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DEREJE DERESSA
Washington, DC-Baltimore Area
Work Preference
Summary
Cybersecurity Analyst and Security Engineer with extensive hands-on experience in security operations, cloud security, IAM, and incident response. Expertise includes SIEM operations, vulnerability management, and compliance with frameworks such as NIST and ISO 27001. Actively advancing skills in automated compliance and AI-driven security solutions.
Overview
1
1
Certification
20
20
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Future AWS Agent Engineer Nanodegree Program
Udacity
05.2026 - Current
- Selected for the competitive, globally scaled AWS AI & ML Scholars program; completed the AWS AI Practitioner Challenge.
- Advanced into agentic AI, focusing on tool calling, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and multi-model orchestration on AWS.
- Designed and built a multi-widget AI application in Amazon PartyRock, decomposing the problem into text-generation, image-generation, and agentic data-analysis components.
- Completed agentic data-analysis project on real datasets, validating AI-generated outputs for accuracy and implementing responsible-AI principles.
- Evaluated application against chatbot baseline, iterating on prompt design to enhance output quality.
GRC Engineering
Professional Training
01.2026 - Current
- Developed automated compliance workflows for NIST 800-53, RMF/ATO, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and FedRAMP frameworks, streamlining compliance processes.
- Applying Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, Bicep) to codify security controls, prevent drift, and prove compliance.
- Developing event-driven compliance monitoring with AWS (EventBridge, Lambda, Config, Security Hub, GuardDuty) and Azure (Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud, Sentinel, Purview).
- Automated control checks and risk scoring using Python, generating audit evidence reports through integration of cloud exports, scripts, and spreadsheets.
- Conducted hands-on training sessions to improve understanding of governance, risk, and compliance processes, focusing on automation techniques.
Cybersecurity Analyst
Independent Labs & Projects
01.2021 - Current
- Investigated security alerts, analyzed logs, and performed incident triage using Wazuh, Microsoft Defender, Sysmon, and Windows Event Logs to identify suspicious activity and support remediation efforts.
- Analyzed endpoint telemetry with Microsoft Defender, Sysmon, Windows Event Logs, and PowerShell (Get-WinEvent) to identify suspicious processes, authentication activity, and privilege misuse.
- Analyzed network traffic using Wireshark and tcpdump to investigate phishing, malware, lateral movement, and data exfiltration scenarios, enhancing threat detection.
- Triaged security events in simulated SOC environments, investigated indicators of compromise, and followed structured incident-response and escalation procedures.
- Configured and managed security protocols in virtual environments, including Windows Firewall and Active Directory, and drafted security policies aligned with ISO 27001 principles to support compliance.
- Conducted ethical hacking assessments and penetration testing exercises in controlled environments to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen security posture.
Mail Carrier
United States Postal Service
01.2016 - 12.2019
- Delivered mail and packages efficiently across assigned routes while maintaining high customer service standards.
- Managed time-sensitive deliveries, maintaining accuracy while meeting strict deadlines.
- Sorted and prepared mail for delivery operations, ensuring timely dispatch in a fast-paced environment.
- Handled certified, registered, and insured mail, ensuring compliance with signature and accountability requirements.
Sales Representative / Database Clerk
United Insurance Company of America
01.2012 - 02.2016
- Increased sales through product consultation, customer service, and upselling; assessed customer needs and budgets to build lasting partnerships.
- Compiled and sorted information, prioritized data entry, and prepared source data for input, maintaining strong documentation practices.
- Administered and monitored databases, proactively resolving issues to ensure server reliability.
- Analyzed data using statistical methods to generate business reports, identifying opportunities to streamline practices.
IT Systems Administrator
GIZ Ethiopia (AU Peace & Security Project)
03.2007 - 08.2011
- Monitored network operations, enhancing system performance and reliability.
- Administered office IT infrastructure: maintained servers, performed software upgrades, and resolved hardware/software incidents.
- Managed IT inventory and software licensing, documenting technical work and facilitating infrastructure improvements.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Digital Entrepreneurship
Strayer University
Silver Spring, MD 01.2021 - 12.2022
B.S. - Information Technology
Strayer University
Rockville, MD 02.2016 - 05.2019
Associate's degree - Office Management & Supervision
Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaSkills
- Incident response
- Vulnerability management
- Risk analysis
- Identity and access management
- Threat detection and analytics
- Security operations
- Event-driven architecture
- Machine learning
Personal Information
Title: Cybersecurity Analyst | GRC & Compliance | Cloud & Systems | AI/ML
Certification
CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+), AWS AI & ML Scholars – 2026 Challenge Completion, AWS Business Essentials – The Business Value of AWS
Timeline
Future AWS Agent Engineer Nanodegree Program
Udacity
05.2026 - Current
GRC Engineering
Professional Training
01.2026 - Current
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Digital Entrepreneurship
Strayer University
01.2021 - 12.2022
Cybersecurity Analyst
Independent Labs & Projects
01.2021 - Current
B.S. - Information Technology
Strayer University
02.2016 - 05.2019
Mail Carrier
United States Postal Service
01.2016 - 12.2019
Sales Representative / Database Clerk
United Insurance Company of America
01.2012 - 02.2016
IT Systems Administrator
GIZ Ethiopia (AU Peace & Security Project)
03.2007 - 08.2011
Associate's degree - Office Management & Supervision
Addis Ababa University