Zachary brings a blend of technical expertise and communication skills to his work, shaped by his experience in education prior to transitioning into cybersecurity. His unique background allows him to translate complex concepts into clear, practical guidance, an approach he applies in client engagements.
His expertise spans cloud security, identity and access management, threat detection, vulnerability management, endpoint security, and compliance alignment across frameworks including CIS Microsoft 365 Benchmarks, ISO 27001, and SOC 2.
Prior to joining Creo, Zachary served as an Information Security Engineer at Opensity Solutions, where he led Microsoft 365 hardening initiatives, designed Conditional Access frameworks in Microsoft Entra ID, and managed endpoint security across a diverse client portfolio. His work included implementing and operating platforms such as Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Taegis XDR, Rapid7 InsightVM, and Carbon Black. He also supported ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 audit processes and led phishing simulations and security awareness programs. Zachary began his cybersecurity career as a Security Analyst, where he built a foundation in threat monitoring, incident investigation, and detection tuning.
Zachary takes a hands-on, practical approach to security, with a focus on building scalable and sustainable solutions. He maintains a personal lab environment integrated with Azure to test configurations, validate security controls, and stay current with evolving technologies.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Bellevue University, as well as a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Kansas. He holds numerous certifications, including Microsoft AZ-500, SC-200, and SC-300, along with CompTIA Security+ and ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity.
Fun Fact: Zachary spent two years living abroad in Germany as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant. He loves cheering on the Kansas Jayhawks and considers Allen Fieldhouse a second home.
