About

About

Hi, I’m Chris Pham — a Computer Science student at the University of Central Florida with a focus on cybersecurity, threat detection, and security operations. I started this blog to document my journey through the ever evolving landscape of hacking and to share insights, tips, and resources with fellow enthusiasts.

Whether I’m diving into the latest security vulnerabilities, experimenting with new tools, or writing tutorials, my goal is to create a space where both beginners and seasoned hackers can learn and grow together.

Education

University of Central Florida — Bachelor of Science, Computer Science

Experience

Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst — Lab Environment

  • Solved 100+ CTF challenges simulating real-world security operations and achieved an 87% vulnerability detection rate
  • Built Python automation that reduced manual threat triage by 65% and analyzed 10GB+ of packet captures to identify indicators of compromise
  • Documented 50+ incident response procedures aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework

WordPress Security Specialist

  • Hardened 25+ SME enterprise websites and maintained zero breaches over 18 months
  • Detected 95% of SQL injection attempts through custom monitoring solutions
  • Reduced overall attack surface by 70% through WAF/SSL configuration and quarterly assessments

Security Projects

  • Enterprise Network Defense Simulator — Multi-tier SOC lab using Splunk, Python, and VMware; ingesting 50GB+ logs across 25 detection rules with 25% MTTR reduction
  • KeyLogger — Endpoint Monitoring Research Tool — Python/Win32 defensive research project for studying EDR detection and evasion techniques
  • Malware Analysis Platform — Python/YARA/VirusTotal scanner analyzing 500+ samples at 93% accuracy with 80+ ransomware-targeted YARA rules

Technical Skills

  • SIEM & Monitoring: Splunk, Pspy, syslog, full incident lifecycle management
  • Security Tools: Wireshark, Nmap, Burp Suite, Metasploit, Autopsy, John the Ripper, Netcat
  • Languages: Python, Bash, PowerShell, SQL, C++, Java, regex for log parsing
  • Platforms: Kali Linux, Windows Server, Ubuntu, VMware, Docker, AWS Security, Cloudflare WAF

Achievements

🏆 1st Place — FlagOps INIT @ FIU 2025

🥈 2nd Place — Waymo’s ShellHacks (300+ teams)

🥉 3rd Place — Lockdown UBDEFNET 2026

🥉 3rd Place — HackMiami XII 2025

🥉 3rd Place — Hack The Flag SFISSA 2024

🦈 Dean’s List 2024 at MDC (Spring – Summer – Fall)

Certifications

ISC2 — Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) — ID: 2166799 — 2025

CompTIA — Linux+ — System hardening and security concepts (2024)

CodePath — Intermediate Cybersecurity — Credential: 219886 — 2024

Google — Cybersecurity Professional Certificate — Credential: VG2VAD3AJEEX — 2023

Miami Dade College — Associate in Science, Cybersecurity — Diploma