Chad Rikansrud

Chad Rikansrud is a Mainframe Security Researcher at Broadcom with over 30 years of experience in IT leadership within the financial services industry. He has held senior roles overseeing global datacenter operations, infrastructure, disaster recovery, and enterprise-wide System z storage. At Broadcom, Chad specializes in mainframe penetration testing, exploit development, and security assessments. He co-founded Evil Mainframe, the first hands-on mainframe penetration testing course, and is known for his groundbreaking work in mainframe hacking. Chad is a frequent speaker at major security conferences, including DEF CON, Black Hat, RSA, and SHARE. He is also recognized for his efforts to promote diversity in cybersecurity, collaborating with organizations like Black Girls Hack to mentor underrepresented groups. He shares his insights on mainframe security through blogs and industry publications.