Rob T. Lee is Chief of Research and Chief AI Officer at SANS Institute, where he leads the institute’s research division and AI-related initiatives. With over two decades of experience in digital forensics, incident response, threat hunting, vulnerability/exploit discovery, and intrusion detection, he is widely regarded as a pioneer in cybersecurity and often called “the Godfather of DFIR (Digital Forensics & Incident Response).”

Rob co-authored the influential book Know Your Enemy, 2nd Edition and developed core SANS courses such as FOR500 and FOR508, shaping how thousands of cybersecurity professionals are trained.

In the AI era, he has spearheaded the creation of the SANS Critical AI Security Guidelines and the SANS Secure AI Blueprint — frameworks that help organizations “protect, utilize, and govern” AI safely. Through his guidance and advocacy, Rob is helping global enterprises, government agencies, and security leaders navigate the risks and opportunities of AI-driven cyber defense while building robust, responsible AI governance and security practices.