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Meet The Team

Meet The Team

These talented individuals are the power behind our Real Time Dynamic Testing™ methodology

allowing us to continually push the bleeding edge in offensive security tactics.

Adriel Desautels

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Sydney Arbelbide

Chief Information Officer

Amber Ransom

Client Relationship Coordinator

Julie Frost

Sr. Project Manager and HR Specialist

Leonel Algare

Sr. Offensive Security Consultant

Dan Staples

Dan Staples

Sr. Offensive Security Consultant

Jeremy Burroughs

Offensive Security Consultant

Andrew Keesling

Offensive Security Consultant

Federico Fernandez

Federico Fernandez

Offensive Security Consultant

Stealth Division

We Protect You From People Like Us.

K9-Unit

Cyber Protection, One Paw At A Time.

Adriel Desautels

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
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Adriel T. Desautels, has over 20 years of professional experience in information security. In 1998, Adriel founded Secure Network Operations, Inc. which was home to the SNOsoft Research Team. SNOsoft gained worldwide recognition for its vulnerability research work which played a pivotal role in helping to establish today’s best practices for responsible disclosure. While running SNOsoft, Adriel created the zeroday Exploit Acquisition Program (“EAP”), which was transferred to, and continued to operate under Netragard.
 
In 2006, Adriel founded Netragard on the premise of delivering high-quality Realistic Threat Penetration Testing services, known today as Red Teaming. Adriel continues to act as a primary architect behind Netragard’s services, created and manages Netragard’s 0-day Exploit Acquisition Program and continues to be an advocate for ethical 0-day research, use and sales.
 
Adriel is frequently interviewed as a subject matter expert by media outlets that include, Forbes, The Economist, Bloomberg, Ars Technica, Gizmodo, and The Register. Adriel is often an invited keynote or panelist at events such as Blackhat USA, InfoSec World, VICELAND Cyberwar, BSides, and NAW Billion Dollar CIO Roundtable.

Sydney Arbelbide

Chief Information Officer
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Sydney Arbelbide is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Netragard. Sydney is responsible for guiding the company’s data strategy and overseeing infrastructure operations. Previously, Sydney was the Head of Infrastructure and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for HighVista Strategies LLC. Prior to joining the HighVista Strategies team, Sydney was a Systems Engineer at Eze Castle Integration and oversaw the support and maintenance of client IT environments for various financial firms around the Boston area.

Sydney has multiple technical certifications from Microsoft, Barracuda, CQURE Academy and maintains a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from ISC2. Sydney has also served on the advisory board for a firm that focuses on digital risk protection as well as the advisory council for SecureWorld Boston.

Sydney holds a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University with a dual concentration in Management Information Systems and Entrepreneurship.

Amber Ransom

Client Relationship Cordinator
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Amber Ransom is the Client Relationship Coordinator for Netragard. Amber is responsible for building and maintaining positive relationships with clients by ensuring high quality customer experiences. Amber manages client intake and coordinates all aspects of client deliverables.

Prior to joining Netragard, Amber had many years of diverse teaching experience that provided her with a unique approach to customer satisfaction. Utilizing her background, she assisted Netragard in transforming the sales process to a client-centric approach.

Amber earned her Bachelor of Science from Longwood University and has since obtained various certifications. As a former teacher, Amber is actively engaging in higher learning opportunities.

Julie Frost

Sr. Project Manager and Human Resources Specialist
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Julie joined Netragard in 2021 as a Project Manager and Human Resources Specialist. Since coming aboard, Julie has helped refine the human resource related policies and procedures and is focused on ensuring customers and staff have the best experience possible.

Prior to joining Netragard, Julie had a successful career in education, where she implemented and trained staff in new technologies.

Julie has earned her M.Ed. In Technology from Lesley University.

Leonel Algare

Sr. Offensive Security Consultant
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Leonel Algare is a Senior Offensive Security Consultant at Netragard. Leonel is currently leading projects that involve testing web applications, infrastructure (internal/external), mobile applications, and social engineering activities.

Leonel has over 10 years of experience in security and has worked in different industries such as e-commerce, finance, and an ISP. He has held a variety of roles in his career including SOC Operations Engineer, Incident Response Specialist, Head of Red Team Activities, and Blue Team Operations Lead. He is passionate about bug bounty hunting through different platforms.

Leonel currently holds multiple certifications including the AWS Cloud Practitioner and the AWS Solutions Architect Associate.

Dan Staples

Sr. Offensive Security Consultant
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Dan Staples is a Sr. Offensive Security Consultant at Netragard, bringing over a decade of experience in cybersecurity, software engineering, data science, and team leadership. Dan takes a multidisciplinary approach to his work and matches deep technical expertise with the ability to articulate complex security concepts to audiences of any background. He specializes in building cutting-edge offensive tooling and is a long-time contributor to the open source community.

As an OSCP-certified penetration tester and red teamer, Dan has delivered engagements for high profile companies across a number of commercial sectors. Prior to working at Netragard, he led technical teams at multiple NGOs and conducted independent security research. Dan brings value to his clients through a diverse skillset, multi-domain expertise, and an insatiable drive for learning and innovation.

Jeremy Burroughs

Offensive Security Consultant
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Jeremy Burroughs is an Offensive Security Consultant at Netragard working on a variety of assessments and projects including penetration testing engagements and team toolkit development. 

With over 10 years of professional experience in IT and cybersecurity, Jeremy has worked in both defensive and offensive roles for a diverse range of organizations, both large and small, from MSPs to Big4 consulting. Having held roles such as Information Security Engineer and Red Team Operator, he has developed a well-rounded perspective and skillset which helps inform and enhance his offensive security assessments to deliver maximum value for clients. 

Jeremy holds multiple active certifications including CompTIA Pentest+, eLS Web Application Penetration Tester (eWPT), eLS Certified Professional Penetration Tester (eCPPT), eLS Junior Penetration Tester (eJPT), Python Institute Certified Entry-level Programmer (PCEP), and Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). Past certifications include Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) 1-5 and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP). 

Andrew Keesling

Offensive Security Engineer
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Andrew Keesling is an Offensive Security Engineer for Netragard with over five years of professional IT experience. Andrew has worked to troubleshoot issues, harden networks and provide security consulting to Managed Service Provider (MSP) clients. Over the years, he has gleaned a holistic perspective by holding several roles including IT Specialist within the Army National Guard, Help Desk Support, and SOC Security Analyst. Andrew is an active member in the IT security community and volunteers as a Red Team member in the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) for multiple different regions around the US.  

Andrew holds multiple certifications including the Security+, CySA+, GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), and the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP). He is passionate about offensive security, open-source projects, and coding Python tools. 

Federico Fernandez

Offensive Security Consultant
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Federico Fernandez is a highly respected penetration testing specialist with extensive experience in cybersecurity. With a passion for security since 2009, Federico is a self-taught expert who has successfully conducted penetration tests for banking institutions, startups, and fintech companies. Holding the OSCP certification, he specializes in Web Application testing while also possessing knowledge in Networking, Mobile Security, Exploiting, Cloud Security, and Social Engineering.  

Federico’s meticulous approach and commitment to continuous learning drive his success in identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities. His goal is to collaborate with top cybersecurity teams and contribute to the development of secure solutions. 

Stealth Division

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We Protect You From People Like Us.

The Stealth Division is our extended team of experts, who help us breach networks, build tools, and exploit vulnerabilities across our engagements.

These ethical hackers are the power behind our Real Time Dynamic Testing™ methodology, allowing us to continually push the bleeding edge in offensive tactics.

K9-Unit

Cyber protection, one paw at a time.
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Lilo

This Calico has 2 modesLazy with a sunbath or crazy possessed catLilo has a unique ability to sit beside you and judge you for every action you take.  She is only cuddly when she wants to be and will tell you that by either bringing you a toy while literally YOWLING at you or calmly sitting on her “petting mat”.  She keeps a close eye on the CIO to ensure the Netragard hackers can hack and that the IT infrastructure is purring.

Sasha

German Shepherd energy multiplied by puppy energy is a formula which evaluates to one fluffy handful. Even when she is napping, that calm moment is just the silver lining to the storm cloud that is the true reality of the situation – the dog is just on the charger, preparing for the next wave of furry fury. Catch her scanning the yard for unauthorized deer or interrupting video calls with a demand for attention. Other hobbies include sniffing metadata from all delivered packages and laying on vents to convert an HVAC system into a pet hair distribution system.

Sunny

This is Sunshine, aka Sunny, she is a 5-year-old Pitbull rescue. She is a studious pet, earning multiple certifications from the American Kennel Club, including trick dog, advanced obedience, urban settings, and more. Sunny is on a mission to dismantle the perceived stereotypes that pit bulls are aggressive. When not in school, she spends her free time zooming as fast as she can before promptly turning into a pile of cuddly mush. She closely monitors the Client Relationship Coordinator to ensure all customers receive top notch service and nothing gets too ruff.  

Nora

Meet Nora. She may appear to be laying down on the job, but she is ready to spring into action the moment she sees a cat, mailman, or hacker trying to infiltrate your system. She’ll sit right by your chair all day and help herd you back to your computer when lunchtime is over. Her ferocious bark and keen awareness of her surroundings makes her an excellent security professional. In her spare time, she enjoys rolling in dirt, chasing after sticks, and licking faces.

Oliver

Oliver is always willing to sit pretty and give you a helping paw. He is a good boy with a heart of gold. His lightning speed and laser focus make it sometimes hard for him to come when called but he makes up for it with his loyalty and patience. Always excited to learn new and challenging skills, he is the perfect companion for safeguarding your digital assets. When not busy sniffing out threat actors, Oliver likes to squeak his toys and snuggle on the couch. 

Atticus and Titus

Atticus the mastiff and Titus the mighty king. Atticus and Titus are brothers with very different traitsAtticus is all 117 pounds, red, with a tongue that’s too big for his mouth. He loves staying up late and hates getting up before 11. Atticus is absolutely in love with his dad and “accidently” falls onto his lap any chance he gets. Titus is 170 pounds of pure, high-energy bullmastiff. He doesn’t understand personal space, will lay or sit on you any chance he gets, and will always greet you with one of his toys (or your own shoe). Both of the boys are protective of their territory and family, especially if there are wild turkeys around.

Tobleron (aka Toby)

Almost cannot capture a picture because he does not stop moving – but – Toby will do anything for food showing off his Netragard spirit for a treat! His nose is his best friend and worst enemy sniffing out foxes, coyotes, suspicious packages and emails! He sleeps as hard as he plays, as do all Netragardians! 

Pims

Gentle giant who loves her daddy and misses him when he is off hacking for NetragardShe always has her protective eye on everythingHer snores are as loud as her barks but she always gives the biggest (wettest) kisses. 

Maureen Rauss

Offensive Security Intern
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Maureen Rauss is an Offensive Security Intern for Netragard. Maureen is in her 5th and final year at EPITA – a France based Engineering and Computer Science school – where she is majoring in Systems, Network and Cybersecurity.

Maureen is an active member in the IT security community and most recently created a “Murder Investigation Scenario in 5 Steps” for the forensic challenge at the EC2 FIC 2023 – European Cybercup International Forum of Cybersecurity.

Simon Tran

Security Consultant Support
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Simon joined Netragard in 2017 and brings over eight years of experience in information Security. Before coming to work with Netragard, Simon was a Consultant within the Information & Technology Risk practice at Deloitte Luxembourg where he gained experience in performing web and mobile security assessments for the banking and financial sector. Prior to that, Simon worked as a software quality assurance tester and freelance web application developer and participated in several projects where he became familiar with a wide range of framework and development platforms such as PHP/Symfony/Laravel, Python/Django/Web2py, Ruby/RoR, Java/J2E, C++, .NET, MongoDB / Elasticsearch / No-SQL databases, HTML5/CSS3, and Docker.

Simon is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and is also a certified Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), ISO 27001:2013 Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer.

Susan Huggins

Brand and Marketing Director
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Susan joined Netragard in 2021 as Brand and Marketing Director. Prior to joining Netragard, Susan worked nearly 20 years with with CEOs, Executives, and Entrepreneurs to grow their brands.

Susan has worked with not-for-profits, lobbyists, education service chiefs, and institutions to raise awareness of their products and services.

Susan holds a Master of Artsin Operational Management (MAOM) from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Southern Illinois University.

Karen Huggins

Chief Financial, HR and Admin Officer
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Karen joined the Netragard team in 2017 and oversees Netragard’s financial, human resources as well as administration functions. She also provides project management support to the operations and overall strategy of Netragard.
 
Prior to joining Netragard, she worked at RBC Investor Services Bank in Luxembourg in the role of Financial Advisor to the Global CIO of Investor Services, as well as several years managing the Financial Risk team to develop and implement new processes in line with regulatory requirements around their supplier services/cost and to minimize the residual risk to the organization.
 
With over 20 years of experience in finance with global organizations, she brings new perspective that will help the organization become more efficient as a team. She received her Bachelor of Finance from The Florida State University in the US and her Master of Business Administration at ESSEC Business School in Paris, France.

Philippe Caturegli

Chief Hacking Officer
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Philippe has over 20 years of experience in information security. Prior to joining Netragard, Philippe was a Senior Manager within the Information & Technology Risk practice at Deloitte Luxembourg where he led a team in charge of Security & Privacy engagements.

Philippe has over 10 years of experience in the banking and financial sector that includes security assessment of large and complex infrastructures and penetration testing of data & voice networks, operating systems, middleware and web applications in Europe, US and Middle East.

Previously, Philippe held roles within the information system security department of a global pharmaceutical company in London. While working with a heterogeneous network of over 100,000 users across the world and strict regulatory requirements, Philippe gained hands-on experience with various security technologies (VPN, Network and Application Firewalls, IDS, IPS, Host Intrusion Prevention, etc.)

Philippe actively participates in the Information Security community. He has discovered and published several security vulnerabilities in leading products such as Cisco, Symantec and Hewlett-Packard.

He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), PCI Qualified Security Assessors (PCI-QSA), OSSTMM Professional Security Analyst (OPSA), OSSTMM Professional Security Tester (OPST), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)and Associate Member of the Business Continuity Institute (AMBCI).