Phalice Benford
Plainfield,IL
Summary
Results-driven M365 Security Administrator with 10+years of experience managing and optimizing medium/large-scale Microsoft 365 environments, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams. Proven ability to lead complex migrations from legacy systems to Office 365, implement robust security protocols, and enhance user adoption through tailored training, resulting in a 20% increase in team productivity. Seeking to leverage extensive technical expertise to drive efficiency and security for a growing organization.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Microsoft Infrastructure Specialist
Clonlara School
2022.09 - 2025.09
- Delivered enterprise mobility solutions by implementing workloads such as Microsoft Endpoint Manager and O365 ATP in M365 tenant.
- Facilitated Entra ID configurations for third-party applications supporting OIDC/SAML/SSO protocols.
- Managed CyberArk safe account storage for application certificates and sensitive vault information.
- Oversaw administration of Office 365 cloud applications, optimizing user experience across platforms.
- Conducted user account audits to manage licenses effectively under budget constraints.
- Ensured data integrity by implementing access controls and security policies in Microsoft Defender.
Microsoft Entra ID Security Analyst
TTX Railroad
2022.10 - 2023.11
- Implemented projects for app integration within Microsoft Entra ID focusing on security settings.
- Managed administrative responsibilities across CyberArk, Duo 2FA, Microsoft Entra ID AD, and MS Office 365 platforms.
- Synchronized on-premises Active Directory accounts with CyberArk to enforce password management protocols.
- Updated Cortex XDR software across all internal systems and servers using VMware technology.
- Conducted thorough application scans prior to deployments in TTX environment to safeguard against threats.
- Processed monthly patching tickets after hours for data centers, Citrix XenApp servers, utility servers, and SQL databases.
- Addressed change requests along with various operational admin tasks effectively.
- Ensured consistent follow-up procedures to maintain operational excellence in security administration.
IT Security Engineer
Cresco Labs LLC
2021.11 - 2023.04
- Executed global admin functions across M365 platforms including Entra ID and Security Compliance Center.
- Directed management of security requests in cloud environments focusing on compliance portals and data classification.
- Engineered compliance security labels within SharePoint for teams like Legal, HR, and vendors.
- Configured enterprise applications within Microsoft Entra ID Admin Portal, ensuring SAML integration success.
- Oversaw suspicious activity mailbox handling including phishing attempts and SharePoint access requests.
- Reviewed weekly termination reports verifying account disablements in Entra ID while managing shared inboxes.
- Addressed Artic Wolf ticketing concerns regarding Office 365 authentication attempts and sensor alerts.
- Adapted infrastructure based on Microsoft Secure Score insights to mitigate risks effectively.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Information Security Systems
ITT Technical Institute
12.2013
Skills
- Microsoft 365 core services expertise
- Identity and access management proficiency
- Threat intelligence capabilities
- Application security practices
- EntraID application configurations
- Privileged access management techniques
- Multi-factor authentication implementation
- Mobile device management solutions
- Attribute-based access control proficiency
- OAuth and OpenID Connect knowledge
- Single sign-on implementation expertise
Certification
- CompTIA Security+ and CEHv8 (Certified Ethical Hacker)
- Microsoft Installation, Storage and Compute with Windows 2016 Server (MCP) Certificate
Timeline
Microsoft Entra ID Security Analyst
TTX Railroad
2022.10 - 2023.11
Microsoft Infrastructure Specialist
Clonlara School
2022.09 - 2025.09
IT Security Engineer
Cresco Labs LLC
2021.11 - 2023.04
Bachelor of Science - Information Security Systems
ITT Technical Institute