Cybersecurity Professional
HI, I'M SAMA.
I am a growing cybersecurity professional with credentials from CompTIA, ISC2, and Microsoft, among others. I have 8 years of experience working in small business environments across non-profit, retail, engineering, and MSP sectors in administrative, service-oriented, and technical capacities. I have a passion for personal and professional development, sharing my knowledge, and helping people. These days when I'm not working, you can typically find me doing my own nails, learning to sew, or developing my IT home lab!
CAREER INTERESTS PROFILE
According to the O*NET Interest Profiler
INVESTIGATIVE
I love analyzing data and figuring out how things work. I am willing to put in the time and effort needed to fully understand complex problems.
REALISTIC
I take pleasure in doing hands-on, practical work. I like learning and exploring new tools, and can thrive independently with minimal supervision.
ARTISTIC
Although somewhat contradictory to the 'Conventional' interest, I do have a strong sense of curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom.
CONVENTIONAL
I enjoy work that has set procedures and routines. I prefer working with information and paying attention to details rather than ideas.
SOCIAL
I am also driven by my desire to help people and make a positive impact in the world. I enjoy supporting teams, my community, and working towards a greater good.
ENTERPRISING
I like starting up, carrying out, and seeing projects through to completion. I prefer taking actionable steps toward a goal rather than just thinking about it.
PROJECTS
Coming Soon!
WORK HISTORY
October 2023 - Present
SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE ANALYST
Hired to consult with MSP clients and provide guidance for adhering to various cybersecurity compliance standards and frameworks.
Developing compliance strategies and roadmaps to meet cybersecurity standards, regulations, and industry best practices.
Conducting risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and developing mitigation strategies to reduce the risks.
Implementing and managing security controls and technologies necessary for compliance.
Creating and maintaining documentation that demonstrates compliance with regulations.
Preparing reports and evidence for compliance audits.
August 2022 - October 2023
SECURITY ANALYST TRAINING | PROFESSIONAL GOAL PURSUIT
Self-directed career retraining with the goal of entering the field of information security.
Earned Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification (SC-900).
Earned CompTIA Network+ certification.
Earned CompTIA Security+ certification.
Earned Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Analyst certification.
Earned ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity certification.
Currently pursuing Google Project Management certification as part of the free program provided by The American Dream Academy and Coursera
Security Operations Center Analyst - Remote | June 2023 - December 2023
Joined a cohort at CyberNow Labs for hands-on training to gain familiarity with the top enterprise security industry tools.
Prioritized and triaged security incident alerts based on threat severity and sensitivity.
Analyzed alerts from SIEM and EDR/XDR software, logs, firewall, and threat intelligence sources to detect potential security breaches and suspicious activity.
Provided prompt, detailed incident reports documenting findings and actions taken for organizational learning & compliance purposes.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to coordinate incident remediation efforts.
Assisted in the fine-tuning of SIEM tools, enhancing the accuracy of threat detection.
March 2021 - August 2022
HELP DESK TECHNICIAN
Recruited to provide Level 1 technical support and customer service to MSP clients, serving local small businesses remotely from the company office or traveling to assist customers on site.
Formulated a successful personal approach to efficient customer problem resolution.
Proactively monitored managed devices and automated patch management.
Served as a liaison between company clients and external vendors.
Orchestrated end-to-end identity lifecycle processes for company clients, from onboarding to offboarding.
Generated internal knowledge base articles, reducing the time it took for newer associates to complete repeating tasks using established processes.
June 2018 - March 2021
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN TECHNICIAN
Hired to assist the Senior CAD Technician in completing assignments and meeting project deadlines.
Increased department productivity, doubling collaboration efforts between trades to support the completion of local construction projects ranging from high schools to sports stadiums.
Slashed company expenses by generating cost effective, efficient product installation plans.
December 2015 - June 2018
CONTENT MANAGER, WEB MERCHANDISING
Originally hired for product photography, but jumped at the opportunity to quickly transition into a new, more technical role when the previous product photographer returned for their position.
Coordinated the migration of company eCommerce website to new webstore platform, optimizing user experience.
Verified synchronization between the point-of-sale system and web store stock, ensuring accuracy.
EDUCATION
LINKEDIN LEARNING | CYBRARY | UDEMY | COURSERA | CYBERNOW LABS
I'm continuously growing my technical skill set. I take advantage of both free and paid learning resources to expand my working knowledge.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
My degree program provided me with an exceptional foundation for an IT career. Core courses include Computer Data Analysis, Human Computer Interaction, Computer Operating Systems, Information Storage and Retrieval, and Applied Computer Networking. My electives focused in System Administration and Application Development with courses including IT Automation and Web Application Development.
Minor in Art | FIU College of Architecture and the Arts
Due to my passion for creative expression I chose to minor in Art, taking studio courses including Photography (film), Digital Media, Experimental Video Art, and Introduction to Time Art.
[FUTURE PLAN - NOT CURRENTLY ENROLLED] - MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CYBERSECURITY AND INFORMATION ASSURANCE
I am looking forward to enrolling in the Masters program from Western Governors University sometime within the next five years.
CERTIFICATIONS
As challenging as it is to keep up in this industry, I am committed to continuing my education to maintain relevant skills and knowledge. These are the certifications I have earned to date:
Currently pursuing:
Google Project Management (free as part of TADA)
Future pursuits:
CompTIA CySa+ (as part of WGU's masters program)
CompTIA PenTest+ (as part of WGU's masters program)
CompTIA CASP+ (as part of WGU's masters program)
ISACA CISM (as part of WGU's masters program)
ISC2 CISSP (because when I get there, why not?)
BLUE CHIP RECRUIT AWARD
August 2023
Award for dedicating 180+ hours to gaining proficiency in the top enterprise-level cybersecurity tools including:
Splunk Enterprise Security SIEM
IBM Qradar SIEM
Revelstoke SOAR
SentinelOne EDR
CrowdStrike Falcon EDR
Proofpoint Email Security
And more