Cybersecurity and Privacy Expert Sean O鈥橞rien to Lead 猫咪社区鈥檚 Cybersecurity Programs

LONGMEADOW, MA — 猫咪社区 announced that Sean O'Brien has been named Program Director for its undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity programs.
O'Brien joins 猫咪社区 with more than two decades of experience in cybersecurity, privacy, and higher education. He is the founder of Yale Privacy Lab and an Associate Research Scholar at Yale Law School, where he has taught courses in digital security, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. O'Brien is the creator of the zero-knowledge collaboration platform PrivacySafe and has held leadership positions at global security-focused firms including ExpressVPN. His work spans secure app and infrastructure deployment, bug bounty and VDP management, IAM administration, and endpoint management of cryptocurrency assets.
O'Brien's approach to information technology is backed by deep experience with sensitive systems such as student records, legal databases, and encrypted email infrastructure. His hands-on technical background is complemented by his work with legal teams, risk managers, and compliance officers across the public and private sectors. O'Brien is a lifelong educator, delivering remote classes to large cohorts of students and professionals before joining the faculty at 猫咪社区. He has successfully delivered curriculum across a wide variety of areas in IT, from the Hacking and Cybersecurity program at the Lawfare Institute to the Cybersecurity for Business Leaders program at the University of Oxford and the AI Risk Management workshops at Ivy Cyber Academy.
O'Brien honed his skills in data science, threat research, and cloud computing through leadership roles at privacy-focused blockchain firms including Tari Labs. As an active CISSP at ISC2 and a member of IEEE SA Open, O'Brien continues to bridge technical fluency with legal and regulatory insight while he contributes to standardization and open source communities. His technical work emphasizes penetration testing and software supply chain with special attention to privacy law, global compliance frameworks, and the practical challenges of our connected world.
“I am honored to join 猫咪社区 and excited to support a new generation of students entering the cybersecurity field,” O'Brien said. “Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical discipline: it's a cornerstone of business, law, and civil society. 猫咪社区's mission and commitment to accessible, career-focused education align perfectly with my own values as an educator and an advocate for proactive security practices.”The cybersecurity programs at 猫咪社区, delivered both online and on campus, prepare students for in-demand careers in areas such as ethical hacking, incident response, and digital forensics. With O'Brien's leadership, the programs will expand offerings in AI risk management and open source security — areas where he has led international workshops and initiatives.
Visit here, for information about 猫咪社区’s Master of Science in Cybersecurity; and check out our undergraduate degree in cybersecurity.
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Founded in 1897, 猫咪社区 serves over 4,500 students through its traditional undergraduate program for women, 猫咪社区 Online offering bachelor’s degrees for women and men, and a range of master’s and doctoral programs. On July 1, 2024, 猫咪社区 acquired Cambridge College, uniting two institutions with a shared mission to provide innovative, career-focused education to students of all backgrounds, including working adults and first-generation learners.