Steven J. Vik - Cybersecurity Professional

STEVEN J. VIK

Cybersecurity Professional & WGU Student
13+ Years IT Experience • B.S. Cybersecurity in Progress • Penetration Testing Focus
Email: Steven@stevenjvik.tech GitHub Portfolio LinkedIn Profile
Location: Renton, WA 98058
Phone Available Upon Request

Professional Summary

Cybersecurity professional with 13+ years of technology experience currently completing B.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance at Western Governors University. Combines deep IT systems knowledge with formal cybersecurity education and hands-on SOC experience. Security+ certified with 3+ years of specialized security operations including SIEM analysis, incident response, and threat detection across 3,000+ endpoints. Upon graduation, will hold 10+ industry certifications including CompTIA PenTest+, CySA+, and CCSP. Specializing in penetration testing with practical lab experience and modern learning methodologies. This unique combination of extensive IT foundation, formal cybersecurity education, and hands-on security experience provides a comprehensive skill set for advanced cybersecurity roles. Available for penetration testing and cybersecurity analyst positions that value both experience and continued learning.

Education & Certifications

Current Education

B.S. Cybersecurity and Information Assurance (Expected 2026)
Western Governors University - Competency-Based Program

Accelerated Progress: Leveraging 13+ years of IT experience to complete degree efficiently through competency demonstrations

Current Certifications

  • CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)
  • CompTIA A+, Network+
  • ITIL Foundation
  • CJIS Level 4
  • Google Cybersecurity Professional

Upon WGU Graduation

  • CompTIA PenTest+ (Penetration Testing)
  • CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst)
  • CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional)
  • SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner)
  • CompTIA Project+
  • LPI Linux Essentials

Stackable Certifications

  • CompTIA IT Operations Specialist
  • CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist
  • CompTIA Security Analytics Professional
  • CompTIA Network Security Professional
  • CompTIA Network Vulnerability Assessment Professional

Professional Experience

IT Operations Center Analyst

Sound Transit — Seattle, WA | Mar 2024 – Mar 2025
  • Reduced threat detection and response times by 20% across 3,000+ endpoints using advanced SIEM correlation rules and threat hunting techniques in Splunk and Blackrock3
  • Investigated and resolved 150+ security incidents monthly, including email-based threats, malware detection, and suspicious network activity with detailed forensic documentation
  • Developed Python automation scripts for log analysis, threat indicator extraction, and incident correlation, reducing manual analysis time by 40%
  • Maintained 99.9% network uptime in mission-critical 24/7 environment through proactive monitoring and rapid incident response
  • Applied formal cybersecurity education concepts in real-world SOC environment, bridging academic learning with practical security operations

Career Progression Summary

13+ Years Technology Experience:

  • 10+ years IT Foundation: Desktop support, systems administration, network infrastructure, enterprise operations
  • 3+ years Security Specialization: SOC analysis, SIEM operations, incident response, threat detection
  • Formal Education: B.S. Cybersecurity and Information Assurance (WGU) - competency-based program leveraging experience
  • Practical Application: Hands-on lab development supporting penetration testing studies

Learning Lab & Technical Projects

Cybersecurity Student Learning Lab

Supporting WGU Cybersecurity Degree Coursework: Practical lab environment designed to support formal cybersecurity education with hands-on learning

  • Penetration Testing Lab: Dedicated environment for PenTest+ certification preparation and practical vulnerability analysis
  • Digital Forensics Setup: Supporting coursework in digital forensics and incident response procedures
  • Network Security Testing: Multi-VLAN environment for studying network security concepts and attack methodologies
  • Modern Learning Integration: AI-assisted learning tools supporting competency-based education approach

Practical Infrastructure Experience

Bridging IT Experience with Cybersecurity Education:

  • 3-node virtualization cluster: Demonstrating enterprise infrastructure concepts from degree coursework
  • Security monitoring implementation: Grafana + InfluxDB stack supporting security operations learning
  • Network segmentation design: 5-VLAN architecture supporting network security studies
  • Automation development: Python scripting aligned with degree program automation requirements

Professional Portfolio

GitHub Repository: SVIK Infrastructure Lab

Documents learning lab setup and demonstrates practical application of cybersecurity concepts from formal education

Core Technical Skills

Security Operations

SIEM Analysis (Splunk) Incident Response Threat Hunting Log Analysis Digital Forensics Vulnerability Assessment

Penetration Testing

Network Penetration Testing Web Application Testing Vulnerability Scanning Social Engineering Assessment Report Writing Risk Assessment

IT Infrastructure

Network Administration System Administration Virtualization (Proxmox) Cloud Security Active Directory Group Policy

Programming & Automation

Python PowerShell Bash Scripting SQL API Integration Automation Development

Ready for a Cybersecurity Professional with Deep IT Foundation?

13+ Years IT Experience + Formal Cybersecurity Education + 10+ Certifications Upon Graduation

Penetration Testing Focus • SOC Experience • Live Lab Demonstrations Available

Contact Me View Portfolio LinkedIn