Huntress was founded in 2015 by former NSA cyber operators who believe enterprise-grade protection shouldn't be reserved for the 1%. Since those early days, we've grown considerably, and now we're a global team of passionate experts and ethical badasses on a mission to break down barriers in cybersecurity. And among those badasses is Ben Bernstein, Manager, Cybersecurity Advisors.
In this edition of our Employee Spotlight series, we sit down with Ben, a teammate who brings a sharp, practical approach to security. As you'll see, he embodies our values of taking ownership and delivering extreme value without unnecessary complexity.
Here's his story.
What's your role at Huntress?
Ben: My official title is "Manager, Cybersecurity Advisors." What that means is I lead our Cybersecurity Advisors team, which is a small, high-touch group of seasoned security experts. They do it all, essentially serving as trusted advisors, brand evangelists, and consultants to our most strategic accounts.
Always ready to share his expertise, Ben stands before the cameras.
Who do you know that's been hacked? Tell us about the experience and how it impacted your decision to work in cybersecurity.
Ben: I once helped a Fortune 500 company respond to a zero day, which, for those who might not be familiar, is a vulnerability nobody had patched yet that attackers were already exploiting. What made this one especially bad was that I was out of the office on my five-year wedding anniversary.
I vividly remember asking my wife to drive to our reservation while I threw on headphones and took the call from the passenger seat of our rental car. The Zoom call had around 30 people join, and we worked in real time to recommend both temporary and long-term security controls, as well as monitoring solutions to help secure their environment.
The call lasted about 30 minutes, where I fielded questions from the CISO, coordinated the implementation of new tooling with the SOC director, and helped delegate tasks and roles to other members of my team, who were able to cover for me while I was out of the office.
Attackers always seem to know the worst possible time to make a move against you, and that's why this work matters so much. It reinforces why I do this. And honestly, I enjoy handling high-stakes situations. Huntress promotes the "warrior spirit," and in tough times, I like to think I embody it. I've certainly learned to stay cool amid the chaos because that's how I can best help teams navigate threats when everything's on the line.
Tell us what you've learned about security since joining Huntress.
Ben: Security doesn't have to come with a massive price tag. I'm a big proponent of leveraging existing technologies and controls you already own to achieve great cyber outcomes before you go out and buy new, shiny solutions off the shelf.
Looking back at incidents like that zero day response, most of the answer was fundamentals. Educate people and give them what they need to stay secure.
Instead of assuming you need complex, expensive tools to stop an incident, the most effective path forward is to lean into resourceful, proactive controls and empower your team with the knowledge they need to defend themselves.
The Huntress Takeaway
As a leader among Huntress' Cybersecurity Advisors, Ben is quite a busy guy these days. His expertise and insights are sought after by leading publications, most recently Politico, Security Week, and The Wall Street Journal.
His anniversary story is a clear example of what happens when high-stakes threats meet real-world dedication. His willingness to show up to guide 30 people through a critical zero day crisis reflects one of Huntress' core commitments to "give a $h*t" and take the lead when solutions are needed most.
Ben's perspective aligns directly with the Huntress mission. Cyber equality isn't achieved by throwing endless money at bloated enterprise software. It comes from smart strategy, maximizing resourceful controls, and democratizing security so every organization gets a fair shot at doing business safely.
Want to work alongside other selfless, ethical badasses like Ben who are changing the security game? Explore our open remote positions on the Huntress Careers page.
