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Craig Ellrod

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Craig Ellrod

Craig Ellrod is a highly accomplished cybersecurity expert with over two decades of diverse experience in cloud security, DevSecOps, and technical marketing. As a Senior Cybersecurity Cloud Solutions Architect, Craig has demonstrated exceptional leadership in designing and implementing advanced security frameworks for global organizations across industries such as eCommerce, finance, healthcare, and technology. With an MBA and industry-leading certifications like CISSP and CCSP, he has consistently positioned himself as a trusted advisor in cybersecurity strategy, compliance automation, and risk management. Craig’s career is defined by his ability to architect secure solutions for complex environments, including multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premise infrastructures. His expertise spans API security, containerized architectures, microservices, and cutting-edge technologies like AI, Web3, and blockchain. Renowned for his hands-on approach, Craig has pioneered numerous proof-of-concept initiatives and authored solution design documents that have become benchmarks in the industry. He is also a published author, with five books and videos on cybersecurity and cloud technologies, showcasing his commitment to sharing knowledge and driving innovation. As a thought leader in the cybersecurity domain, Craig actively contributes to industry associations such as the Cloud Security Alliance, ISSA, and ISACA. His work with these organizations includes guiding best practices for application container security and microservices architecture. With three U.S. patents for cybersecurity innovations and a proven track record of delivering measurable business outcomes, Craig excels in aligning security strategies with organizational goals. Adept at fostering collaboration between development, operations, and security teams, he champions a proactive, holistic approach to risk mitigation and compliance. Craig’s dedication to securing digital ecosystems empowers enterprises to navigate the complexities of modern cybersecurity challenges while achieving sustainable growth.

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Professional Skillsets

  • Cybersecurity Strategy and Architecture  
  • DevSecOps Implementation and CI/CD Pipeline Security  
  • Cloud Security (AWS, Azure, GCP) and Hybrid Cloud Deployments  
  • Application and Infrastructure Security (APIs, Web Servers, Networking, Data Layers)  
  • Compliance Frameworks (GDPR, CCPA, PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST CSF)  
  • AI and Generative AI Security: LLMs, Prompt Engineering, Ethical AI, and Threat Mitigation  
  • IoT and Embedded Systems Security: Firmware, Real-Time Threat Detection, and Management  
  • Security Automation and Orchestration (Infrastructure-as-Code, Terraform, Ansible)  
  • Vulnerability Assessment, Penetration Testing (SAST, DAST, SCA), and Risk Analysis  
  • Data Protection and Privacy (Encryption, Storage, Transmission, Runtime Security)  
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration and Security Awareness Training Programs  
  • Technical Leadership and Team Mentorship in Cybersecurity Initiatives  
  • Network Security Protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, DNS, SSH, SSL/TLS, Firewall, VPN)  
  • Hardware/Firmware Security: Secure Boot, TPM, FOTA, RTOS/Linux/Windows Hardening  
  • Innovative Security Framework Design (Microservices, Containers, Zero Trust)  
  • Threat Modeling (STRIDE, MITRE ATT&CK), Incident Response, and Digital Forensics  
  • Vendor Risk Management and Third-Party Security Evaluations  
  • Trustworthy AI Standards (NIST AI RMF, OWASP, ATLAS)  
  • Public Speaking, Technical Writing, and Industry Contributions (Books, Whitepapers, Conferences)

Career Accomplishments

  • Spearheaded the implementation of the first-ever Cybersecurity program for a leading eCommerce company, including compliance automation for GDPR, CCPA, and PCI frameworks.
  • Authored over 20 solution design documents , white papers, and RFP responses to support cloud security capabilities across multiple organizations, including JupiterOne and Armor Defense.
  • Pioneered the architecture of the INDUSTRY’S FIRST proof-of-concepts for Software Defined Networking (SDN) using Nicira’s Virtual Distributed Switch technology (now VMware NSX).
  • Achieved #1 Product Rating in 2006 for Web Application Firewall by Forrester Research, surpassing competitors like Citrix, F5, and Imperva while doubling customer count and revenue to $7.7M at NetContinuum.
  • Consistently positioned Trustwave as the #1 Leader in Managed Security Services (MSS) across 95 customers in the US Western Region, despite a Gartner ranking of #2, closing $7M in revenue.
  • Designed and implemented a secure CI/CD pipeline adhering to OWASP CI/CD Top 10 Recommendations, enhancing DevSecOps practices for Jenkins and Bitbucket processes.
  • Built the first AWS CloudFormation Template for deploying a Citrix XenApp farm in AWS, leveraging custom AMIs and PowerShell scripts, setting industry standards for cloud deployments.
  • Authored 5 books and videos on technical marketing, cybersecurity, and cloud technologies, published by Amazon and Packt Publishing, establishing thought leadership in the industry.
  • Created proprietary tools such as a Node.js-based competitive radar tool integrated with Twilio SMS, SendGrid Email, and WordPress Blog for innovative CRM deployment at Trustwave.
  • Rolled out a National CDN for Charter Communications Video on Demand, leveraging Akamai technologies and achieving consistent revenue targets exceeding $3M annually.
  • Developed and documented 20+ deployment guides for Citrix products across AWS VPC and hybrid cloud environments, enabling scalable adoption by enterprise customers.
  • Secured 3 U.S. patents for innovations in network threat detection, VoIP security, and mitigation of rapidly propagating threats from P2P, IRC, and gaming platforms.
  • Architected and deployed the CDN-in-a-Box solution using OpenStack, automating the deployment of a complete CDN platform via BASH scripting for Nova Compute, Neutron Networking, and Cinder block storage.
  • Actively contributed to Cloud Security Alliance working groups , guiding the development of whitepapers on DevSecOps, container security, and microservices architectures.
  • Delivered TV production-quality demo videos showcasing API security use cases, attacker scripts, backend endpoints, and Kubernetes integrations, enhancing internal and external training resources.
  • Authored the first-ever Web Application Firewall Performance Test Plan , adopted by the Web Application Security Consortium (WASC), setting new industry benchmarks for performance evaluation.
  • Established the MWG TME Lab at Cisco, enabling interoperability testing with NMS/OSS partners and providing a live demo environment for mobile wireless solutions.
  • Achieved 100% RFx down select rate as a top finalist in all managed security services proposals, driving customer trust and engagement.
  • Doubled customer adoption and revenue growth for Extreme Networks’ Sentriant™ product line, securing key enterprise clients through strategic positioning and competitive analysis.
  • Authored solution design documents and led technical pre-sales discussions for complex implementations of Akamai’s KONA Site Defender, Web Application Firewall, and DDoS mitigation solutions.
  • Integrated eco-system solutions such as APIgee, Solo Gloo, and Kubernetes , pioneering advanced API security strategies for cloud-native environments.

Certifications & Courses

  • Certified Information Security Services Professional (CISSP)
  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
  • Certified Secure Email Gateway Sales Professional (CSSP)
  • Certified DbProtect Instructor (Database Security)
  • Carbon Black Essentials (MDRe)
  • Citrix Certified Sales Specialist (CCSS)
  • INFOSEC Professional (Certified by NSA & CNSS)
  • Cisco IDS Specialist (CIDS)
  • Cisco VPN Specialist (CVPN)
  • Cisco PIX Firewall Specialist (CPIX)
  • Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP)
  • Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
  • Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
  • Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)

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