The SANS Institute (officially the Escal Institute of Advanced Technologies) is a private U.S. for-profit company[1] founded in 1989 that specializes in information security, cybersecurity training, and selling certificates. Topics available for training include cyber and network defenses, penetration testing, incident response, digital forensics, and auditing.[2] The information security courses are developed through a consensus process involving administrators, security managers, and information security professionals.