Marcus Thompson

Cyber Security Professional
Phone: (555) 234-5678
Address: Austin, TX
Website: https://linkedin.com/in/marcusthompson
Email:
  • Security-focused IT professional with hands-on experience in vulnerability assessment and incident response through academic projects and enterprise home lab environments
  • Completed 8 TryHackMe learning paths and 25+ HackTheBox machines with focus on web application security and network penetration testing
  • Currently pursuing CySA+ certification with scheduled exam date in December 2024, building on CompTIA Security+ foundation

Work Experience

CyberDefense Solutions Inc.

IT Security Intern

June 2024 - August 2024
  • Monitored SIEM dashboards using Splunk Enterprise, analyzing 500+ daily security events and escalating 12 confirmed incidents to senior analysts
  • Conducted vulnerability assessments on 25 client networks using Nessus and OpenVAS, identifying critical vulnerabilities and reducing average remediation time by 40%
  • Developed PowerShell scripts to automate log collection from Windows endpoints, improving incident response efficiency by 35%
  • Assisted in forensic analysis of malware samples using REMnux toolkit, documenting IOCs and contributing to 3 threat intelligence reports

TechCorp Solutions

IT Support Specialist

September 2022 - May 2024
  • Implemented secure onboarding procedures for 75+ new employees, ensuring proper access controls, MFA setup, and security awareness training completion
  • Identified and reported 5 potential security incidents through unusual user behavior patterns, including 2 confirmed phishing attempts
  • Maintained security patch compliance across 200+ endpoints, achieving 98% patch deployment rate within 72-hour vulnerability window
  • Created and delivered security awareness presentations to 150+ staff members, reducing successful phishing simulation rates by 60%

University of Texas IT Department

Network Administrator (Part-time)

January 2022 - August 2022
  • Configured and maintained pfSense firewalls protecting 500+ student lab computers, implementing custom rules to block malicious traffic
  • Deployed network monitoring solutions using PRTG and Wireshark, identifying and mitigating 3 DDoS attacks against university infrastructure
  • Documented network security procedures and created incident response playbooks for common attack scenarios

Education

University of Texas at Austin

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

May 2022
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Relevant Coursework: Network Security, Digital Forensics, Ethical Hacking, Cryptography, Security Risk Management, Incident Response
Capstone Project: Developed machine learning-based intrusion detection system using Python and Scikit-learn, achieving 94% accuracy in detecting network anomalies

Technical Skills

Security Tools

  • SIEM Platforms: Splunk Enterprise (6 months hands-on), Security Onion (Home lab deployment)
  • Vulnerability Assessment: Nessus Professional, OpenVAS, Qualys VMDR (Community edition)
  • Network Analysis: Wireshark (Regular use), tcpdump, Nmap (Advanced scanning techniques)
  • Penetration Testing: Metasploit Framework, Burp Suite Professional, OWASP ZAP

Programming & Scripting

  • Python: Security automation scripts, API integrations, data analysis
  • PowerShell: Windows security administration, log analysis, automated reporting
  • Bash: Linux system administration, security tool automation
  • SQL: Database security queries, log analysis, threat hunting

Frameworks & Standards

  • NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Risk assessment and security controls implementation
  • MITRE ATT&CK: Threat modeling and detection rule development
  • OWASP Top 10: Web application security testing and remediation
  • ISO 27001: Information security management principles

Certifications

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601)

CompTIA

March 2024 - March 2027

CompTIA Network+ (N10-008)

CompTIA

December 2023 - December 2026

Splunk Core Certified User

Splunk

July 2024

CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-003)

CompTIA

Scheduled: December 2024

Security Lab Environment

Enterprise Virtual Network

Architected isolated virtual network with 20+ VMs simulating enterprise environment using VMware vSphere

Security Monitoring

Deployed Security Onion for network monitoring and configured custom Sigma rules for threat detection

Incident Response Automation

Created automated incident response playbooks using SOAR principles and Python scripting

Attack Documentation

Documented 15+ attack scenarios and defensive strategies in personal knowledge base with detailed remediation steps

Awards and Achievements

2nd Place - Texas Cyber Defense Competition 2024

Texas Cyber Defense Competition

2024
  • Led 4-person team in defending simulated corporate network against red team attacks over 8-hour competition
  • Successfully identified and mitigated 18 critical vulnerabilities while maintaining business services uptime

Bug Bounty Recognition

Microsoft Security Response Center

September 2024
  • Discovered stored XSS vulnerability in Microsoft Teams web application affecting enterprise users
  • Awarded $3,500 bounty and public acknowledgment in Microsoft's quarterly security report

Academic Excellence

University of Texas at Austin

2021-2022
  • Dean's List - Fall 2021, Spring 2022
  • Outstanding Senior Project Award - UT Cybersecurity Department

Publications and Research

Detecting Advanced Persistent Threats Using Machine Learning Behavioral Analysis

Personal Security Blog

October 2024
  • Analyzed 100+ APT attack patterns and developed ML detection model with 91% accuracy rate
  • Article received 8,000+ views and cited by SANS Internet Storm Center weekly digest

Contributing Author - OWASP Testing Guide v5

OWASP

June 2024
  • Contributed 2 sections on API security testing methodologies and GraphQL vulnerability assessment

Additional Security Engagement

Bug Bounty Programs

Active bug bounty participant on HackerOne and Bugcrowd - Reported 7 valid vulnerabilities across 5 programs

PicoCTF 2024

2024
Completed 48/50 challenges, specializing in web exploitation and reverse engineering

TryHackMe Profile

Top 3% ranking with 18 completed learning paths and 250+ machines compromised

SANS Community Instructor

Volunteer instructor for "Introduction to Digital Forensics" workshop series