Docs

Docs

Resume

Education

University of Central Florida — Orlando, FL

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science

Certifications & Achievements

  • Member of National Center of Academic Excellence (NCAE) and Collegiate Cyber Defense Competitions (CCDC)
  • ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) — ID: 2166799 — Industry-recognized entry-level certification (2025)
  • Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate — Credential: VG2VAD3AJEEX — 8-course specialization (2023)
  • CompTIA Linux+ — Certificate: 3K3IPVH1 — System hardening and security concepts (2024)
  • CodePath Intermediate Cybersecurity — Credential: 219886 — Advanced security concepts (2024)
  • Competition Champion: 1st FlagOps INIT@FIU - 2nd ShellHacks by Waymo (300+ teams - 3rd HackMiami XII - 3rd SFISSA CTF - 3rd Lockdown UBNETDEF 2026

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

Cybersecurity Experience

Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst — Lab Environment

HackTheBox, HackerNote, TryHackMe, PicoCTF — 100+ challenges completed · Blog: 7,000+ viewers

  • Solved 100+ CTF challenges simulating real-world security operations and achieved an 87% vulnerability detection rate
  • Built Python automation reducing manual threat triage by 65% and analyzed 10GB+ of packet captures to identify indicators of compromise; toolkit spans Splunk, IBM QRadar, and Wireshark alongside the full penetration-testing stack
  • Documented 50+ incident response procedures aligned to the MITRE ATT&CK framework for a technical blog audience

WordPress Security Specialist (Contract)

Remote — Secured 25+ SME websites

  • Secured 25+ SMB sites with zero breaches over 18 months; detected 95% of SQLi attempts via custom monitoring
  • Reduced vulnerability surface by 70% through WAF/SSL configuration and quarterly assessments
  • Delivered 15+ reports with CVSS scoring and prioritized remediation for critical findings

Security Projects

Enterprise Network Defense Simulator

Splunk, Python, VMware — Multi-tier SOC lab

  • Hardened 25 SMEs across 5 network segments; Splunk ingesting 50GB+ logs with 25 detection rules
  • Achieved 25% MTTR reduction via automated playbooks; simulated 15 APT scenarios with chain analysis

KeyLogger — Endpoint Monitoring Research Tool

Python, Win32 API, Sockets — Defensive research / EDR study

  • Engineered system-level keystroke monitoring to study endpoint detection evasion techniques
  • Captured keystrokes in real time and retrieved 4MB and public IP addresses from the target machine
  • Stored captured data in structured logs for later forensic analysis and EDR rule development

Malware Analysis Platform

Python, YARA, VirusTotal API

  • Developed scanner analyzing 500+ samples at 93% accuracy; authored 80+ YARA rules targeting ransomware
  • Automated sandbox processing 50 files daily for behavioral analysis and threat intelligence

Relevant Coursework

  • Digital Forensics — forensic lifecycle using Autopsy and John the Ripper to identify digital evidence
  • Cybersecurity Analysis (CySA+) — Wireshark packet analysis and SIEM methodologies for security identification

Cover Letter

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my strong interest in cybersecurity internship opportunities at your organization. As a Computer Science student at the University of Central Florida with multiple industry-recognized certifications, a record of competitive CTF success, and hands-on experience securing live production environments, I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to your security operations team.

My foundation rests on certifications including ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), CompTIA Linux+, the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, and CodePath Intermediate Cybersecurity. Alongside coursework at UCF, I have translated study into competitive results: 1st place at FlagOps INIT @ FIU, 2nd place at Waymo’s ShellHacks among 300+ teams, 3rd place at Lockdown UBNETDEF 2026, and additional top-three finishes at HackMiami XII and the SFISSA CTF.

In my SOC analyst lab environment, I have completed 100+ CTF challenges simulating real-world security operations and achieved an 87% vulnerability detection rate. I built Python automation that reduced manual threat triage by 65% and analyzed over 10GB of packet captures to identify indicators of compromise. My toolkit spans Splunk, IBM QRadar, and Wireshark, alongside the full penetration-testing stack including Metasploit, Burp Suite, and Nmap. I have documented 50+ incident response procedures aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, building a technical blog that has reached 7,000+ viewers in the cybersecurity community.

My contract work as a WordPress Security Specialist further demonstrates an ability to deliver measurable security outcomes. I hardened 25 SME enterprise websites and maintained zero breaches over 18 months, while detecting 95% of SQL injection attempts through custom monitoring solutions. Through systematic WAF configuration, SSL implementation, and quarterly vulnerability assessments, I reduced the overall attack surface by 70% and delivered comprehensive reports with CVSS scoring and prioritized remediation strategies.

I am eager to bring my technical depth, competitive drive, and passion for cybersecurity to your team. The combination of certifications, competition results, and hands-on production experience positions me to contribute from day one as an intern, while continuing to learn from experienced practitioners in your organization.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can support your security operations.

Sincerely,

Chris Pham