09/20/2007
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to recommend Jon-Michael C. Brook as an instructor for information security and CISSP preparation.
I first worked with Mr. Brook six years ago when I joined Raytheon as a systems security engineer. Though new to the company, Mr. Brook had quickly established himself as a technical lead on several secure systems integration projects. One of these projects was the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NCMI), the largest secure network enterprise in existence at that time. Mr. Brook was also heavily involved in technical education. He frequently attended seminars and training on cutting edge developments in network and operating systems security, and then distilled what he had learned into seminars for our staff.
Mr. Brook was encouraged by Raytheon to create a CISSP certification program in 2002. Tasked by senior management, he coordinated prep classes and study groups. He taught several multi-hour seminars, each devoted to a different domain of the CISSP curriculum. For these seminars, Mr. Brook prepared his own syllabi, visual aids, and lecture and study materials. Those who participated in the program celebrated Mr. Brook's organization and clear presentations. Pass rates were very high. Mr. Brook's seminars were videotaped and are still used by Raytheon for proprietary, in-house training.
In 2002 and 2003, Mr. Brook and I worked together to coach teams of undergraduates from the University of Florida. These students were technically proficient but knew little about information security. Mr. Brook and I educated them about security models and concepts, system lifecycles, and other issues relevant to the CISSP domains. Again, Mr. Brook's expertise and communication skills were invaluable in preparing the students. For their senior projects, one student team succeeded in integrating a biometric authentication system. Another team PKI-enabled a multi-level secure file system, while a third team secured an enterprise-wide IDS management system.
Though Mr. Brook and I both left Raytheon - he in 2003 and I in 2004 - we have maintained a strong professional relationship. I continue to benefit from Mr. Brook's perspective on the information security industry and his knowledge of emerging technologies. Based on my years of experience in the field, and my personal knowledge of Mr. Brook, I believe that he is exceedingly qualified to lead people to success in their CISSP certifications, or in any other information security training they undertake.
Respectfully,
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David Grindlinger
Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton
Information Assurance and Resilience (A&R)
