Ric Messier

Ric Messier has been poking at computers and networks since the early 1980s, back when "hacking" meant finding creative ways to make things work rather than breaking them. These days, he's turned that curiosity into a thriving career as a cybersecurity expert, author, and educator who helps organizations stay one step ahead of the bad guys.

When he's not writing books (15 and counting!), Ric works as a security architect and consultant, helping Fortune 100 companies figure out just how secure—or not so secure—their systems really are. He's worn more tech hats than a haberdashery: programmer, system administrator, network engineer, security manager, VoIP engineer, consultant, and professor (including a stint at Harvard, which still amazes his younger self who was more interested in command lines than college lectures).

A firm believer that knowledge should be shared, not hoarded, Ric has dedicated much of his career to teaching others. He's developed master's degree programs in cybersecurity, taught countless students, and written books on everything from ethical hacking to Rust programming. His collection of certifications (CISSP, CCSP, AWS CCP, GCP ACE, and more) might be longer than some people's grocery lists, but he maintains that his best qualification is an insatiable curiosity about how things work—and how they can be made to work better.

Whether he's conducting penetration tests, architecting cloud security solutions, or explaining complex security concepts in ways that actually make sense, Ric brings the same blend of expertise, creativity, and pragmatism to everything he does. Just don't get him started on the importance of proper security controls unless you have a plate of spicy Thai food and a cold Coke Zero handy—you might be there a while.