Benjamin Taylor | Cybersecurity Student

My Mission

I'm a Computer Science student at UNC Charlotte, pursuing an M.S. in Cybersecurity, alongside a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. I focus on network and application security, secure systems engineering, and applied cybersecurity research. My mission is to strengthen defenses and build innovative solutions that make security more accessible, intelligent, and actionable.

Why Cybersecurity

My journey through computer science led me to discover a passion for cybersecurity. I'm now committed to advancing in security research and engineering: tackling problems in network defense, application hardening, and threat detection. What drives me is the real-world impact of protecting people, data, and systems from evolving cyber threats.

📄 Download My Resume

You can download my latest resume in PDF format below:

Download Resume

🎓 Education

UNC Charlotte

M.S. in Cybersecurity

Aug 2025 - May 2027

UNC Charlotte

B.S. in Computer Science
Cybersecurity Concentration • Mathematics Minor

Aug 2023 - May 2026

Google

Cybersecurity
Business Intelligence
Project Management

TryHackMe

Cybersecurity Labs & Paths
Red Teaming, SOC, Network Security

Cisco & ISC2

Intro to Cybersecurity (Cisco)
Certified in Cybersecurity (ISC2)

freeCodeCamp

JavaScript Algorithms
Responsive Web Design

Foundational C# With Microsoft

Scientific Computing with Python

🛠️ Technical Skills

Languages

Python
C / C++
Java
JavaScript
C#
HTML / CSS

Cybersecurity Tools

Wireshark / TShark
Nmap
Snort
Metasploit
Burp Suite
Zeek
NetworkMiner

Frameworks & Platforms

Linux (Ubuntu, Kali)
Windows Server
TryHackMe
OpenCTI / MISP
MITRE ATT&CK Framework
Diamond Model / Kill Chain

Other Tools

Git / GitHub
Visual Studio / VS Code
Figma / Canva
Excel / Power BI
Cloudflare
SQLite
PyQt5
YARA

Current Project: obscura

obscura: A Real-Time Threat Analysis & Detection Platform

Summary: obscura is a full-stack, real-time Security Operations Center (SOC) simulation platform designed to demonstrate practical capabilities in modern threat detection, incident response, and systems integration. Developed by Benjamin Taylor, the platform reflects a hands-on approach to solving real-world security challenges through end-to-end development, from packet-level analysis to live dashboard visualizations.

📊 Core Features

Real-Time PCAP Log Analysis: Detects SYN scans, brute-force logins, and YARA rule matches via PyShark.
Live Alert Feed + Dashboard: React + TailwindCSS frontend with real-time charting using Chart.js.
File Upload System: Auto-triggers backend parsing and UI updates.
YARA Signature Engine: Integrated yara-python scanning with custom rulesets.

⚙️ Tech Stack

Frontend: React, TailwindCSS, Chart.js
Backend: Python Flask, PyShark, YARA, Rich
Dev Tools: Vite, GitHub, Render
Deployment: Docker (optional), Render Static + Python WSGI

Note: The source code for obscura is private. If you're a recruiter or industry professional and would like to access, please contact via LinkedIn.