Jason Larkin

Jason considers himself an engineer at heart, always eager to understand how technology works "under the hood" and achieve desired outcomes. He vividly recalls his first professional red team experience, where he saw a team quickly penetrate a hardened enterprise on-prem and cloud-based infrastructure. It was both horrifying and impressive, motivating him to learn the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by the attackers, which led him to initially become an incident responder.

One of Jason's proudest career achievements is his role as a Cyber Security Manager for an organisation within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). During his tenure, he significantly improved the organisation’s security posture, enabling it to withstand the WannaCry outbreak in 2017—a cyberattack that crippled several other NHS entities. Additionally, he supported other NHS organisations with their incident response efforts during this critical period.

Jason views a career as progressing through three key stages: Inclusion, Influence, and Impact. Inclusion involves entering the cybersecurity field, securing an initial role, and earning foundational certifications. Influence is about establishing yourself as a respected professional whose skills, knowledge, and opinions are valued in decision-making processes. Impact is about making a meaningful difference within an organisation, community, or the broader industry.

He sees his role as a SANS instructor as an opportunity to impact the broader cybersecurity community. He is passionate about 'paying it forward' by helping to develop future cybersecurity defenders, finding this aspect of his work both rewarding and energising.

Jason's teaching philosophy centres on helping students understand the underlying technologies and develop their critical thinking skills to become successful cloud defenders in an ever-evolving threat landscape. He believes that effective communication is what the listener understands, so he adapts his teaching style to ensure students fully grasp the material and feel confident in applying their new skills in their professional roles. His goal is to equip students with the knowledge and capabilities they need to navigate and secure complex cloud environments.

Jason is deeply committed to his work in the security industry, understanding the immense responsibility of safeguarding the confidential data of millions globally. This profound sense of duty drives him to constantly push his boundaries and remain at the cutting edge of top-tier security measures.

Outside of his professional life, Jason is a passionate hardware enthusiast, a trait that might seem unusual for someone deeply involved in cloud technologies. He has a strong interest in health science, specifically how modern diets impact both short-term and long-term well-being. Additionally, he finds inspiration in Stoicism; modern interpretations of ancient Roman philosophy encourage him to cultivate personal resilience, maintain calm, and remain indifferent to things beyond his control. Useful to any blue teamer! Jason enjoys spending quality time with his wife and three daughters. He stays active through running, bodyweight exercises, practicing martial arts and loves riding Italian motorcycles on rare, sunny days in England.