Joshua Barone

Joshua Barone started out as a developer, who found that the software he was writing was full of bugs. When he started digging into how to write better software, he stumbled into the world of computer security. This led him to not only learn more about how to secure the software he was writing, but also how computers and networks work, and how systems can be attacked and abused.

Joshua is drawn to challenges, and security and development are areas that are constantly changing and always presenting new challenges and solutions. He has been developing software for over 20 years, with a focus on simple and secure code. In his professional capacity, he spends a lot of time mentoring junior developers, helping to break down more difficult concepts and helping to explain difficult concepts in ways that are more easily understood.

As a developer of digital forensics software, one of his biggest highlights was learning that one of the features he worked on was used to solve a rather big case.

Joshua has learned so much from SANS and wanted to turn around and share what he learned with other coworkers and like-minded people.

Everyone comes to coding from different experience levels and backgrounds. Joshua wants to meet people where they are and help approach topics from multiple angles so they can find the one that helps get that "AH HA!" moment.

Joshua loves developing, and loves helping mentor other developers. His passion for the topic is something that comes through and helps others be more excited about learning. He’s been doing this for quite a while, but not forgotten how hard it was to understand some of these concepts in the beginning and can help break down the complicated topics to make them more approachable.

Joshua is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) and holds GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC), Intrusion Analyst (GCIA), Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT), Incident Handler (GCIH), Python Coder (GPYC) and Penetration Tester (GPEN) certifications, as well as a Master's in Computer Science from the University of New Orleans with a focus on Information Assurance. He is also a faculty member of the SANS Technology Institute, an NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and multiple winner of the National Cyber League competition. Joshua is currently a Senior Developer for Cellebrite.

Joshua is a frequent speaker at NolaSec meetups and BSides NOLA Information Security Conference.

Additional Contributions By Joshua Barone

• JWTs: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Security Edition), April 2024