Valencia College

As Manager of Learning Support Services, I lead a dynamic team of full-time and part-time employees, overseeing the daily operations of the campus Tutoring Center while providing leadership support to the Testing Center and Library. My role is rooted in fostering student success by creating a supportive and resourceful learning environment.

Key Responsibilities and Achievements:

• Supervise staff recruitment, hiring, training, and timesheet management, while strategically managing a $100K budget to allocate funds for instructional technology and learning materials that support diverse learning modalities.

• Partner with faculty and academic departments to align services with course curricula, develop standardized operating procedures, and ensure the effective utilization of course materials.

• Collaborate with high schools to organize events and programs, promoting dual enrollment, degree attainment, and accelerated training opportunities for prospective students.

• Played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic by leading a work placement initiative, and securing employment opportunities for over 20 Federal Work Study students on the Online Tutoring platform.

Learning Center Manager

Brown Joy

As the founder and owner of Brown Joy, I am on a mission to bring positivity to the world through our unique affirmation stickers. Designed in the likeness of children of color, our stickers promote positive self-esteem and help children feel seen and valued.

I oversee all aspects of the business, from product design and development to marketing and community partnerships. My goal is to collaborate with organizations and businesses that want to uplift the children they serve by offering products that reflect diversity and inclusivity.

Through Brown Joy, I strive to spread joy one sticker at a time, creating lasting impacts for children and the communities we touch.

Founder & Owner 

BrandResumes

I empowered clients to achieve their career goals by equipping them with the tools, skills, and confidence needed for successful job searches and career advancement. My work focused on enhancing clients’ marketability, improving their job readiness, and positioning them for long-term success.

Key Responsibilities and Achievements:

• Guided clients through the development and refinement of resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles, while providing resources and strategies for effective interviewing, salary negotiation, and overall career confidence.

• Designed and delivered professional development courses, including engaging presentations, articles, videos, and interactive activities, to prepare clients with practical job readiness skills and techniques.

• Conducted in-depth assessments via face-to-face, telephone, and virtual interviews to identify client needs and provided ongoing support through personalized email correspondence during the job search process.

•Advocated for clients seeking promotions and new opportunities by addressing barriers to success and offering actionable solutions.

• Collaborated with teams across four departments to create career coaching and interview preparation content, driving awareness and increasing monthly service sales.

Career & Lead Interview Coach

Florida International University

Lead cross-functional teams to review data and implement effective changes around workforce development, college success, and equitable learning solutions for minoritized users that increased program retention rates 67%

• Designed multiphase learning advising models that encompassed key principles of adult learning theories and learning development solutions for Student Success and Development Programs that enhanced the user experience 93% based on evaluation surveys

• Facilitated the strategic recruitment and onboarding 130+ professional staff to drive academic success and holistic development of program participants with a 98% completion rate

• Supported strategic organizational planning and goal implementation by analyzing quarterly issued program evaluation yielded from participant surveys

• Monitored, evaluated, and leveraged standard training processes and staff resources to track department performance and determine improvement opportunities to enhance onboarding procedures and workplace efficiencies by 54 % as documented in staff survey

Program Manager

•Led department collaboration with faculty chairs and key stakeholders to maintain advising materials such as curricula flow charts and program information sheets for both advising & recruiting of select majors

• Spearheaded student success campaigns to targeted student populations to support progression, leveraging data-driven and holistic interventions to increase program retention rates 56%

• Optimize the student experience, using data to drive improvements across internal and external collaborators to improve outcomes throughout the student journey enhancing participant experience 30%

• Managed a high touch point caseload of 600 advisees utilizing a suite of electronic advising tools in order to support students’ identification of an appropriate major and their retention and on-time graduation sequence

• Taught major exploration courses to help students through the process of self-exploration and career planning, and help students match their interests and skills to an appropriate major and career

• Assisted students in evaluating their abilities, interests, and personality characteristics using tests, records, interviews, and professional sources

• Provide holistic academic advising services to assigned students regarding departmental, collegiate, and University policies and procedures; programs of study; and the development of appropriate academic plans

Program Advisor II

• Developed an assessment strategy to evaluate the success of Career Services Office and programs and to gauge the learning outcomes of a diverse population of 9,000+ students documented in utilizing the center’s resources

• Oversaw strategies for a strong presence for students and employers, leveraging technology and other resources to expanding FIU’s reach in the global marketplace

• Supervised a team of 5+ student career coaches through use the implementation of lesson plans, experiential learning, peer mentorship, and exit interviews

• Oversaw Executive Protégé Initiative (EPI), a professional development program for students and alumni which focuses on networking and career development, obtaining 80% completion rate.

• Facilitated presentations regarding core career developmental competencies such as online job boards, resume writing, interviewing, and negotiating salaries

Research Assistant, Career Services 

✨ My life’s purpose is to help people see the abundance and greatness within themselves. I carry out this purpose through several roles:

🧡 Founder, Brown Joy, LLC
As the founder of Brown Joy, our mission is to uplift the world through affirmation stickers designed in the likeness of children of color. We promote inclusivity and positivity, spreading joy one Brown Joy sticker at a time.

📚 Higher Education Leader
With over 10 years of experience in higher education, I have led teams of over 50 employees. My leadership style focuses on empowering my team to not only excel in their current roles but also prepare for future opportunities. I am deeply committed to the holistic success of students, ensuring they thrive academically, socially, and professionally.

📝 Interview and Career Coach
I am passionate about helping people articulate their strengths and build confidence to achieve their career goals.

🌟 Community Leader
I am an active community leader in Central Florida, serving as a board member and volunteering for initiatives empowering and uplifting positive change in the region.

😊 I truly believe that everything I touch turns to gold because of the power of love and positivity I carry within me. I love connecting with people and organizations to learn about and celebrate the greatness within everyone. I look forward to connecting with you!

Charminta Brown, M.Ed.

UltraViolet Cyber

* Investigate and analyze security alerts using Elastic and SentinelOne, correlating endpoint and log data to identify potential threats, conduct threat hunting, and escalate incidents as necessary across client environments, including Fortune 500, Federal Government, and Commercial companies.

* Conducted root cause analysis on security events, identifying affected systems, assessing potential impacts, and providing detailed incident reports.

*Perform file, hash, and IP analysis using open-source tools, including Hybrid Analysis, OTX, and VirusTotal, along with sandbox environments, to identify threats and provide actionable insights for incident resolution.

* Triage and manage security tickets within Jira, ensuring accurate documentation, timely resolution, and clear communication across teams for incident handling and compliance.

SOC Analyst

Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego

* Supported hospital staff with implementing Microsoft Authenticator, providing on-site and virtual support via Zoom to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure secure access.
* Guided users through login configurations, clearly communicating installation timelines, steps for deactivating the previous authenticator, and addressing setup-related questions.
* Documented technical issues encountered during setup and escalated findings to the IT team and CISO for timely resolution and enhanced support coordination.

IT Support Specialist

Nordstrom

* Utilized Splunk to monitor and resolve recurring workstation lockout issues, executing PowerShell commands for remote user logoffs to restore access and prevent further disruptions across the network.

* Provided Tier I and Tier II support for complex IT issues, acting as an escalation point for advanced requests to ensure timely resolution.

* Resolved advanced technical issues for end users both remotely and in-person, troubleshooting Windows and macOS systems, VPN connections, and Microsoft Office applications, significantly improving system reliability and user productivity.

* Utilized ServiceNow to meticulously document, track, and monitor incidents, consistently maintaining high efficiency and reducing average ticket resolution time by 25%.

* Utilized the Assured Compliance Assessment Solution (ACAS) Tenable + Nessus Security Center to conduct daily vulnerability scans and compliance operations across the enterprise, monitoring 3,000+ hosts and endpoints to identify vulnerabilities and recommend patches for mitigation.

* Administered Active Directory, and remote desktop access software for account creation, password resets, and security group management, optimizing user access and security.

System Analyst 

CyberXE

* Developed, maintained, and provided daily and weekly reports that captured all the cyber events depicting anomalous activity including metrics and trends. Enabled senior management (CISO, CIO, etc.) to make high-level risk management decisions.

* Performed in-depth investigation of SIEM alerts, network traffic, emails, PCAP, and user activity (Splunk, Azure AD, and Microsoft Office 365 ATP) to determine if an incident has occurred.

* Performed network and host analysis to identify IOCs utilizing raw packet data, net flow, web proxy, endpoint data, firewall, and IDS/IPS. Leveraged Splunk and Elastic

* Recommended remediation of over 40 incidents to Tier 2 and Digital Forensics Team, including actions like blocking IP addresses, domains, and containing threats

* Correlated attack sensing and warning (AS&W) data, triaged security events, engaged in incident response efforts, and produced incident reports. To include threat hunting for cyber actors across the environment such as advanced persistent threats (APTs) and their TTPs.

Lead Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst Intern

Adirondack Information Security

* Conducted cyber defensive operations, alert fidelity, security monitoring, traffic analysis, incident response, threat hunting, forensics, and vulnerability scanning services. Tools used include Splunk (SIEM), ACAS (Nessus), HBSS (McAfee ePO), and OSINT. 

* Streamlined the security operations systems processes by 20% by developing custom SIEM correlation search queries, dashboards, analytics, and reports for security tools such as: Splunk Enterprise Security (ES), Azure Sentinel, Elastic/XSOAR, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, McAfee/ESS/HBSS, Nessus (ACAS) etc.

* Identified and reported trend analysis for MITRE ATT&CK and Cyber Kill Chain techniques on all cases that were opened. Reviewed cyber threat intelligence and open-source intelligence from various sources (CISA, NSA, JFHQ-DoDIN, USCYBERCOM, FireEye, etc.) about trending threats, attack vectors, APTs, and TTPs.

* Performed in-depth investigation of SIEM alerts, network traffic, emails, PCAP, and user activity to determine if an incident had occurred. Documented investigations and generated end-of-shift reports for analysts on duty.

* Created a robust training plan for the team including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Instructions (WI) resulting in modernized system processes and enhanced business continuity by 20%

Cyber Security Analyst Intern 

40 Tons Brand

* Assist in updating the company website and provided editing services for various social media videos in order to increase brand awareness in exposure for marketing purposes

* Volunteer at the Canna Get a Second Chance Cannabis Career Fair where I helped individuals get jobs within the Cannabis space 

* Provide input to the management team on how restorative justice initiatives impact my age group and how we can better prepare the next generation with opportunities within this trillion dollar industry

Marketing Intern

Dominic is an experienced cybersecurity professional with 4 years of combined experience in cybersecurity and IT and he specializes in blue-team operations. 

Through my work, I have developed a deep understanding of threat intelligence, incident response, security monitoring, vulnerability management, and security operations center (SOC) management. I am well-versed in industry-leading technologies and frameworks (Cyber Kill Chain, NIST, and FedRAMP)  and have presented these topics to C-Sutie executives. I continuously stay updated on the latest trends and emerging threats.

 "The cybersecurity industry is struggling to bridge the gap of qualified talent, which is why there is a 0% unemployment rate. As a minority myself, I've been working hard to pave the way for people who look like me in this industry. I am focusing my time on developing skills that aren't disposable, with the hopes that a company will take a chance on me and I can show the industry that application is more important than a piece of paper that was centered around theory."  

My Cyber Security Expertise:
Cyber Threat Intelligence, Incident & Risk Management, Threat Analysis & Research, Network Monitoring, Security Operations Center (SOC) Management, DoD 8410/8570 Compliant

My IT Expertise:
System Configuration, Customer Support, Windows & macOS troubleshooting.

Tools/Technologies:
Splunk, DISA – ACAS (Tenable SC), MITRE ATT&CK Framework, Kali Linux, Active Directory, PowerShell, ServiceNow, Okta, Avaya, Jira, Microsoft Office, Confluence. 

Feel free to reach out to me directly on LinkedIn or at dominicalegrete@gmail.com

Thank you & Let's CONNECT!

Dominic Alegrete

CLASSIFYING SECURITY ALERTS

During today’s office hour session, I was asked about alerts and specifically how malware gets classified inside a SOC.

Alerts make up a big part of your day as an analyst, and depending on what triggered them, the severity can mean different things.

A lot of people assume that if an alert comes in as high or critical, an attack is happening.

That is not always the case.

Alerts get classified for different reasons whether that be the endpoint that is involved, the user, or how the rule was configured within the platform.

What is also good to take note of is that normal or internal activity can still trigger a high or critical alert.

Things like internal audits and penetration tests can be a reason.

This is why you need to understand what the alert is actually showing you and what that activity means in your environment.

That is how you separate real threats from noise.

If you want 1 on 1 help or guidance with your cybersecurity journey, I host weekly office hours. 

You can sign up using the link in my bio.

Here is the link to sign up: https://lnkd.in/g-MBfK8H

BIG NEWS

It was announced earlier this week that JPMorganChase has rolled out a fraud prevention campaign that is said to be the biggest in their entire history.

This is a strong step toward improving #cybersecurity across the banking and finance sector.

As part of the initiative, they are running workshops during Fraud Prevention Week from November 17 to the 21.

These workshops are happening to help customers understand more about banking scams and how to stay safe.

In my opinion, this is a great start, but it is not enough, especially with the budgets these banks have.

This type of awareness needs to be put out more consistently because fraud is an everyday, year round problem.

We have to remember that people forget information.
People get overwhelmed.

So the more they are reminded about it, the less likely they are to fall for these scams.

I personally think these workshops need to happen monthly.

And there should be different levels depending on your role, industry, and the company you are at.

Because like I said someone that works in finance has different things to worry about when it comes to a bank versus someone who works at a hospital .

Hopefully this campaign actually makes an impact and helps prevent more of these scams from happening.

ANOTHER SCHOOL HACKED

It was announced that Jackson County Public Schools in North Carolina suffered a #cybersecurity attack.

The incident caused the district to shut everything down, including internet, phones and internal services.

They were also forced to cancel classes today.

Just like we saw with Harvard, all school levels continue to be major targets.

But smaller schools like this face an even bigger threat because they do not have the budget or staff to fully secure themselves.

I wonder if the cybersecurity problem across the entire education sector is something that needs to be handled at a higher level instead of leaving schools to figure it out alone.

Either way, something drastic needs to change.

Would love to hear your thoughts?

taplio

The Battle

Charminta Brown, M.Ed.

Dominic Alegrete

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The Battle

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