Open to opportunities

Paa Kofi Paintsil

@paakofipaintsil

Message

I am a cybersecurity professional specializing in AWS, vulnerability assessment, and threat detection.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek a collaborative role where I can apply AWS and SIEM experience to detect vulnerabilities, lead incident response, and grow technical expertise in cloud and SOC environments.

I am a dedicated cybersecurity professional with hands-on experience as an IT Security Analyst, focused on AWS, vulnerability assessment, and SIEM-driven threat detection.

At my prior role I developed and updated information security policies and System Security Plans in line with NIST and FISMA standards, applied controls from NIST SP 800-53 Rev 4, and produced FIPS 199 categorizations and FIPS 200 control baselines.

I have deployed and configured a SIEM platform ingesting logs from Windows and Linux endpoints, created custom dashboards and alerts, performed vulnerability assessments using Nessus and OpenVAS, and analyzed findings with CVSS to prioritize remediation and produce actionable reports.

I run simulated phishing exercises, document the incident response lifecycle from containment to lessons learned, and continuously expand my skills to stay current with emerging threats; I seek opportunities to contribute to a collaborative security team and strengthen cloud and network defenses.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

IT Security Analyst

Alexandria Insight

Jun 2020 - May 2022 (1 year 11 months)

Developed and updated information security policies and System Security Plans per NIST and FISMA, conducting vulnerability scans and remediation across federal systems. Generated RMF artifacts including FIPS 199 categorizations, control baselines, SSPs and risk assessment reports to improve compliance and reduce security gaps.

FISMA Vulnerability Assessment Nessus SIEM Log Analysis Risk Assessment

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University of St. Thomas

Associate of Applied Science, Cybersecurity

Activities and societies: Deployed and configured a SIEM for Windows/Linux endpoints, conducted vulnerability assessments using Nessus and OpenVAS, performed log correlation and IOC identification, executed a simulated phishing campaign, and completed incident response and post-incident reporting.

Completed an Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity at the University of St. Thomas, graduating December 2024, with hands-on projects in SIEM deployment, vulnerability assessment, and incident response.