About me
Hi, I am Swetha, a cybersecurity engineer. I spend my days weaving together penetration testing, red teaming, cloud security, and IAM design. For me, every log feels like a clue, every vulnerability a plot twist, and every solution a way to close the story with a stronger, smarter ending.
I see cybersecurity as a story,once I step into it with every engagement, starting with reconnaissance, tracing the outlines of a system like the opening chapter of a mystery. Scanning follows, the plot thickening as hidden entry points reveal themselves. Then comes exploitation and post-exploitation, where theory meets action and each move rewrites the narrative. Finally, reporting closes the loop, turning raw findings into a roadmap for stronger defenses.
Somewhere in between the lines, you will usually find me with a cup of coffee in hand, chasing focus. And when the story winds down, biryani is home; it isthe comfort that reminds me why I do what I do.
What i'm doing
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Penetration Testing
I perform the full pentesting process from start to finish, scoping out systems, finding ways in, and then writing up everything in reports that actually make sense!
Red Teaming
I get to play the bad guy and test the security of systems by pretending to be attackers, finding ways to get in and then helping teams fix the problems before real attackers can!
Cloud Security & IAM
I architect cloud security that is both secure and scalable, enforce secure access frameworks, design IAM policies, and harden cloud environments while still letting the business do its thing!
Incident Response & Threat Hunting
When things go sideways, I help teams figure out what happened, how it happened, and what to do about it. From analyzing logs to coordinating containment, I bring structure and speed to incident response likerooting out threats, minimizing impact, and translating technical findings into strategies stakeholders can act on.
Currently Hacking
HackTheBox
Pwning boxes & sharpening offensive skills
OSEP Prep
Advanced evasion techniques & C2 frameworks
Cloud Pentesting
AWS/Azure attack paths & misconfigurations
Malware Analysis
Reverse engineering & threat research
Resume
Education
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University of Maryland, College Park
August 2023 — May 2025Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity [Minor: Cloud Engineering]
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Vignan's Institute of Information Technology
August 2018 — May 2022Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering
Experience
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Cybersecurity Analyst, Community Dreams Foundation, Remote,USA
September 2025 - PresentExecuted web application penetration tests (Burp Suite, Nessus), identifying and documenting complex exploit chains for vulnerabilities like SQLi and XSS. ◦ Conducted post-breach analysis from an offensive perspective, re-creating attacker exploit chains to identify failed security controls and gaps in WAF/IDS rule configurations. ◦ Executed penetration tests based on ISO 27001 & PCI-DSS control families, demonstrating the real-world exploitability of theoretical access control gaps.
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Security Operations Center Analyst, University of Maryland Police Department, College Park, MD, USA
December 2024 - May 2025Validated and improved SIEM detection logic by 30% by executing known TTPs (using Metasploit, PowerSploit) against a live lab to test rule effectiveness for Active Directory lateral movement. ◦ Authored adversary emulation plans based on MITRE ATT&CK to test SOC response and Tines (SOAR) playbook effectiveness, identifying and reporting gaps in automated containment. ◦ Collaborated with SOC analysts to hunt for APTs, applying an attacker’s perspective to log correlation (Active Directory, Wireshark) to uncover hidden attack chains.
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Project Engineer – Cybersecurity Specialist, Wipro Technologies, Bangalore, India
September 2022 - August 2023Simulated adversary activity against AWS cloud infrastructure (targeting GuardDuty, Security Hub) to test and validate cloud detection capabilities for the SOC. ◦ Conducted penetration tests on live AWS environments, identifying and demonstrating the exploitability of critical data exposure risks via misconfigured S3 buckets and EC2 instances.
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Security Engineer, Ignited Sparks, Visakhapatnam, India
July 2020 - December 2021Executed web application penetration tests (Burp Suite, Nessus), identifying and documenting complex exploit chains for vulnerabilities like SQLi and XSS. ◦ Conducted post-breach analysis from an offensive perspective, re-creating attacker exploit chains to identify failed security controls and gaps in WAF/IDS rule configurations. ◦ Executed penetration tests based on ISO 27001 & PCI-DSS control families, demonstrating the real-world exploitability of theoretical access control gaps.
Skills
Languages & Scripting
Python Bash SQL JavaScript PowerShellSecurity Tools
Burp Suite Metasploit Nessus Wireshark Splunk NmapSecurity Domains
Penetration Testing Red Teaming Incident Response Threat Intelligence Network Security Cloud SecurityCloud & Infrastructure
AWS IAM Docker Kubernetes Active DirectoryPlatforms & Tools
Linux Windows SIEM SOAR Git VS CodeCertifications & Achievements
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OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)
Certification
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OSCP+ (Offensive Security Certified Professional+)
Certification
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CompTIA Security+
Certification
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eLearnSecurity eJPT
Certification
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AWS Cloud Practitioner
Certification
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AWS Solutions Architect Associate
Certification