Our Team

Mike is a seasoned cybersecurity professional and military veteran with 25 years of experience in offensive and defensive cyber operations. As a Purple Team Engineer at Lares, he specializes in bridging the gap between attackers and defenders—helping organizations strengthen threat detection, response, and resilience.

With expertise in threat intelligence, incident response, and risk assessments, Mike has led intelligence-driven Red and Purple Team exercises to proactively identify vulnerabilities and enhance security postures. His strategic approach, honed from years of hands-on experience, focuses on real-world attack simulations that drive continuous improvement in security operations.

Whether taking on the mindset of a Ninja (stealth and precision), Jedi (wisdom and defense), or Pirate (creative and unconventional thinking), Mike embodies the spirit of adversarial collaboration—leveraging ethical hacking to outthink attackers and fortify defenses.

Josh is a software engineer turned hacker who enjoys spending his time analyzing web applications and discovering vulnerabilities. He holds multiple certificates from Offensive Security and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley. In his free time, he can be found playing video games, doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or hanging out at the beach with his family.

Ravenously curious, driven, and just a little mischievous, Alden began their exploration of hacking at university where they spent their free time collecting bug bounties and teaching others about security. After graduating into an on-prem Red Team, Alden developed a particular talent for compromising anything with a Linux kernel. With a passion for slinking around networks, making suspicious phone calls, and opening locked doors, Alden strives each day to push the limits of their abilities. When not behind a keyboard, Alden can be found studying classical Japanese swordsmanship, watching spooky movies, or backpacking through the Cascades.

Mike left a career in logistics to transition into cybersecurity. Before joining Lares, he combined his two passions, cybersecurity and travel, by collecting bug bounties while traveling the world. He has a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and an OSCP certification and enjoys the challenge of constantly learning new techniques to stay relevant in the field. In his free time, Mike enjoys exploring new cities, scuba diving, 3D printing, cooking, and hanging out with his dog Milo.

Thomas is a highly qualified, trained, and certified ethical hacker with over 10 years of experience in the IT/IS industry. Starting out in the industry researching vulnerabilities affecting millions of Android & iOS devices, Thomas has branched out his skill set over the years to meet the needs of his clients to include network, wireless, and car hacking. Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in Information Security & Assurance and OSCP, and OSCE certifications.

Mark Arnold has a 15+ cybersecurity career, serving 8 of those years in leadership roles. As a transformational leader, Mark has built security teams and programs, authored maturity model blueprints to optimize risk management processes, and implemented security domain practices at large enterprises and service providers. Mark’s areas of interest include cloud security, threat intelligence, and vulnerability research, nation-state attack methods and related activities (e.g. information operations and disinformation campaigns) and their collective impact on nations and society. Mark recently completed an executive education cohort on the intersection of cybersecurity and technology at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Mark also commits time to the security community as an OWASP chapter and InfoSecWorld board member, among others. He holds industry certifications and has satisfied his intellectual curiosity with earned degrees from Stanford (BSEE), Princeton Seminary (Mdiv), and Harvard University (AM, Ph.D.). He is a former competitive gymnast and an ordained minister but, most importantly, cherishes his role as a husband and dad who thrives on hugs.

With a distinguished background as an Afghan War combat veteran, Geo brings a unique combination of security expertise and an unwavering commitment to customer service to his role. Joining the team in 2023, he has quickly become an invaluable asset, channeling his passion for safeguarding clients’ interests into every aspect of his work.

Outside the office, Geo is an avid adventurer, passionate about snowboarding, mountain biking, and immersing himself in the cultures and cuisines of countries around the globe. This zest for exploration and understanding diverse perspectives enriches his approach to customer service, making him a dynamic and empathetic partner to our clients.

Amanda has been a senior executive at oil and gas companies for the last 18 years before transitioning into cybersecurity. She started her career in Calgary, Canada, and has worked throughout North America, the Middle East, and North Africa. During her career, she has been a founding member of numerous oil and gas companies specializing in finance and operations. She is a great paper pusher, mother of two fur babies, and a crazy Canadian who has traveled and worked around the world.

Jonathan, an inquisitive security enthusiast and penetration tester with over two decades of technical experience, has dedicated the past decade and more to managing, securing, and skillfully navigating through network infrastructure, web applications, servers, and workstations. During this time, he played a pivotal role in leading internal Bug Bounty, Purple Team, and Pentesting programs. His expertise extends to direct experience in pentesting medium to large organizations, covering Network, Active Directory, Azure/AAD, Web Application/API, and social engineering engagements.

Lomar brings a wealth of expertise across diverse areas in Cybersecurity, such as threat modeling, malware analysis, reverse engineering, wireless infrastructure exploitation, and penetration testing of networks, web, and mobile applications. Making the transition from a Software Engineer to a seasoned Cybersecurity professional, Lomar holds a Masters in Cybersecurity and proudly boasts certifications such as OSCP, LPT, and PNPT. Lomar is passionate about the work he is doing and enjoys giving clients peace of mind through his expertise.

Albert joined the Lares team in February 2021 after spending the first 6 years of his career in analyst roles with a focus on accounting, business process, and software implementation. His work experience includes multiple industries – including supply chain and logistics, real estate development and construction, and SaaS. In each role, there was always a gravitational pull that connected Albert to optimizing systems and processes. In his free time, he can be found in the outdoors or with loved ones.

With over five years in management, Kaitlyn possesses a robust skill set acquired from both managerial and sales roles. Specializing in process optimization and client relationship management, she is dedicated to ensuring exceptional client experiences. As a member of the Lares Team, Kaitlyn collaborates closely with the engineers to uphold cybersecurity project deadlines and ensures smooth project execution from inception to completion.

A graduate with a BA in World Literature, Kaitlyn augmented her academic achievements with minors in various disciplines. As a guest lecturer, she has spent time both in classrooms and presenting her writing at various symposiums. Prior to joining Lares, she was the General Manager of Continental Divide Winery in the mountains of Colorado.

Raúl is a specialist in offensive security with more than 7 years of experience. While he has experience in various fields, such as web and mobile audits, social engineering campaigns and cloud pentests (AWS, Azure, GCP), he has specialized in red/purple team projects, being passionate about Windows and Active Directory. Raúl holds several certifications, including Xintra’s Attacking and Defending Azure and M365, CRTO, OSCP, OSWE, OSEP, OSWP, among others. He also serves as an associate professor in Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity and Information Security from Castilla-La Mancha University. He consistently aims to add extra value to projects by thinking outside the box. Raúl enjoys spending time with his family, practicing sports, playing video games, watching movies, and hiking.

Evan has played most of the roles in information security from blue teaming, malware analysis, engineering, pentesting around the world and purple teaming. Avid social engineer and physical security incident reconstruction hobbyist. Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in his free time Evan is an avid lock picking enthusiast and social engineer who enjoys finding holes in virtual and physical security controls of all kinds, belgian waffles and hacking all the things.

Evan enjoys long walks on the beach with polymorphic malware in his leisure.

Teresa is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 15 years’ experience in project management and coordination with a focus on IT/IS/Healthcare industries. She enjoys establishing excellent working relationships with clients, employees, vendors, and contractors. She works to provide clients with the necessary support from project initiation to delivery, ensuring customer success. She is also highly adaptable and focused on results, with a proven record of achieving successful projects.

Previously, she was a Project Coordinator at Alternative Technology and Arrow Electronics and a Project Manager at Solutions II and Cappella Living Solutions before joining Lares in 2018.

Luke has worked in the security industry since leaving university in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Ethical Hacking. He considers himself a generalist hacker and loves to get involved with anything related to breaking security controls. Over the years, he has experienced a wide range of scenarios that have led to tearing apart technologies and finding flaws. This includes flying to different countries and breaking into physical HQs of high value companies. As well as his bachelor’s degree, Luke has certifications from the likes of CREST, AWS, and Offensive Security, to name a few. He also likes to give time to the infosec community and provides free educational content on YouTube. Outside of security, he likes to partake in running events and enjoys being a father.

With 15+ years in security, Jose is a seasoned expert in transforming cybersecurity defenses. At Lares, he specializes in proactive protection, using Red Teaming and PenTesting to expose vulnerabilities before adversaries can exploit them.

His experience spans critical infrastructure protection, strategic consulting for diverse sectors, and hands-on technical expertise in areas like network design and threat emulation.

Jose is committed to advancing cybersecurity and aiding organizations against digital threats. His journey of innovation and excellence continues at Lares, where he helps clients build resilient defenses in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Nick is a skilled hacker with a passion for cybersecurity. He enjoys all things security related including Active Directory attacks, external penetration testing, web and cloud testing, malware development, EDR evasion, social engineering, and more. He loves learning new things and honing skills. Outside of work he is a dedicated strength athlete and enjoys being outside. Nick has a bachelor’s degree in Information Security and Intelligence and holds several certifications including the OSCP and OSEP.

Darryl worked in various IT support roles before moving over to security, where he currently focuses on strategic cybersecurity leadership, risk assessments, security program development, and incident response solutions. Darryl holds CISSP, CISA, CISM, Associate CCISO and PCIP certifications. He has presented at numerous conferences, including BSides St. John’s, GoSec, and Texas Cyber Summit. He sits on the Board of Directors for AtlSecCon and was the lead organizer for BSides Cape Breton.

JD is an accomplished project manager with nearly 10 years of experience managing and leading projects across various contexts, including research, assessment development, linguistics, education, and cybersecurity. He uses his interdisciplinary experience to inform his practices around management, documentation, communication, strategizing, creating sustainable processes, and supporting clients and colleagues. 

At Lares, JD leads the Project Management Office and works closely with project managers, engineers, and clients to ensure the successful completion of security services. He graduated with a BA and MA in Applied Linguistics from Portland State University (Portland, OR) and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Before joining Lares in 2023, he was a Project Manager at Portland Public Schools, an Assistant Researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and taught ESL, academic writing, and cultural studies in various academic settings.

David has spent many years building a career in cyber security. Whilst cutting his teeth on delivering Cyber Essentials Plus certifications to companies across the UK, David was busy honing his Appsec and Infrastructure testing skills before moving full time to penetration testing roles. David also co-hosted a security podcast with Andy Gill for a number of years. Enthusiastic about hacking, learning and helping organizations improve their security posture, David works hard to deliver exceptional service. Outside of security he is an avid photographer and amateur musician.

Nick is an enthusiastic sales professional with over 15 years of customer service experience. Nick came to Lares after spending the past 6 years facilitating the development and implementation of standard sales and customer service practices for one of the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturers, where he was named the #1 customer experience specialist in North America for multiple years. Nick specializes in administrative technology and is responsible for educating other employees on using progressive systems and applications, including mass communication software and organizational apps.

Nick is a powerful force in the workplace and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to exceed customer expectations and provide excellent service. He is passionate about developing and maintaining strong relationships centered on trust with each client.
Outside of work, Nick enjoys traveling with his wife, hanging out with family and friends, and being a beach bum.

Felipe’s core skills involve web application, API, infrastructure, compiled application and hardware/IoT penetration testing, with a good understanding of cryptography, electronics and “the binary world”. He has a BSc in Computer Science, and an MSc in Cyber Security and Forensics, and holds multiple certifications such as OSCP and OSCE. He enjoys finding creative and sometimes overly engineered solutions to challenging problems.