# 👨‍💻 Kenneth Castillo's Cybersecurity Lab Welcome! I'm **Kenneth**, a cybersecurity professional with over 8 years of IT experience and a growing focus on security operations, cloud security, and threat detection. Want to know my personal story? [[About Me|Click here to learn more about me!]] <div style="text-align: center;"> <img src="homepage_self.png" alt="Kenneth Castillo" style="max-width: 100%;"> </div> ## 👤 About Me - **Professional Background**: Former Director of IT for a nonprofit, I led infrastructure, systems, and compliance initiatives for my organization. Now focused on cybersecurity—specializing in threat intelligence, cloud defense, and SOC operations. --- - **Certifications**: - CompTIA Security+ - Microsoft SC-900 (Security Fundamentals) - **Cybersecurity Training:** - **TryHackMe**: Defending Azure Learning Path, Junior Penetration Tester Learning Path - **Antisyphon**: Active Defense and Cyber Deception with John Strand, Workshop: Getting Comfortable in Burp Suite with BB King >[View My Certifications!](https://www.credential.net/profile/kennethcastillo357603/wallet) - **Tech Stack**: Wazuh, Graylog, Velociraptor, Sysmon, OpenSearch, Linux, Azure Security (in progress), PowerShell (learning), Python (learning) - **Focus Areas**: Detection engineering, threat hunting, incident response, cloud security, automation, adversary emulation, and red team fundamentals. --- ### Volunteering I volunteer for **RGV-Cyber**, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students, career pivoters (like myself!), and other security professionals by sharing knowledge, hosting workshops and CTFs, and offering mentoring opportunities. [Click here to visit their website!](https://www.rgv-cyber.org) --- ## What I’m Looking For I'm currently seeking **junior-level roles** in cybersecurity, including: - **SOC Analyst** - **Threat Analyst** My ideal opportunity combines **hands-on technical challenges**, and **threat detection**, with a company that values **learning, collaboration, and mission-driven impact**. 📬 **Interested in working together?** Reach out via [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethhcastillo/) or email me at `[email protected]`. --- ## 📚 Latest Posts - [[Velociraptor - Features and Overview]] I go over the key features and some real-world use cases for one of the most powerful open source tools for endpoint visibility and DFIR. - [[Why I'm Passionate for Cyber Security]] My personal journey from IT leadership to cyber defense — and why I’m passionate about securing digital systems. - [[Suricata POC - Detecting SSH Bruteforces]] I start testing out Suricata and simulate a Hydra bruteforce on a vulnerable web server to visualize what an attack looks like on my SIEM. - [[Wazuh POC - Detecting a Known Malicious IP]] I walk through how I used Wazuh to detect and block a known malicious IP in a homelab environment by creating custom alert rules and automating response actions. ---