Born and raised in Lexington, KY, Ann Bransom has had a lifelong passion for technology. Graduating from Midway College in 2004 with degrees in both English Literature and Computer Information Systems, Ann began a career in full-stack web development. In 2017, having spent several years in a director role at Kentucky Educational Television managing a team of web and mobile-application developers, Ann decided it was time for a career change. Having had a lifetime fascination with criminal justice, an insatiable love of solving puzzles, and a career accumulating a wide skillset in multiple areas of technology, digital forensics felt like a perfect fit. After her first class, Ann knew this was the work she was meant to do.
Ann received her Bachelor’s in Computer Forensics and Digital Investigations from Champlain College in May of 2020. Champlain College was the first school to be designated as a National Center of Digital Forensics Academic Excellence by the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellences in Cyber Defense Education by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security. Champlain College’s digital forensics degree was named a Model Electronic Crime and Digital Investigation program by the National Institute of Justice. While still attending school, Ann worked as an intern with Cyber Agents and upon graduation became an independent contractor for the company. Ann came aboard as a full-time employee in March of 2021. In her time working for Cyber Agents, Ann has worked on dozens of cases performing acquisitions and forensic analysis. Additionally, Ann’s background in web and mobile application development has proved invaluable to reverse engineering applications and locating forensic artifacts that commercial forensic tools miss.
Outside of work, Ann has her hands full with her two school age daughters and her toddler son. She enjoys running, fostering kittens, and she and her husband share a weird passion for all things Halloween, including prop building and special effects makeup and prosthetics. Their home in downtown Winchester is the undisputed best house to visit on Halloween.