Web Developer | Cybersecurity Specialist | Former Electrician Turned Code Builder

I went from wiring buildings to writing code. Now I build secure websites and develop AI tools that solve real problems.

I manage the dinecollege.edu website as Web Developer in IT & Marketing. This year I delivered:

Site-Wide Recovery & Modernization

• Rebuilt all widgets after WordPress core update broke site functionality
• Audited and fixed 50+ pages individually
• Redesigned Student Activities page with interactive elements
• Built Alumni and donation flow pages
• Created IRB and institutional pages
• Configured Google Analytics tracking across the site

Technical Operations & Reporting

• Created formal Website Work Log & Impact Report for performance reviews
• Generated marketing analytics reports for stakeholders
• Analyzed IT portal requests and traffic patterns
• Managed live streaming setup using YOLOBox for campus events
• Provided media and technical support for live broadcasts

Technologies Used: WordPress, Elementor Pro, Custom CSS/JS, Google Analytics

I built a complete AWS networking portfolio demonstrating enterprise-level cloud architecture skills:

Virtual Private Cloud Architecture

• Designed and deployed custom VPC environments
• Configured public and private subnet architectures
• Implemented route tables and Internet Gateways
• Set up NAT for secure outbound traffic
• Configured Security Groups and Network ACLs

Multi-VPC Networking

• Established VPC Peering connections between isolated networks
• Planned and implemented CIDR addressing schemes
• Built routing tables for cross-VPC communication
• Tested connectivity using ping and curl validation

Security & Monitoring

• Enabled VPC Flow Logs for traffic analysis
• Used CloudWatch Logs Insights for security investigation
• Identified accepted vs rejected traffic flows
• Troubleshot security misconfigurations

Private Service Access

• Created VPC Endpoints for secure S3 access
• Eliminated public internet exposure for sensitive data transfers
• Configured endpoint, bucket, and IAM policies
• Enforced least-privilege access controls

Compute & Identity Management

• Provisioned EC2 instances inside VPCs
• Configured EC2 Instance Connect for browser-based SSH
• Managed key pair authentication
• Created IAM users, roles, and trust relationships
• Applied access keys vs IAM roles best practices
• Built S3 buckets with proper access controls
• Used AWS CLI for object management

View the complete portfolio at github.com/shanebrown848/AWS-Networking-Projects-Portfolio

I built security-focused AWS projects demonstrating threat detection, encryption, and monitoring capabilities:

IAM Access Control

• Designed least-privilege IAM policies
• Created scoped permissions for users and roles
• Enforced separation of duties across AWS resources

Encryption & Key Management

• Implemented AWS KMS for data encryption
• Encrypted DynamoDB tables with customer-managed keys
• Managed key rotation and access policies

Secrets Management

• Migrated hardcoded credentials to AWS Secrets Manager
• Configured secure AWS SDK authentication
• Automated credential rotation

Threat Detection

• Configured AWS GuardDuty for suspicious activity monitoring
• Simulated attacks to test detection capabilities
• Tuned findings and response workflows

Security Monitoring System

• Built CloudTrail + CloudWatch + SNS alert pipeline
• Monitored sensitive API actions in real time
• Automated security event notifications

View the complete portfolio at github.com/shanebrown848/AWS-cloud-security-portfolio

I built relational and NoSQL database solutions integrated with cloud applications:

Relational Databases (Amazon Aurora)

• Deployed managed Aurora MySQL databases
• Connected Aurora to EC2 instances
• Built PHP web application with Aurora backend
• Configured database security groups and access control

NoSQL Databases (Amazon DynamoDB)

• Created DynamoDB tables with proper capacity planning
• Loaded data using AWS CLI
• Queried data with partition keys and sort keys
• Implemented DynamoDB transactions

Database Integration

• Connected web applications to cloud databases
• Configured secure database authentication
• Optimized query performance
• Managed database scaling and capacity

View the complete portfolio at github.com/shanebrown848/AWS-databases-portfolio

AI Security Scanner

• Built threat detection tool powered by Gemini AI
• Automated vulnerability identification
• Integrated security awareness into development workflow

CyberSentinel AI

• Developed AI-powered SOC assistant for threat analysis
• Created automated incident response workflows

I created professional documentation for all projects:

• Master AWS portfolios with consistent structure
• Individual project documentation with diagrams
• Website Work Log showing measurable business impact
• Task tracking system for performance reviews
• Recruiter-ready GitHub repositories

Cloud & Infrastructure
AWS (VPC, EC2, IAM, S3, CloudWatch, KMS, Secrets Manager, GuardDuty, CloudTrail, SNS), Aurora, DynamoDB, Azure, Oracle Cloud, VPC Peering, VPC Endpoints, VPC Flow Logs, AWS CLI, CloudShell

Networking
CIDR notation, Route Tables, Internet Gateways, NAT, Security Groups, Network ACLs, Traffic routing, Network isolation, Multi-VPC architecture

Security
IAM policy design, Least-privilege enforcement, AWS KMS encryption, Secrets management, Threat detection (GuardDuty), Security monitoring (CloudTrail + CloudWatch), Defense in depth, Traffic monitoring, Kali Linux, Parrot OS, Wireshark, Nmap, Burp Suite, Splunk

Databases
Amazon Aurora (MySQL), DynamoDB, NoSQL data modeling, Query optimization, Database-to-application integration, Partition keys and sort keys, Database transactions

Development
JavaScript, Python, HTML5, CSS3, SQL, Bash, PHP, React.js, Node.js, Express, Astro.js, Vite, GSAP, .NET Blazor

Web & CMS
WordPress, Elementor Pro, Custom CSS/JS integration, Google Analytics, Responsive design

AI/ML
OpenAI API, Gemini AI, Prompt Engineering, TTS Systems, AI-powered security tools

Tools & Workflows
Git/GitHub, VSCode, Postman, Figma, Linux command line, SSH, Markdown, Technical documentation

Infrastructure + Security: I design cloud architectures with security built in from the start. Every VPC gets proper isolation. Every resource gets least-privilege access. I encrypt data at rest and in transit.

Networking + Monitoring: I build networks that route traffic correctly and log everything needed for security analysis. I use CloudWatch Logs Insights to investigate traffic patterns. I configure alerts for suspicious activity.

Databases + Applications: I integrate relational and NoSQL databases with web applications. I design queries for performance. I configure secure database access without exposing credentials.

Threat Detection + Response: I configure GuardDuty for threat detection. I build monitoring pipelines with CloudTrail and CloudWatch. I automate security alerts using SNS.

Cloud + Production Work: I operate live cloud systems and production websites. I know the difference between lab exercises and real environments where mistakes cost money.

Documentation + Communication: I write technical documentation that non-technical stakeholders understand. I track my work for performance reviews and business impact reports.

I manage dinecollege.edu as Web Developer in the IT & Marketing Department. I handle technical implementations and collaborate across teams to deliver solutions.

I run Sinister Gate Designs LLC. I build secure websites and provide cybersecurity consulting for clients who need both speed and protection.

Studying Cybersecurity at Arizona State University. Working toward Security+ certification. Building hands-on AWS projects covering networking, security, databases, and monitoring.

I learn by building. Every project teaches me something new. I moved from learning cloud concepts to operating cloud systems with real security controls and monitoring.

I write the Hacker Series - cybersecurity awareness articles covering real breaches and security incidents.

I create Inspire to Hire - real stories from tech professionals for students and job hunters.

I run TheEchoedMelodies.blog - music reviews and underground metal coverage.

20 years as an electrician. Lead singer in a metal band. Started coding while working as a custodian at Diné College. Moved into web development. Now building a career in cybersecurity.

The technical thinking from electrical work translates well to code. Problem solving stays the same. The tools change.

Portfolio: ShanesdesignStudio.cloud
Business: SinisterGateDesigns.com
Email: shanebrown@sinistergatedesigns.com