At Security Blue Team (SBT), our technical team powers our mission to deliver top-notch cybersecurity training, and David Elliott, our Principal Defensive Content Engineer, is at the heart of that effort.
If you’ve encountered David’s work through our BTLO platform or perhaps met him at a BSides event, you’re in for a treat with this closer look at his story. With a spark of curiosity, a hacker’s mindset, and a passion for creating real-world learning experiences, David is a driving force in making SBT’s cybersecurity training both engaging and impactful for our clients.
What makes David stand out is his ability to blend technical wizardry with a creative touch, turning complex cyber challenges into accessible, inspiring lessons. Let’s dive into his world and see how he’s shaping the future of cybersecurity training.
A Role That Sparks Innovation
David’s role at SBT is as varied as it is vital. He explains, “My role is Principal Content Engineer and it involves creating interesting, realistic training scenarios for people in the cybersecurity industry, developing new lab styles – detection engineering and CI/CD were fun – creating the syllabus and writing new certifications, mentoring staff, management and leadership.”
From designing immersive labs to guiding the next generation of SBT talent, David’s work ensures our clients get training that’s both practical and forward-thinking.
Delivering for Clients
David’s approach to creating content is deeply rooted in real-world experience. He says, “I take realistic scenarios I have seen in my own life and create engaging scenarios that inspire all students. I constantly review and adjust all content in our library to fine tune the student experience to make it easier and more engaging to learn.”
His focus on refining content keeps our training sharp, relevant, and tailored to help clients excel in cybersecurity.
A Day Full of Variety
David’s workday is anything but predictable. He describes it as “an extremely varied role: creating and developing bespoke tools to help the team create content at a faster rate, developing hands-on labs for e-learning material, developing competitive labs for our BTLO platform, systems administration for our longer running infrastructure that aids content development – C2 infrastructure, tooling, simulated corporate environments – malware development, research such as the SmartLoader Lua malware, social calls with the team where we play multiple online games across the globe (Ecuador to the Philippines), blog post writing, giving back to the community, networking with other professionals to keep on top of growing trends in the industry and identify common training gaps (Leeds cyber conference, BSides etc).”
This whirlwind of tasks reflects his knack for balancing creativity, technical skill, and community connection.
Why SBT?
The pull of SBT for David was clear. “The allure of getting into a startup company where it is greenfield, the ability to work cross-department in a collaborative fashion. Working very hard but getting massive rewards, Global Connect 2024 and 2025,” he says. “Also the mix of being able to write longform content and highly technical challenges allows me to develop both my technical skills and my soft skills.”
The chance to shape a startup’s future while flexing both his technical and creative muscles was a perfect fit.
The Joy of Creative Freedom
What fuels David’s passion is the creative freedom he enjoys in his role. “Being able to find an idea or topic, research how to do something, then create a bespoke lab, course, or post about the findings,” he says, “is something that’s difficult to explore in a typical cybersecurity role. The ability to test the efficacy of different attack methods, and the methods in which to detect them, make me a better all-rounder in the industry.”
Exploring attacks through multiple lenses – from EDR to SIEM tools – lets him craft training that’s as insightful as it is practical.
A Journey from Air to Cyber
David’s path to SBT is a testament to his adaptability. “I originally started studying Aerospace Systems Engineering at university. I was interested in the embedded control systems of aircraft and how the entire system came together and keeps aircraft in the sky,” he recalls. “However, that career path didn’t inspire me as much as IT and cybersecurity did, so I looked for a way to break into the cybersecurity industry and found that the RAF had a pathway into cyber.”
From the Royal Air Force to roles like Vulnerability Assessor and Red Teamer, David built a robust foundation, later earning an MSc in Advanced Security and Digital Forensics. His time at Hack The Box paved the way for his role at SBT, where he now thrives creating eLearning content and labs.
Big Dreams for SBT
David’s ambitions are bold. “My aim within the company is to create the best and most realistic content across the industry and make SBT the main name of cybersecurity training across the globe,” he says. “The end goal is to become CISO and convert the technical knowledge I have into actionable insights for the company and help those outside of the technical side to understand the risks and benefits.”
His vision is to elevate SBT to global leadership in cybersecurity training.
Life Beyond the Terminal
Outside the office, David’s life is full of adventure. “I have a wife and two lovely children that take up most of my time, but when I have the time I enjoy very much outdoors and hands-on hobbies – a much-needed break from dark rooms and terminals,” he says.
He lists passions like cooking global dishes, sailing, martial arts, surfing, hiking, woodworking, and even embroidery. From paragliding in Wales to solving Rubik’s-style puzzles, David’s energy shines through.
A Hacker’s Spark
As a kid, David was already tinkering with tech. “Early on in my childhood I found out that I could bypass the Windows 95 login screen – this ignited the hacker’s mindset in me (without knowing what a hacker was at the time),” he laughs.
His early mischief with school systems evolved into a lifelong passion for cybersecurity, mentored by online communities and fueled by curiosity.
Looking Forward
David is one of many talented members of SBT’s technical team, working alongside specialists to create cybersecurity training that empowers clients worldwide. His innovative labs and leadership help make our mission a reality.
Want to be part of our journey? Keep an eye on our careers page for your chance to join the next Face of SBT.
