Elizabeth Houser

Elizabeth Houser has held a variety of roles in the field of cyber security, data analysis, and research. In 2015, they began their role as Director of Cyber Defense at DefenseStorm, where they managed ten security personnel, team performance and engagement, and security operations. Elizabeth also monitored, analyzed, and resolved security incidents relative to Tier 1 and Tier 2-level events utilizing the DefenseStorm Security Data Platform/SIEM. Prior to this, they were a Senior Taxonomist at Term Management, LLC, where they created data labels, tags, and security structures for a company designing taxonomies and ontologies for a diverse client base. In 2013, they were an Intern in the Criminal Investigations Division, Major Crimes Unit at the King County Sheriff's Office, where they aided investigations by retrieving and analyzing geographic information systems GIS, social media, and database repositories. From 2011 to 2012, they were an Assistant at the Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington, where they cataloged 2K+ theses, dissertations, and materials. From 2005 to 2011, they were a Graduate Research Assistant at the Molecular Systematics Lab at the University of Tennessee, where they collected insects and analyzed their DNA sequences via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis for comparison of mitochondrial and nuclear genes.

Elizabeth Houser has an extensive educational background. Elizabeth obtained a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Zoology from the University of Oklahoma in 2005. Elizabeth then went on to earn a Master of Science (MS) in Entomology & Plant Pathology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2007. In 2010, they completed their Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Washington in Library and Information Science. In 2014, they earned an Associate’s Degree in Information Security and Digital Forensics from Edmonds College. In addition to their degrees, Houser has obtained a number of certifications, including Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) from ISACA in 2021, Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) from ISACA in 2021, Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) from ISACA in 2021, Certified Meraki Network Operator from Cisco in 2017, Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) from the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists in 2015, and Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) (CS0-001) from CompTIA in 2018. Elizabeth also has certifications from Microsoft, MITRE Engenuity, Tenable, and the Public Agency Training Council.