Howard Poston

Email: howard.poston@gmail.com | Phone: (925) 315-5138 | Location: Dayton, OH

Summary

Freelance copywriter, course creator, and consultant specializing in cybersecurity and blockchain technology.

Education

Masters of Cyber Operations, Air Force Institute of Technology (2013-2015)

Bachelors of Science in Computer Engineering, University of Dayton (2009-2013)

Bachelors of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, University of Dayton (2009-2013)

Experience

Copywriting

7+ years of experience developing longform content for clients in the cybersecurity and blockchain space.

Relevant Projects ▼
  • Whitepapers, eBooks, case studies, and blog posts for cybersecurity and blockchain clients
  • Attack Anatomies and thought leadership pieces for Hack The Box - Author Page
  • Over 250 articles on various cybersecurity topics for the Infosec Institute - Author Page
  • GRC articles for the IS Partners Blog - Author Page
  • Articles on cryptography, blockchain, and similar topics for the Ghostvolt blog - Blog
Course Development

Developed over 20 on-demand courses on security topics with over 25,000 students enrolled.

Relevant Projects ▼
Cyber Range and Tool Development

Created hands-on labs and security tools for cybersecurity training and research.

Relevant Projects ▼
  • Python for Cybersecurity course demonstrates applications of Python for cybersecurity tasks mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework
  • Developed virtual labs and cyber ranges for Infosec Institute
  • Created cyber ranges for University of Washington Cyber Range Poulsbo
Webinars & Conference Presentations

Presentations for corporate webinars and cybersecurity conferences.

Relevant Projects ▼
Cybersecurity R&D

15 years of experience in cybersecurity protocol design and threat modeling.

Relevant Projects ▼
  • Designed secure, multi-factor token vault storage for Qorra
  • Research and development on cryptographic algorithm security, malware analysis, and network traffic analysis at Sandia National Labs
  • Researched game theory, intrusion and anomaly detection, and automated scene detection for the Air Force Institute of Technology
  • Security analysis and threat modeling for various blockchain and cybersecurity projects

Skills

Blockchain

Experience in protocol design, blockchain security, and whitepaper creation.

Relevant Projects ▼
  • CIO for Qorra, a company offering insurance for NFTs and certification of blockchain projects
  • Developed educational content on DeFi, NFTs, and emerging blockchain technologies
  • Authored Blockchain Security from the Bottom Up (Wiley, Sept 2022)
  • Created whitepapers for various blockchain projects
  • Consulting on blockchain implementation and security best practices
Cryptography

Experience in evaluating the security and efficiency of cryptographic algorithms and protocols.

Relevant Projects ▼
  • Research on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) post-processing algorithms at AFIT
  • Analysis of AES encryption algorithm security
  • Design of secure multi-factor token vault storage systems at Qorra
  • Research on cryptographic algorithm security at Sandia National Labs
  • Multiple conference talks on cryptographic vulnerabilities and best practices
Malware Analysis

Experience in malware detection, analysis, and threat response.

Relevant Projects ▼
  • Malware analysis research and honeypot developmentat Sandia National Labs
  • Network traffic analysis for malware identification
  • Research on intrusion and anomaly detection systems at AFIT
  • Tech writer for x86 Software Reverse-Engineering, Cracking, and Counter-Measures (Wiley, February 2024)

Roles

Freelance Consultant - Poston Consulting LLC (September 2017-Present)

Providing freelance cyber and blockchain security consulting, content development, and research and development.

Chief Information Officer - Qorra (November 2022-December 2024)

Providing strategic security direction for company offering insurance for NFTs and certification of blockchain projects.

Cybersecurity R&D Employee - Sandia National Labs (July 2015-July 2017)

Performed cybersecurity research and development including work in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), cryptanalysis, malware analysis, honeypot development, and network analytics.

Research Assistant - Air Force Institute of Technology (September 2013-July 2015)
  • Researched game-theoretic modeling of deception and optimal methods of deception in a given context.
  • Performed analysis of AES encryption algorithm and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) post-processing algorithms.
Technical Intern - Air Force Research Labs (October 2014-December 2014)

Explored applications of machine learning to data for trend discovery for security applications.

Cyber for Cyberspace Research Technical Intern - Air Force Institute of Technology (May 2011-Jun 2013)
  • Research and code development under Dr. Gary Lamont in the areas of intrusion and anomaly detection in computers.
  • Research and code development under Dr. Angela Sodemann in the area of image processing and anomaly detection in video footage from security camera.
  • Research and code development under Dr. Gilbert Peterson in development of an automated calculator of board interestingness and automated board development for the Sokoban or "warehouseman" game.
  • Research and code development under Lt. Col. Brett Borghetti in the development and testing of an algorithm for automated scene detection based upon tracker output from Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) video data.
Cyber for Cyberspace Research Technical Intern - Air Force Institute of Technology (May 2010-August 2010)

Worked as a research aide to Dr. Gary B. Lamont. Researched and expanded the network intrusion detection system developed by Capt. Charles Haag in his Master's thesis. Researched and designed a new anomaly-detection host-based intrusion detection system..

Publications

Books
  • Blockchain Security from the Bottom Up (Wiley, Sept 2022)
  • Python for Cybersecurity: Using Python for Cyber Offense and Defense (Wiley, Feb 2022)
Academic Publications
  • Mapping the OWASP Top Ten to Blockchain (Procedia Computer Science, Nov 2020)
  • Anonymous Authentication Scheme for Smart Cloud Based Healthcare Applications (IEEE Access, June 2018)
  • A Novel Approach for the Adaptation of Honey Encryption to Support Natural Language Message (IMECS 2018)
  • Locally Operated Cooperative Key Sharing (2017 ICNC)
  • Generation of Strategies for Environmental Deception in Two-Player Normal-Form Games (DTIC 2015)
Conference Presentations
  • Why Stack Overflow-Driven Development Doesn't Work for Cryptography (OWASP Global AppSec APAC 2022)
  • Understanding Common Causes of Cryptographic Vulnerabilities (4th Annual Python Web Conference, March 2022)
  • Avoiding common cryptographic failures, so your data doesn't get jacked (DevSecCon Lightning, November 2021)
  • IFORGOT: Cybersecurity risks and the blockchain including the impossibility of recovering cryptographic keys (Malta Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Summit, May 2019)
  • Cybersecurity and Hospital Infection Control: Overlaps and Opportunities (RSA Conference, April 2019)
  • Cybersecurity Awareness Training without the FUD (RSA Conference, April 2019)

Profiles