Alan, a gentle but relentless champion for cybersecurity education, believed that the future of our nation depends on developing a diverse pipeline of trained professionals who can defend digital systems from the ever-growing onslaught of cyber-attacks. This mission became his life’s work, and he constantly strived to find unique ways to identify talent while also expanding opportunities for security professionals to learn and practice their technical skills. Alan’s idealized vision for a safer and more secure future begot his reputation as a man before his time. It’s this vision that became the foundation for creating SANS Institute in 1989. His efforts launched what is now the world’s largest cybersecurity research and training organization, developing more than 40,000 cybersecurity practitioners each year.