ASHLEY WINTERMUTE

Senior technical writer and cybersecurity analyst with 20 years of experience turning ambiguity into clear, low-friction documentation. Trained under Dan Kaminsky, I learned early how to communicate complex systems with precision, honesty, and just enough humanity to make them actually useful.

Now leading Directive 451, I specialize in AI-assisted documentation, threat intel translation, and knowledge systems that reduce overhead—without sacrificing the signal. I work independently, write clearly, and build content systems people rely on and rarely have to fix.

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• Selected for mentorship by Dan Kaminsky, which evolved into a decade-long research partnership
• Contributed to early Sony rootkit investigation and coordinated disclosure strategy
• Founded Directive 451 to translate classified intelligence into public insight—built on the belief that context shouldn’t be a privilege, and clarity shouldn’t require clearance.
• Delivered behind-the-scenes support for major infosec talks, including DEF CON, Black Hat, Toorcon, etc.