$ Initializing secure connection... [OK]
$ whoami
[DECRYPTING...]

Prajakta Meher

Cybersecurity Engineer

Securing systems. Defending people. Enabling trust.

Cybersecurity Engineer specializing in security operations, compliance frameworks, and threat defense — building resilient postures across identity, endpoint, cloud, and data layers.

01 — About

Building security
from the ground up.

I'm a Cybersecurity Engineer at Class Valuation, an appraisal management company with 500+ users. My work spans the full security lifecycle — from architecting defenses to building the compliance programs that keep organizations audit-ready.

With a Master's in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity from Florida Institute of Technology, I bring deep technical fluency across network security, cyber forensics, and enterprise security operations.

When I'm not hardening infrastructure, I explore creative Python projects — building animated visual tools and image-processing pipelines. I believe the precision that makes great security engineering also makes great creative work.

Role Cybersecurity Engineer
Company Class Valuation
Location Melbourne, Florida, US
Education MS — Info Assurance, FIT
Compliance SOC 2 · ISO 27001 · NIST
Pursuing CISA (In Progress)
02 — Experience

Career timeline.

Jul 2024 — Present
Class Valuation · Troy, Michigan
Cybersecurity Engineer

Leading security operations, compliance, and vendor risk management for a 500+ user enterprise. Architecting controls across cloud, endpoint, and email surfaces while maintaining audit readiness across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST frameworks.

Manage Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) for 20+ vendors via UpGuard and SIG, improving average security ratings by 15% and maintaining continuous SOC 2 compliance
Orchestrate Incident Response workflows using CrowdStrike Falcon, MDE, and Intune; automated alert triaging to reduce Mean Time to Contain (MTTC) by 30%
Engineer DLP and Web Security policies via Zscaler and Microsoft Purview, preventing unauthorized exfiltration of sensitive financial and appraisal data
Direct IAM and MDM via Microsoft Intune and Entra, enforcing conditional access and Zero Trust policies for 500+ endpoints and remote identities
Develop and review Internal Security Policies, authoring enterprise-grade BCP, Disaster Recovery (DR), and IR plans; led quarterly Tabletop Exercises for leadership
Conduct proactive Vulnerability Management via Coalition; collaborated with infrastructure teams to achieve a 95% remediation rate for critical-risk vulnerabilities
Mitigate BEC risks through Abnormal Security phishing analysis and KnowBe4 training, reducing employee click rates by 80% across the organization
Jan 2023 — Jun 2023
Florida Institute of Technology · Melbourne, FL
Research Assistant

Security research focused on DNS hardening, cryptographic implementations, and malware analysis for cyber threat intelligence.

Developed secure local DNS server with DNSSEC & DNS-over-TCP (DoT), integrating 3 NIST-approved Cryptographic Quantum signatures into OpenSSL
Conducted OS-diverse malware experiments yielding 1000+ forensic packets; analyzed data-stealing malware for cyber threat insights
Aug 2019 — Aug 2022
Softcell Technologies Global · Mumbai, India
Network Security Engineer

3 years of hands-on network security engineering across proxy, WAF, firewall, and MDM technologies for enterprise clients across India and the Middle East.

Administered Zscaler and Symantec Web Gateway for 3000+ users, enforcing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and role-based access control (RBAC) to mitigate web-borne threats
Architected and integrated Imperva WAF to secure web applications against OWASP Top 10 threats, managing traffic redirection, cipher suite upgrades, and custom security signatures
Configured and managed enterprise-grade Next-Gen Firewalls (Check Point, Fortinet), fine-tuning IPS/IDS rules and ACLs to harden the network perimeter and ensure secure traffic flow
Deployed Citrix XenMobile MDM to secure 3000+ mobile devices across international regions, facilitating secure app delivery and enforcing compliance for high-privilege VIP users
03 — Education

Academic background.

Aug 2022 — May 2024
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL
Master of Information Assurance & Cybersecurity
GPA: 3.80 / 4.0
Relevant Coursework: Cyber Forensics · Threat Modeling · Network Security · Application Security · Memory Forensics
Aug 2016 — Jun 2019
Vivekanandan Education Society
Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India
Bachelor of Engineering
GPA: 3.36 / 4.0
Relevant Coursework: Analog & Digital Electronics · Mobile / Wireless / Satellite Communication · Internet & Voice Communication

What I do best.

Security Operations

End-to-end SecOps — threat monitoring, incident detection and response, alert triage, and SIEM management across complex enterprise environments.

CrowdStrike SIEM MITRE ATT&CK
Compliance & Risk

Designing and executing compliance programs aligned to SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and NIST CSF — including audit prep, gap analysis, and control implementation.

SOC 2 ISO 27001 NIST CSF
Identity & Access

Implementing zero-trust principles, access control policies, privileged access management, and user access reviews to minimize the blast radius of credential compromise.

IAM Zero Trust PAM
Network & Proxy Security

Configuring and managing network security controls including Zscaler proxy rules, SSL inspection, URL filtering, and DNS security across hybrid environments.

Zscaler SSL Inspection CASB
Email & Phishing Defense

Deploying and tuning email security platforms, running phishing simulation campaigns, and building security awareness programs that measurably reduce click rates.

Abnormal Security KnowBe4 M365
Policy & TPRM

Authoring security policies (AUP, BYOD, AI Usage, DLP) and conducting third-party risk assessments with formal risk scoring matrices and remediation tracking.

TPRM DLP Policy Dev

Tools & technologies.

Languages 4 tools
Python PowerShell C / C++ Bash
SIEM & Detection 4 tools
CrowdStrike Falcon Splunk QRadar ELK Stack
Email & Endpoint 4 tools
Abnormal Security KnowBe4 Microsoft Intune Citrix XenMobile
Cloud & IAM 4 tools
Microsoft Entra ID Azure Security AWS GuardDuty Okta
Network Security 6 tools
Zscaler Palo Alto Fortinet Imperva WAF Check Point Symantec Web Gateway
Offensive & Forensics 6 tools
Nessus / Qualys Burp Suite Wireshark Metasploit Volatility Scapy
Risk & Compliance 6 frameworks
NIST CSF SOC 2 Type II ISO 27001 MITRE ATT&CK OWASP Top 10 UpGuard / SIG
Platforms 4 tools
Kali Linux Docker / K8s Microsoft 365 OpenSSL
06 — Projects

Academic projects.

Innovating E-Commerce with Enhanced Cybersecurity

Developed, exploited, and mitigated a custom e-commerce website by performing security analysis on SQL injection, XSS injection, SSTI (server-side template injection), and DoS attacks.

SQL Injection XSS SSTI DoS
View on GitHub →
Cracked-Hash Dump

Expanded the open-source Volatility3 hash dump plugin by integrating the hashes.com API to fetch cracked passwords directly from memory images. 98% accurate and 100% time effective.

Volatility3 Memory Forensics Python API
View on GitHub →
ForensicFuse — Automated Memory Forensics

Automated VM creation and memory analysis tool that streamlines forensic workflows — from spinning up isolated virtual environments to running full memory acquisition and Volatility3 analysis pipelines with a single command.

Memory Forensics Volatility3 Python VM Automation Forensics
View on GitHub →
Exploited IoT Devices

Analyzed network traffic and exploited vulnerabilities in 3 consumer IoT devices — smart plug, IP camera, and lightbulb — by crafting 1000+ packets with Scapy. Identified encryption and authentication flaws, reducing effective security by 70% against attacks.

IoT Scapy Network Analysis Exploit Dev
Enhancing Cybersecurity Education

Research paper exploring the impact of simulated learning environments and interactive tutorials on student performance and anxiety reduction in cybersecurity courses. Published in INTED2025 Proceedings (Pages 1775–1784), Valencia, Spain — March 2025.

R.R. Panakkadan, P. Meher, S.A. More, S. Sudhakaran
Research CyberEd Simulated Learning INTED2025
View Publication →
07 — Certifications

Credentials.

Earned
CRTA
Certified Red Team Analyst
Earned
ISC2 CC
Certified in Cybersecurity — ISC2 Self-Paced
Earned
iOS Forensics
Belkasoft — Mobile Forensics
Earned
Digital Forensics
IT Masters & Charles Sturt University
In Progress
CISA
Certified Information Systems Auditor — ISACA
08 — CTF & Achievements

Competitions & recognition.

51st
National Cyber League — Individual Competition
Fall 2023
7th
National Cyber League — Team Competition
Spring 2023
25th
National Cyber League — Team Competition
Fall 2023
WiCyS Logo
President — WiCyS FITSEC
Women in Cybersecurity · Florida Institute of Technology · 2024

Beyond the terminal.

Reading
Always deep in a book — from cybersecurity and technology to fiction and personal growth.
Art & Creativity
Exploring visual expression through drawing, design, and creative projects outside the screen.
Cooking
Experimenting in the kitchen — trying new recipes and blending flavors from different cuisines.
Hosting Gatherings
Love bringing friends and family together — good food, good conversations, great memories.
Teaching
Passionate about breaking down complex security concepts and helping others grow in the field.
Mentoring & Advising
Guiding students and early-career professionals in navigating cybersecurity as a career path.