit IT compliance auditing measures.
Certifications & Education#
- GIAC Enterprise Penetration Tester (GPEN)
- GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
- GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE)
- GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)
- GIAC Python Coder (GPYC)
- GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
- GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)
- GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF)
- GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT)
Publications & Referenced Work#
- Managed SIEM and the Art of Perfecting Cyber Defense - 5 December 2024, Huntress
- Gleaming Pisces Poisoned Python Packages Campaign Delivers PondRAT Linux and MacOS Backdoors - 18 September 2024, Unit 42
- Cracks in the Foundation: Intrusions of FOUNDATION Accounting Software - 14 September 2024, Huntress
- Mapping Threats with DNSTwist and the Internet Storm Center - 20 August 2024, SANS Internet Storm Center
- When Trust Becomes a Trap: How Huntress Foiled a Medical Software Update Hack - 23 July 2024, Huntress
- Respawning Malware Persists on PyPI - 16 May 2023, Phylum
Accolades#
- Deans List - SANS Institute Spring 2024
- PicoCTF 2024 - 138/6957, Global Leaderboard
- NCL Spring 2024 - 33/7412, Individual
- NCL Spring 2024 - 7/4199, Team (Team Captain)
- GIAC Advisory Board
Getting in Touch#
The simplest way to contact me is through my Twitter handle @sudo_Rem.