Portfolio of Hector Acosta

I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and Networking at DeVry University, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I previously completed an Associate degree and IT Essentials certification in Cybersecurity and Networking, graduating with High Honors.

I currently work in the field of Information Security (InfoSec), focusing on security architecture, cloud and application security, vulnerability management, and defensive security operations within SaaS environments. My work includes firewall and network segmentation design, WAF and TLS configuration, API security and RBAC enforcement, log observability pipelines, and Zero Trust controls across microservices.

I actively contribute to security documentation and platform validation aligned with industry frameworks such as NIST CSF, SOC 2, HIPAA, and ISO/IEC 27001, helping ensure security readiness in cloud-native systems and early-stage AI platforms.

I also perform vulnerability assessment and validation using tools such as OWASP ZAP and Nmap, integrate security scanning into CI/CD pipelines, and support remediation workflows from discovery through closure.

I have been recognized for outstanding performance in national cybersecurity competitions, including a Top 0.5% national team ranking in the NCL Spring 2025 Team Game and a 98th percentile placement in the Individual Game. I was also voted Most Improved Teammate at the NCAE CyberGames 2025 Regionals and participated in the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Sentinel Challenge.

Before transitioning fully into cybersecurity, I developed experience in operational and regulated environments, which shaped my systems-oriented and risk-driven approach to security engineering. Today, I focus on building security foundations that scale: secure architecture first, automation second, and compliance as a natural outcome of strong technical controls.