Erik Bottomley

Background

About Erik Bottomley

With over 14 years of hands-on cybersecurity and network administration experience, I've built my career through dedication, continuous learning, and genuine passion for protecting organizations from cyber threats. I now lead regional security operations as Manager, Security Operations Americas at Avnet, where I oversee the Americas Cybersecurity Incident Response Team and manage escalations from our SOC operations. My journey started in infrastructure support, learning technology from the ground up through real-world problem solving. This foundation led me through systems and network administration and eventually into cybersecurity analysis at MUFG Bank, and now into a leadership role at Avnet. Every step has been earned through hard work, building relationships, and proving value through results rather than credentials alone. I currently hold Security+ certification and am actively pursuing CISSP certification in 2025. At Avnet, I lead the internal incident response team responsible for escalated threat investigations, advanced security analysis, and strategic security initiatives across the Americas. Working with our MSSP-managed SOC for initial alert triage, my team handles complex security incidents, implements SOAR playbooks, and collaborates with security engineering teams. My approach emphasizes accountability, collaboration, and operational metrics while ensuring alignment with global security strategy across hybrid environments. Throughout my career, I've maintained exceptional performance standards, including consistent quality excellence and faster incident resolution than industry benchmarks. My mission focuses on building high-performing incident response operations, managing vendor relationships, and developing security professionals who stay ahead of emerging threats through strategic planning and innovative detection capabilities.