A message from the President commemorating 25 years of SDSUG.
Twenty‑five years ago, in September 2001, a small group of cybersecurity practitioners gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, the Valley of the Sun, to share knowledge, compare notes, and support one another in a rapidly changing field. That gathering became the Sonoran Desert Security User Group (SDSUG) — Arizona’s first cybersecurity community, and one of the longest‑running practitioner groups in the country.
For more than two decades, SDSUG has been a constant presence in an industry defined by change. Engineers, analysts, architects, leaders, and students have passed through this community across generations, finding a place where learning is shared freely, where experience is valued, and where the culture has always been grounded in trust rather than noise.
Like many long‑standing institutions, SDSUG has seen seasons of momentum and seasons of quiet. Even during the years when in‑person meetings paused, the group never went dark. The newsletter continued. Conference access continued. The community’s identity and continuity were preserved through the steady dedication of its founder, Leo J. Hauguel — a practitioner who has served this field for nearly six decades and carried this group for twenty‑five years.
This Silver Anniversary is not only a celebration of longevity; it is a recognition of resilience. SDSUG endured because one person refused to let it fade, and because thousands of practitioners across Arizona believed in the value of a space built by and for the community.
This year marks another milestone: the first leadership transition in SDSUG’s history, as stewardship passes from its founder to its first non‑founder President. It is fitting that this moment arrives in the anniversary year — a reminder that institutions endure when responsibility is shared, when history is honored, and when the next generation steps forward to carry the work.
As we look ahead, the purpose remains unchanged. SDSUG will continue to be a place where practitioners connect, learn, and support one another; where community is built on generosity rather than promotion; and where the culture that sustained this group for twenty‑five years remains its guiding strength.
To everyone who has been part of SDSUG’s story — in the early days, in the quiet years, or in the present moment — thank you for helping this community endure. The next chapter begins with the same principles that shaped the first: continuity, integrity, and a commitment to the people who make this field stronger.
It is a quiet but meaningful coincidence that this Silver Anniversary Message became the fiftieth page in SDSUG’s modern archive — a small sign of the decades still ahead, and for the one who will write the Golden Anniversary Message in our fiftieth year.
Hunter Storm, CISO, Advisory Board Member, SOC Black Ops Team, Systems Architect, Originator of Human-Layer Security
President, Sonoran Desert Security User Group (SDSUG)®
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterstorm/
SDSUG LinkedIn Group: AZSDSUG
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Last Updated: March 2026