At a Glance
- M.S. Cybersecurity (WGU)
- Technology Educator (20+ years)
- Nomadic (Full-time Van Life)
- Open-Source Software Developer
- Solar-Powered Laboratory
Cybersecurity Expert. Open Source Creator. Nomad.
My journey into the heart of technology didn't start in a boardroom; it started in the terminal. With a Master’s in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance and over twenty years of hands-on systems administration, I’ve dedicated my career to understanding how digital systems fail—and how to make them resilient.
I am the creator of BastilleBSD, a secure container management system for servers. What began as a tool for my own labs has grown into an international project used by security professionals and system administrators to manage hardened infrastructure at scale.
My Philosophy
We live in a world where technology is ubiquitous but understanding is rare. I teach because I want to bridge that gap, providing students with the literacy needed to be sovereign in a digital age.
The Mobile Lab & Van Life
When I’m not teaching or pushing code, I’m likely off the grid. Since 2024, I’ve lived full-time in a converted camper van, operating a solar-powered mobile network. This nomadic lifestyle isn't just a hobby; it’s a minimalists engineering challenge.
My van is equipped with a custom-built Raspberry Pi home lab, powered entirely by the sun. This environment allows me to test technology in its most resource-constrained state, ensuring that the training I provide is as efficient as it is effective.
Beyond the terminal, I’m an avid photographer, capturing candid portraits, landscapes, sunsets and the cosmos using my Canon Rebel T7 and DWARF 2 smart telescope.
Technical Heritage & Innovation
The Global Scale: SaltStack & HubbleStack
CS50 Award for Innovation | 100,000+ Servers Secured
For over a decade, I served as a core early contributor and FreeBSD port maintainer for SaltStack. This period culminated in the creation of HubbleStack—a project I built as a proof-of-concept from my recliner over two weekends that eventually scaled to secure 100,000+ servers at Adobe and beyond.
HubbleStack outperformed proprietary tools by integrating real-time FIM (inotify), CIS compliance tracking, and osquery-backed rootkit scanning—all while remaining open-source and natively integrated into SaltStack.
The Distillation
The lessons learned from managing Fortune 500 infrastructure were distilled into a singular philosophy: Security should be simple, lightweight, and built-in. I moved away from heavy dependencies toward the "zero-overhead" architecture that defines my current work.
The Modern Standard: Bastille & Rocinante
Defense-in-Depth | Zero-Dependency Automation
Bastille is the evolution of my work in container orchestration. It applies a multi-layer defense strategy to FreeBSD systems, combining the speed of templates with the security of jails.
Alongside it, Rocinante provides host-level configuration management. Written in pure Bourne shell with zero dependencies, it represents the pinnacle of my 20-year journey: enterprise-grade power with minimal to zero overhead.
Ready to learn from a practitioner?
Whether you want to master Python, learn operating systems, or secure your personal privacy, I’m here to guide you.