VALERIE THOMAS
Bio
Valerie Thomas is a Executive Information Security Consultant for Securicon LLC that specializes in social engineering and physical penetration testing. After obtaining her bachelors degree in Electronic Engineering, Valerie led information security assessments for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) before joining private industry. Her unique Defense and civilian background provides her with a solid understanding of intrusion detection, data loss prevention, and endpoint (in)security. Her electronic and RFID training became a crucial element of her physical security specialization. While some choose to focus on cyber of physical security, she has chosen to exploit the weaknesses of the combination of the two. As an ethical hacker and consultant she holds multiple industry certifications.
Valerie is the coauthor of "Building an Information Security Awareness Program: Defending Against Social Engineering and Technical Threats" with Bill Gardner. Throughout her career, Valerie has conducted penetration tests, vulnerability assessments, compliance audits, and technical security training for executives, developers, and other security professionals. She has provided briefings and workshops for DEF CON, Derbycon, Blackhat, and multiple BSides events.