LAWRENCE BERNASKO

Fredericksburg,VA

Summary

SOC Analyst with hands-on experience in monitoring and analyzing security alerts across SIEM and network platforms. Expertise in incident triage, threat hunting, and vulnerability assessment, complemented by a comprehensive understanding of security frameworks such as NIST. Holds an active Top Secret clearance and maintains meticulous documentation of security incidents.

Overview

Certification

years of professional experience

Work History

SOC Analyst / Cybersecurity Analyst

Department Of State

01.2026 - Current

Monitor and analyze security alerts from SIEM, endpoint, network, and security monitoring platforms in a 24/7 SOC environment.
Perform initial incident triage, determine severity and impact, document findings, and escalate confirmed or high-risk incidents according to established procedures.
Investigated phishing emails, malicious links, suspicious processes, malware indicators, unauthorized access attempts, and possible data exfiltration to identify and mitigate security threats.
Conducted threat hunting and IOC analysis with IP addresses, domains, hashes, usernames, timestamps, and behavioral indicators to proactively identify potential threats.
Performed vulnerability and security-control validation in coordination with system and network teams.
Prepared detailed incident reports, shift handoff notes, and executive-ready summaries to ensure clear communication and accurate case documentation.
Follow security policies, operational procedures, and clearance-related handling requirements when working with sensitive information.

Data Center Operations Engineer (DCOE)

AWS Data Center

Manassas, VA

01.2024 - 02.2026

Monitored data center infrastructure, servers, network devices, and critical systems, ensuring operational reliability and availability.
Supported data center network operations by managing switch connectivity, configuring VLANs, assigning IP addresses, and troubleshooting issues.
Troubleshoot server hardware, power connectivity, network issues, and system alerts in accordance with established procedures.
Performed hardware replacements, including hard drives, memory, and power supplies.
Perform server rack and stack activities, equipment installation, cable management, labeling, and hardware decommissioning.
Maintained documentation for recurring incidents, operational procedures, and security investigations.

Security Analyst (Contract)

PwC Technology Consulting

Woodbridge, VA

06.2022 - 01.2024

Monitored security alerts and events using SIEM tools, identifying and prioritizing potential cybersecurity threats.
Use Splunk Enterprise and SPL to search, filter, and correlate security events.
Review and analyze security logs from servers, endpoints, firewalls, and network devices.
Investigate suspicious login attempts, failed authentication events, unusual network activity, and potential malware indicators.
Performed initial alert triage, assessing severity and potential impact of security incidents to inform response actions.
Escalated confirmed or suspected security incidents to senior SOC analysts and incident response teams for further investigation.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Information Technology

University of Education

Winneba, Ghana

01-2016

Skills

Security operations
Threat detection
Log analysis
Incident documentation

Vulnerability management
Network Security: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP/HTTPS, VPN, firewalls, IDS/IPS, Wireshark, packet analysis
Endpoint & Cloud: EDR concepts, Windows, Linux, Active Directory, Microsoft 365, cloud security fundamentals
NIST frameworks

Personal Information

Title: SOC ANALYST | CYBERSECURITY OPERATIONS | INCIDENT RESPONSE