Michael Hixon currently works as a security consultant with a focus on penetration testing and web application security. He previously served in the United States Marine Corp, where he was an infantryman, security forces member, and counterintelligence agent. After the military, he worked as a programmer before changing his focus to IT security. He has worked for the Red Cross, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and numerous intelligence agencies in his career. He holds a bachelors degree in management information systems and multiple professional information-security certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), eLearnSecurity Web Application Penetration Tester (eWPT), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester (eCPPT). He currently runs the Baltimore chapter of the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP).