Ridwan Popoola

What I'm looking for

I’m seeking entry-level opportunities in cybersecurity and IT, including cybersecurity internships, SOC Analyst/L1, junior security, IT support, and penetration testing roles. I’m interested in remote or hybrid positions offering mentorship, hands-on experience, and opportunities to develop skills in security operations, vulnerability assessment, web security, networking, cloud security.

I am a Computer Science student with a strong interest in cybersecurity, ethical hacking, penetration testing, and security operations. I am actively building practical skills in offensive security and working toward a career in cybersecurity, particularly in roles such as SOC Analyst, Junior Penetration Tester, Security Intern, or Cybersecurity Apprentice.

My current cybersecurity learning path includes information gathering, passive and active reconnaissance, network enumeration, vulnerability scanning, web and API security, penetration testing, and privilege escalation. I have hands-on experience working with Linux/Kali Linux and security tools such as Nmap, Nmap NSE, GVM/OpenVAS, Nikto, enum4linux, Shodan, ExifTool, CyberChef, and Burp Suite.

I am also developing my web application security skills through deliberately vulnerable environments such as DVWA and OWASP Juice Shop. I have been studying vulnerabilities including SQL injection, blind SQL injection, command injection, CSRF, XSS, file inclusion, weak session management, authorization bypasses, open redirects, and CSP-related issues. I document my learning and practical work in GitHub projects to build a portfolio that demonstrates both technical understanding and hands-on ability.

Alongside cybersecurity, I am learning Python and focusing on using programming to automate security tasks. I have covered fundamentals including variables, data types, input, conditionals, loops, functions, ranges, and basic problem solving, with the goal of progressing toward practical cybersecurity automation and tooling.

I also have an interest in networking and cloud computing. I have worked with networking concepts such as TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, SMB, NAC, MAC authentication, VPNs, and network security, and I am currently exploring AWS and cloud computing through a collaborative GitHub project.

I am particularly interested in opportunities where I can learn from experienced professionals, contribute to real technical work, and continue developing my skills through practical challenges. I am comfortable learning independently, documenting my work, troubleshooting problems, and consistently building on what I learn.

My long-term goal is to become a well-rounded cybersecurity professional capable of assessing systems, identfying vulnerabilities, understanding how attacks work, and helping organizations improve their security.