Damien Burks (he/him) is currently a Cloud Security Engineer - VP at Citi. Recently, he worked as a Security Software Engineer at Verizon as a supporting developer for the CSO 50 award-winning in-house DLP solution. Over the past three years of his career, he has obtained four AWS certifications with the AWS Security Specialty as the most recent. In addition, he is pursuing a Master’s of Science in Cybersecurity Technology from UMGC. Outside of his career and education obligations, he is an avid writer/blogger, open-source contributor, and mentor to BIPOC LGBTQ+ tech professionals who wish to break into the tech industry. To decompress, Damien likes to play video games, modify his car, and attend local car meets within the DFW area.