Sean Thomas

SANS Certified Instructor Candidate Sean Thomas has worked in higher education for 25 years, including as a Senior Information Security Analyst for the past decade with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he was part of the team that created the university’s cybersecurity program. 

Sean’s career evolved through many aspects of information technology (IT), including desktop support, academic systems administration, networking, server administration, and ultimately IT security, with a focus for the past decade on cyber defense, and security awareness and education.  

Sean has worked with SANS since 2015 as a Teaching Assistant and Quality Control Tester for the SANS OnDemand platform. In the latter role, he reviews OnDemand course materials and reports on usability issues that occur in the online learning environment. As a Teaching Assistant, he collaborates with instructors and operations staff to provide students with a seamless learning experience. While TAing SANS courses, Sean provides direct support on troubleshooting issues, assists with practical application labs, and answers questions concerning course content.  

Working with SANS has sparked Sean’s passion to expand his horizons as an instructor, particularly with courses for students relatively new to the field such as SANS SEC301: Introduction to Cyber Security. 

“I embrace the challenge of taking the vast world of cybersecurity, with its many specialist areas, and breaking it down into the most fundamental foundational elements, then presenting them in a way that is understandable,” he said.  

As a Certified Instructor, Sean will teach the SANS Cyber Defense curriculum. He is no stranger to the SANS classroom, having taken several SANS courses himself and earning a range of Global Information Assurance Certifications (GIAC), including the GCED, GCFA, GCIH, GMON, GCWN, GCDA, GISF, GDAT, GSLC, GOSI, and GSTRT, as well as other cybersecurity certifications such as the SANS Security Awareness Professional (SSAP).

“Having been a SANS student for many years, I was consistently drawn to how well the faculty delivered the world-class content,” Sean explains. “As I grew, I also became aware of how I could also deliver those amazing ‘lightbulb moments’ for students. I strive to be one of those instructors who create that same spark in students that this organization is known for.” 

Sean started at Embry-Riddle in 2005 as an Academic Systems Administrator and worked his way up to his current position. He is regularly asked to guest lecture on cybersecurity topics at the university and frequently consults for its Institutional Review Board. During his tenure at Embry-Riddle, Sean received several honors, including the Chuck Yeager Leadership Award in 2016 and the President's Special Recognition for Exemplary Dedication to Safety in 2014. He is also a volunteer member of the university’s Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT).  

Prior to his career at Embry-Riddle, Sean worked for five years, initially as a Technology Specialist, and later a Network Specialist, with Stetson University, his alma mater, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in E-Business Technology.  

Sean says his long career as both cybersecurity practitioner and educator has been particularly fulfilling in terms of what he can share with his students. 

“In my role at Embry-Riddle, I supervise the team of students working in our Security Operations Center,” he explains. “This has been immensely rewarding as I have been able to help these students discover the elements of cybersecurity that most interest them and foster their development of those skills. It is especially gratifying when they graduate and find jobs doing what they learned working on my team.”