Benjamin Cole

Cloud Security Engineer | AWS & Azure | IAM, Detection Engineering, Vulnerability Management | Terraform | Python

United States

About

Security Operations & Cloud Security Engineer specializing in enterprise-scale threat detection, hunting, and incident response across cloud, hybrid, and SaaS environments (AWS, Azure, Microsoft security platforms). I design and automate detection workflows, map activity to MITRE ATT&CK, and implement proactive measures that reduce attack surface and improve organizational readiness. In my current role, I serve as the primary escalation point for security incidents, owning identity, endpoint, and infrastructure security, and translating findings into actionable recommendations for executives. I focus on proactive threat hunting, detection rule tuning, and scalable automation to strengthen security posture across hundreds of users and applications. Key Highlights: - Architected and deployed a cloud-hosted asset management platform, improving visibility, auditing, and operational control. - Built serverless automation (AWS Lambda + Python) for identity and asset data synchronization, reducing manual effort by 15+ hours/month. - Implemented SSO and phishing-resistant MFA initiatives, materially reducing unauthorized access risk. - Conducted access reviews and RBAC improvements across Entra ID, ADP, and VPN, enforcing least privilege. - Performed vulnerability assessments and threat hunting using Tenable.io, Microsoft Sentinel, and Defender for Endpoint, mapping activity to MITRE ATT&CK techniques. Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Cloud Practitioner, CompTIA Security+, Network+, A+, AZ-500 (in progress)

Experience

  • Security Engineer at NetCov
    Mar 2026 - Present · 4 mos

  • Vanguard Furniture (3 yrs)
    • Cloud & Security Engineer
      Apr 2025 - Mar 2026 · 1 yr

      - Primary owner and escalation point for security and systems incidents in a 200+ user environment. - Led end-to-end design and deployment of a cloud-hosted asset management platform (Snipe-IT) in AWS, establishing authoritative asset visibility as a foundational security control. - Own AWS architecture and lifecycle using Terraform, implementing IAM least-privilege access, security group segmentation, automated backups, and cost-optimized infrastructure. - Built serverless automation with AWS Lambda and Python to synchronize asset and user data with Entra ID. - Implemented automated onboarding/offboarding workflows with Power Automate, reducing provisioning errors by ~40%. - Led enterprise SSO audits and implemented phishing-resistant MFA. - Conduct access reviews across Entra ID, ADP, and VPN platforms. -Improved security posture by aligning Microsoft Defender Secure Score findings with NIST and CISA frameworks. - Authored and maintained security policies and SOPs covering asset management, access control, and incident response.

    • IT Support Specialist
      Apr 2023 - Apr 2025 · 2 yrs 1 mo

  • Sales Support Administrator at Coldwell Banker Realty
    Nov 2021 - Apr 2023 · 1 yr 6 mos

  • Financial Relationship Specialist at Regions Bank
    Apr 2021 - Sep 2021 · 6 mos

  • Client Relations Specialist at Truist
    Dec 2018 - Apr 2021 · 2 yrs 5 mos