Zach Johnston
Summary
I'm a passionate cybersecurity student with a strong focus on offensive security and penetration testing. I spend my time breaking down and solving real-world challenges through HackTheBox machines, Capture the Flag competitions, and hands-on labs that simulate adversarial techniques. I enjoy exploring misconfigurations, privilege escalation paths, and web application vulnerabilities while documenting my process to sharpen both technical and communication skills. Along the way, I've built a solid framework of foundation skills for Linux, Windows, and networking, building labs of virtual machines to test vulnerabilities on Active Directory, Linux/Windows devices, and web applications.
Overview
1
1
year of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
IT Student Help Desk
Whatcom Community College
04.2025 - Current
- Provide technical support for student and faculty devices, including OS/Hardware troubleshooting, Account management and Network connectivity.
Assistant Manager
Regal
04.2024 - Current
- Managed a team and provided customer service in high-volume environments.
- Resolved technical issues with projectors and AV systems.
Cyber Intern
VCCC
01.2025 - 05.2025
- Supported security projects involving vulnerability scanning and documentation.
- Gained exposure to enterprise-level cybersecurity practices and internal networks.
Education
Associate of Applied Science - Cybersecurity
Whatcom Community College
06.2025
Certification
- CompTIA Security+ — Issued Jan 2023 | Expires Jan 2028
- Certified Penetration Testing Specialist (CPTS) — Expected Sep 2025
Competitions
- PRCCDC 2024
- RTA CTF 2025
- HTB CTF 2024
- Pico CTF 2024
Timeline
IT Student Help Desk
Whatcom Community College
04.2025 - Current
Cyber Intern
VCCC
01.2025 - 05.2025
Assistant Manager
Regal
04.2024 - Current
Associate of Applied Science - Cybersecurity
Whatcom Community College
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