Jason Blanchard has been happily adopted into the hacker community at Black Hills Information Security (BHIS) since 2019, even though he “works in marketing.” He’s had every dream job imaginable: teaching filmmaking, owning the world’s most famous comic book store, and fostering the infosec community efforts for SANS. While some at BHIS call him the “Director of Excitement,” he is formally known as the Excitement Co-Creator. In his day-to-day work of “sucking at capitalism,” Jason enjoys helping others, sharing his knowledge, and giving away lots of free stuff. When he’s not working, Jason spends time with his wife and daughter, hosts a semiweekly job-hunting Twitch stream, and enjoys writing short stories and performing stand-up comedy.

CJ Cox is the Chief Operating Officer for Black Hills Information Security (BHIS). He joined the team in 2016 and is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations and business capture of BHIS. CJ has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry as a systems administrator as well as an information system security officer, manager, and engineer. CJ feels that this is his dream job and that his favorite parts are the people he gets to work with and making security better. He is a retired Marine reservist and father of 4 who enjoys skiing, camping, golfing, and playing chess in his free time.

I’m a security researcher focused on the intersection of threat hunting and agentic AI. I do research at Active Countermeasures and instruct at AntiSyphon, teaching threat hunting and offensive security tooling. I’m also currently building aionsec.ai, an open-source platform to make elite threat hunting accessible to everyone.

Hayden Covington joined Black Hills Information Security (BHIS) in the Summer of 2022 as a SOC Analyst. He chose BHIS after hearing many great things over the years and seeing the quality of work, as well as finding people who have the same passion for the field as he does. His favorite part of the job so far has been the community. Previously, Hayden worked in a SOC for a Naval contractor, where he also served as their SOAR project manager and SME, as well as insider threat lead. When he’s not working, Hayden can be found doing anything athletic (like triathlons!), as well as enjoying video gaming and Formula 1.

Jordan Drysdale has been with the Black Hills Information Security (BHIS) tribe since December 2015. He is a Security Analyst, as well as a member of the systems administration team. Jordan came to BHIS with a strong background, including many years in networking tech support and engineering for HP, UNi, and Managed Services — he never stops learning and sharpening his skills.

Kent started his Information Technology career working for an Internet Service Provider supporting the MidWest’s broadband initiatives of the early 2000s. His interest in technology and business operations drove his career into working for multiple Fortune 500 companies and equipping their organizational leadership with business analytical data that would support their technology initiatives. With an understanding of Information Technology, System Administration, Accounting, and Business Law, Kent has helped businesses leverage technology for competitive advantage while balancing the risks associated with today’s dynamic network environments. Kent has been with Black Hills Information Security for three years in security and administration roles.

Kevin Klingbile has been working for Black Hills Information Security (BHIS) as a Security Consultant since 2020. Previously, Kevin spent most of his career performing both red and blue team roles in the energy utilities sector. Kevin is a contributor to the IT security community as an advisor on the CIS top 20 controls panel. He also teaches security courses at Western Dakota Tech as an adjunct professor. He holds an MBA in Information Technology Management and a BS in Information Technology. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys backyard farming, grilling, and chasing his kids around the yard.

Mishaal is a highly respected figure in cybersecurity, with expertise in ethical hacking, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), social engineering, and privacy. Mishaal’s engaging approach involves live demos, making cybersecurity accessible and enjoyable, while his strength lies in rapidly enhancing organizations’ security posture, saving time and budget.

Patterson Cake joined the Black Hills Information Security (BHIS) pirate ship in June of 2023 as a Security Consultant focusing primarily on detection engineering and digital forensics and incident response. He chose BHIS because, to paraphrase, “doing cool stuff with cool people” and “making the world a better/safer place” is exactly how he wants to spend his professional time and energy. It also helps that he has a bit of history with a couple of awesome folks that have been with BHIS for many moons. Prior to joining the team, Patterson helped build and lead a DFIR practice for an MSSP, worked as a senior security engineer for AWS Managed Services, and spent several years in enterprise cybersecurity, often healthcare related, focusing on intermingling offensive security and incident response in technical and leadership roles. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, which often involves motorcycles, outdoor sports, movies, and music.