Greg Whipple, Information Security Analyst III, is new to the Digital Forensics and Incident Response Team. In his role, Greg will perform forensic analysis of log data to further investigations into potential system compromises. Greg will also recommend ways to improve our processes and tools.
Greg started his journey in information security with the US Navy. During those six years, he worked primarily with ship radio sets. At his first command in Norfolk, VA, the people in charge discovered that Greg had a basic understanding of computers. That earned him a place in the IT shop, where he learned to enjoy IT work. After the Navy, Greg spent several years as an IT contractor. He acknowledges that it was a time when his “decisions on where to go next were always based on exposing myself to new technologies.”
Eventually, the Air Force contracted Greg to work on Active Directory and Exchange. His experience with the Air Force led to an Office 365 email migration contract with WashU. After the migration, Greg stayed at WashU to support the system and collaborated with several members of the InfoSec team. Two of his favorite activities in an occupation are pattern recognition and investigation, so when he learned that the Information Security Analyst position was available, he applied immediately.
Commenting on Information Security programs, Greg believes “that most people severely underestimate the impact that solid Information Security policies and processes can have on an organization’s control of its data.” In his opinion, an effective technical side of an information security program should strive to “keep the end user from ever knowing that we are there” by not interrupting their workflows.
During his free time, Greg enjoys going bowling and playing video games. Regardless of the activity, a song is always playing in his head. He describes himself as an open person, so “if there’s anything you want to know, then ask away. Just be warned, I’m likely to overshare”. When asked about his favorite part of his job, Greg responded with appreciation for the “chance to work with, and learn from, some absolutely amazing people.”