Technical Skills | Cybersecurity Journal

My career trajectory has been firmly grounded in technical skills, including the understanding and practice of specialized activities like programming and the utilization of digital technologies, which have served me well in today’s dynamic digital environment. During my time at university, I was able to hone these abilities via a combination of classroom study and work experience. I place a premium on being able to learn new things rapidly because I know how important it is to keep up with the ever-changing nature of industries and the tools and technology that support them. My desire to be an engaged agent of positive change in the dynamic digital world is driven by my dedication to lifelong learning.

Work Summaries

IT-315 Case Analysis
For the first technical skill, I had to rewire Maury High School by calculating the cabling requirements based on the building’s layout, which featured similar configurations across all floors. Using a star topology, I strategically placed telecommunications closets and determined the average cable lengths needed for efficient connectivity. The total cabling requirement was determined by multiplying the average cable length by the number of cables per floor. To complete the network setup, I included RJ45 outlets, wall plates, and patch panels for every room, along with managed switches for each floor. For network security, I installed a multifunctional firewall device to safeguard traffic. The project assumed that existing PCs were equipped with compatible network interface cards, and the final cost covered all materials required to set up a reliable and robust network infrastructure.

CYSE 301 Assignment #3 Sword vs. Shield
This report analyzes a cybersecurity lab exercise that involved both offensive and defensive techniques to evaluate and protect a network. The “Sword” task utilized tools like Nmap and Wireshark to conduct network scans and gather details on open ports, operating systems, and topology while observing traffic patterns and packet types, such as SYN, ACK, and ARP, to map the network. Techniques to avoid detection, like rate-limiting scans, were also discussed. The “Shield” task focused on configuring pfSense firewalls to block specific traffic types, such as ICMP and all non-FTP traffic from an external source to internal systems. The results demonstrated how these rules limited unauthorized access and enhanced network protection by preventing successful scans, showcasing effective strategies for both attacking and defending a network.

CYSE 270 Lab 11
This assignment involved configuring and analyzing basic network settings in a Linux environment to understand key aspects of network operations. The tasks included using tools like ifconfig, route, and netstat to examine and document network configurations, such as IP and MAC addresses, routing tables, and TCP connections. Commands like ping and host were used to test network connectivity and perform DNS queries. The configuration changes, such as shifting the system to a bridge adapter, demonstrated the impact on IP and gateway addresses. Additionally, file contents related to hostname and DNS servers were accessed and modified to reflect updated settings. Extra credit tasks involved analyzing a given IP address and subnet mask in binary and decimal formats to determine network and broadcast addresses, along with the range of usable IPs and maximum hosts in the network. This comprehensive exercise provided practical experience with Linux networking tools and concepts.