Welcome to my GitHub — a portfolio of IT infrastructure, cloud engineering, and cybersecurity projects, demonstrating applied knowledge in Windows Server, SQL, AWS, and security frameworks. This space highlights my certifications, technical skills, and commitment to continuous learning through hands-on, practical projects.

_{A portfolio of projects demonstrating applied skills, certifications, and continuous learning.}

_{Profile actively maintained — see Projects section for latest updates.}

💻 IT & Cloud Enthusiast | Cybersecurity | System Administration
📜 Certified in AWS, CompTIA, and Fortinet
🔒 Hands-on experience in IT infrastructure, Active Directory, cloud security, and compliance (FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, CMMC)

Disclaimer: This GitHub is a work in progress as I continue to apply my certifications and grow hands-on experience through personal projects and professional opportunities.

I am a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in Computer Information Systems (BSBA), possessing a strong foundation in IT infrastructure, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. My background includes practical experience configuring and managing Windows Server 2022 environments, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and SQL databases. This experience is complemented by exposure to AWS-native solutions during my internship with InfusionPoints.

I hold industry-recognized certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, as well as CompTIA A+ and ITF+, Fortinet NSE 1 & 2, and SQL (Beginner & Intermediate). These certifications demonstrate both my technical expertise and my dedication to ongoing professional development.

Currently, I am expanding my hands-on capabilities through a portfolio of projects in cloud engineering, DevOps, and database design. I am also exploring how Artificial Intelligence can be integrated with cloud and cybersecurity solutions, particularly in areas such as automation, compliance, and threat detection. My goal is to leverage my certifications, IT foundation, and adaptability to contribute to building secure, scalable, and forward-looking systems.

I am a dedicated and detail-oriented IT professional who excels at the intersection of infrastructure, cloud, and security. My professional journey has emphasized adaptability and growth—whether deploying virtualized environments, automating tasks with Python and PowerShell, or experimenting with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform and CloudFormation.

I bring a combination of technical expertise, strong communication skills, and a collaborative mindset to every project I undertake. I value precision, security, and efficiency, and I approach each challenge with a methodical yet innovative perspective.

Looking forward, I am particularly interested in how AI and machine learning can enhance cloud engineering and cybersecurity practices. By integrating AI-driven insights with my existing knowledge of infrastructure, compliance, and security frameworks, I aim to help organizations build systems that are not only reliable but also intelligent, resilient, and effective.

During my internship at InfusionPoints, I supported cross-functional teams across the Security Operations Center (SOC), Advisory, Cloud Operations, and Engineering departments. This role provided hands-on exposure to cloud security, compliance, and operations in a consulting environment serving both commercial and federal clients.

Key contributions included:

• Compliance & Documentation: Conducted research, compiled data, and assisted in the development of security and compliance documentation aligned with FedRAMP 20X, DoD IL4/IL5, CMMC, and CSP/APN partner requirements.
• Technical Support & Training: Completed structured onboarding modules and earned AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AWS Solutions Architect – Associate certifications, reinforcing my technical foundation in cloud architecture and migration.
• Collaboration & Process Improvement: Worked alongside interns and senior staff on automation initiatives and process-improvement projects, contributing ideas to enhance internal workflows and client deliverables.
• Engagement & Professionalism: Actively participated in daily and weekly meetings, documented key action items, and consistently maintained professionalism in alignment with company policies, confidentiality agreements (NDA), and cultural values.

This internship enabled me to integrate my academic knowledge with practical experience, strengthen my understanding of cloud security and compliance frameworks, and gain a clearer perspective on how cloud engineering, cybersecurity, and compliance intersect in a professional setting.

_{Last updated: September 16, 2025}

_{All projects listed below have been completed; however, this section is a work in progress as I am currently formatting and adding documentation, related files, screenshots, and other supporting materials to each repository.}

• Library Book Management System
  _{Relational database built in SSMS to organize books, borrowers, and loans with FK-backed integrity and clear reporting queries.}

• Hospital Patient Management System
  _{SSMS-based relational database to manage patient records, doctor details, and appointment scheduling with FK-backed integrity and reporting queries.}

• Online Store Database
  _{SSMS-based relational database to track customers, products, orders, and order items with FK-backed integrity—built for sales analytics and e-commerce ops.}

• Movie Rental System
  _{SSMS-based relational database to manage movies, customers, and rentals with FK-backed integrity, inventory tracking, and reporting queries.}

• Comparative Market Analysis
  _{Project complete – documentation in progress.}

• Ink-Sync Scheduler
  _{Project complete – documentation in progress.}

• Contact Management System - Database and Visualization
  _{Project complete – documentation in progress.}

• Windows Server 2022 Virtualized, Network Environment
  _{Designed and managed a Windows Server 2022 domain environment with Hyper-V virtualization, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, IIS, and Group Policy. Implemented backup and disaster recovery strategies, automated maintenance with Python and Task Scheduler, and optimized system performance, scalability, and security for business IT operations.}

• ML Foundations — Day 1: Linear Algebra
  _{Built as a Jupyter notebook (Python, NumPy, Matplotlib) and exported to the web via nbconvert/GitHub Pages. Implements dot products, norms, angles, projections, and 2×2 matrix transforms with clear visuals. Shows how these linear-algebra primitives map directly to ML/AI—similarity (embeddings/attention), least squares (projections), and geometric transforms—forming the foundation for understanding model behavior.}

• ML Foundations — Day 2: Probability, Stats & Logistic Regression
  _{Probability/stats refresh (Bernoulli, Binomial, CLT, Bayes) and logistic regression (NumPy + scikit-learn parity). Includes a tiny SQL→pandas→ML pipeline and Colab links.}

• ML Foundations — Day 3: EDA, Baselines & Metrics
  _{EDA & light feature engineering on a tiny HR churn dataset; simple logistic baselines; ROC/AUC & Precision–Recall analysis; threshold tuning for business-friendly decisions. Includes Colab links and GitHub Pages HTML exports.}

• ML Foundations — Day 4: Gradient Descent
  _{Implemented gradient descent from scratch in NumPy with loss surface visualizations; explored learning rates, convergence, and optimization intuition.}

  Note: In the process of reformatting images on README.md (repo homepage)

As I continue expanding my hands-on experience, I am actively planning projects that combine my background in cloud engineering, IT infrastructure, and cybersecurity with emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. These projects will serve as both learning opportunities and portfolio showcases.

Planned initiatives include:

• Cloud Migration Lab (AWS Focused)
  A step-by-step migration of workloads from an on-premises simulation to AWS using Application Migration Service (MGN) and Database Migration Service (DMS). This project will document the full process: assessment, migration, testing, and post-migration optimization.

• Infrastructure as Code Starter Kit
  Templates using Terraform and AWS CloudFormation to provision common AWS resources (VPCs, EC2, IAM roles, and S3). This repository will demonstrate reusable, well-documented IaC patterns.

• AI-Assisted Cost Optimization on AWS
  A project that explores integrating machine learning models with AWS billing and usage data to recommend cost-saving strategies (e.g., instance right-sizing, storage tiering).

• Security Monitoring with AI + AWS
  Using CloudTrail logs and AI models to detect unusual login behavior or configuration changes. This project will showcase how AI/ML can enhance threat detection and incident response.

• Automated Compliance Dashboard
  A proof-of-concept tool that maps AWS account configurations against frameworks such as FedRAMP Moderate or NIST 800-53, highlighting gaps and remediation steps.

Note: These projects are in the planning and development stage, reflecting my ongoing effort to translate certifications and theoretical knowledge into practical, real-world applications.

BSBA in Computer Information Systems

Associate of Arts (AA) in Business Administration and Management

_{Issued: Jul 2025 · Expires: Jul 2028}

_{Issued: May 2025 · Expires: Jul 2028}

_{Issued: Dec 2024 · Expires: Dec 2027}

_{Issued: Sep 2024 · No Expiration}

_{Issued: Feb 2023 · No Expiration}

_{Issued: Feb 2023 · No Expiration}

_{Issued: Apr 2021 · No Expiration}

_{Issued: May 2020 · Expired: May 2022 · Credential ID: Gi1FCiaCxV}

_{Issued: May 2020 · Expired: May 2022 · Credential ID: atY4iMBQ1C}

Infrastructure & Networking

Network Analysis Tools

Scripting & Programming

Operating Systems & Cloud

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Security & Compliance Frameworks

Framework	Description
	CMMC – Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification used to assess and enhance the cybersecurity posture of DoD contractors.
	FedRAMP – Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program standardizing cloud security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring.
	FISMA – U.S. legislation establishing a framework for securing federal information systems.
	GDPR – EU regulation focused on data protection and privacy.
	HIPAA – U.S. legislation mandating the protection of sensitive patient health information.
	ISO/IEC 27001 – International standard for establishing, implementing, and maintaining an information security management system (ISMS).
	MITRE ATT&CK – Knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques derived from real-world cyberattacks.
	NIST SP 800-53 – Security and privacy controls for federal information systems and organizations.
	PCI DSS – Global standard ensuring secure handling of credit card transactions and cardholder data.
	SOC 2 – Framework for managing customer data based on security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy principles.

_{Collectively, these frameworks represent a broad foundation in compliance, cloud security, data privacy, and risk management.}

Data & Visualization

Tools I Regularly Use

• 🔗 Follow and Connect on LinkedIn
• 📧 Email: SLFlora96@gmail.com
• 📄 Résumé (PDF)

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"What we usually consider as impossible are simply engineering problems... there's no law of physics preventing them."
_{— Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist and Futurist}

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