Cybersecurity Analyst | Threat Detection • Incident Response • Digital Forensics
I’m Olaitan, a security analyst who sees cybersecurity from both sides of the battlefield. With a foundation in blue team operations and a current focus on Digital Forensics Incident Response, I bring a layered, attacker-aware perspective to my role in threat detection and incident response. Currently, I transform lab-based simulations into technical security insights.
- Completed 100+ rooms on TryHackMe (SOC operations, penetration testing, incident response) as a top 30% learner of 2025
- Advanced to stage 2 of the 2025 WiCyS/SANS Cybersecurity Internship competition with a 76% hit rate on the Sans.io ctf platform
- Designed and executed homelab environment simulating attacks and defensive responses.
- Hands-on projects simulating audits, threat modeling, and packet analysis
- Documenting technical learning through case studies and writeups,
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- Completed Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate (Coursera,2025)
The table below reflects key areas of cybersecurity practice inspired by the Google Cybersecurity curriculum:
| Practicals | Toolkit |
|---|---|
| Conducting security audit for a mock organization | NIST, INFOSEC, CIA triad, risk management |
| Exploring Network security by securing network architecture | TCP/IP, firewalls, cloud networks |
| Command-line and database security using Linux & SQL | Bash, SQL injection, access control |
| Identifying and mitigating risks | Threat modeling, CVEs, asset inventory |
| Incident response detection and response focusing on playbooks | SOC workflows, escalation, containment |
| Packet analysis and traffic inspection using Tcpdump & Wireshark | PCAP, filters, network forensics |
| IDS/SIEM Monitoring and alerting | Suricata, Splunk, Chronicle |
| Automating security tasks | Python, log parsing, automation tools |
These are cybersecurity simulations I personally designed and executed in my home lab to deepen my understanding of threat detection, log analysis, and incident response.
Scenario: Detected and responded to SSH brute-force attack targeting Ubuntu server
Attack Phase:
- Launched 1,000+ login attempts using Hydra with common credential lists
- Monitored auth.log in real-time to observe attack patterns
- Documented time-to-compromise and successful authentication attempts
Defense Phase:
- Deployed Fail2Ban with custom jail configuration
- Set detection threshold: 5 failed attempts = 10-minute ban
- Validated mitigation through repeat attack simulation
Key Findings:
- Default SSH configurations vulnerable to automated attacks
- Fail2Ban reduced attack surface by 95% within first 3 minutes
- Recommended: key-based authentication + rate limiting + geographic restrictions
Simulated realistic attack chain:
- Nmap reconnaissance scan
- Exploited weak FTP credentials (Hydra)
- Lateral movement attempt via SSH
- Suspicious file upload to web directory
Then investigated as blue team:
- Correlated logs across multiple services (vsftpd, SSH, Apache)
- Reconstructed attack timeline using system logs
- Identified IOCs (source IPs, usernames, file hashes)
- Created detection rules in Fail2Ban + UFW
- Documented incident in NIST CSF format
Tools: Wireshark, Splunk, FTK Imager, Linux audit logs
Threat Detection & Response
- Log analysis and correlation (auth logs, syslog, vsftpd)
- SIEM tools: Splunk (queries, dashboards), Suricata (IDS rules)
- Packet analysis: Wireshark (PCAP filtering, protocol analysis), tcpdump
Attack Simulation & Testing
- Offensive tools: Hydra (brute force), Nmap (reconnaissance), Metasploit basics
- Defensive hardening: Fail2Ban, UFW, SSH key authentication
- Lab environments: Kali Linux, Ubuntu Server, VirtualBox
Investigative Skills
- Timeline reconstruction from system logs
- IOC identification and documentation
- Incident reporting following structured frameworks
- Basic scripting: Python (log parsing), Bash (automation)
- Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate (Coursera, 2025)
🎓 Current Training
- TryHackMe: SOC Level 1 Learning Path (in progress)
- LetsDefend: Blue Team exercises and incident simulations
- Hack The Box: Offensive security fundamentals
🚀 Current Focus
- Building multi-system lab environment for DFIR practice
- Completing TryHackMe SOC Analyst pathway
- Documenting incident response procedures in personal playbook
- Studying for CompTIA Security+ (planned Q1 2026)
I'm actively seeking entry-level SOC analyst or junior DFIR roles where I can contribute to real security operations while learning from experienced practitioners.
Open to: Internships, volunteer SOC work, mentorship, cybersecurity collaborations
📧 Email: ayanloyeola@gmail.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ayanloye-ola
📁 Portfolio Repo: github.com/A-Olarh/Cybersecurity-Portfolio
This repository is a personalized documentation of my cybersecurity journey, combining coursework, homelab simulations, and real-world inspired projects. All content is original and reflects my hands-on learning and technical growth.