Welcome, I'm Isaac Slings

Senior Security Analyst & Cloud Security Expert

Specializing in Azure Cloud Security, SIEM Management, Vulnerability Assessment, and Cybersecurity Architecture with 5+ years of enterprise security experience.

60+ Certifications
5+ Years Experience
3 Udemy Courses
Isaac Slings

About Me

I'm a Senior Security Analyst with deep expertise in cloud security and cybersecurity architecture. I've led initiatives across finance and lottery industries to secure Azure environments, enforce AI governance, and implement robust defense strategies.

With a Master's in Cybersecurity and numerous industry certifications, I deliver hands-on, compliance-driven solutions. My experience spans from architecting Azure Sentinel detection pipelines to leading multi-state lottery system migrations to secure hybrid-cloud architectures.

I'm passionate about shift-left security practices, having created interactive workshops on secure coding patterns and container hardening for development teams. I also contribute to the cybersecurity community through educational content creation on Udemy.

Outside of work, I shoot film photography to capture genuine moments, game to stay sharp, and explore new places with my partner, Lexi. This site showcases my projects, insights, and what I've learned along the way.

"I believe there's a God above me, I'm just the god of everything else." – Pusha T

Security Architecture

Designing and implementing enterprise-grade security solutions across cloud and hybrid environments.

Cloud Security

Expert in Azure and AWS security, with hands-on experience in Sentinel, Defender, and cloud-native architectures.

Threat Hunting

Proactive threat detection and incident response using advanced SIEM platforms and custom analytics.

Professional Experience

Senior Information Security Analyst

Cambridge Investment Research Apr 2025 – Jul 2025 Remote / Fairfield, IA
  • Architected and maintained Azure Sentinel detection pipelines, ingesting Cisco Umbrella, Defender for Endpoint, and custom telemetry via DCR & Azure Functions
  • Designed and deployed 20+ correlation rules and analytic alerts (KQL) for insider-threat, lateral movement, and privilege escalation
  • Automated incident workflows in Sentinel SOAR (Logic Apps) to enrich alerts with threat intelligence, open tickets, and execute containment actions
  • Managed Microsoft Defender XDR, tuning machine-learning alerts and integrating Defender logs into Sentinel for unified visibility
  • Conducted threat modeling workshops and secure design reviews, resulting in adoption of OWASP Top 10 mitigations across multiple services
  • Managed external penetration testing engagements and led remediation of critical findings, reducing high-risk vulnerabilities within 7 days
Azure Sentinel KQL Microsoft Defender XDR Logic Apps OWASP

Information Security Analyst

Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) 2022 – 2025 Johnston, IA
  • Led end-to-end migration of seven state lottery systems to secure hybrid-cloud architecture, reducing on-prem footprint while improving operational resilience
  • Championed shift-left security training, creating interactive workshops on secure coding patterns and container hardening for development teams
  • Developed AWS CDK modules with embedded security controls (WAF rules, encryption by default, least-privilege IAM policies)
  • Supported audits and compliance reviews related to MUSL Rule 2, NIST 800-53, and WLA-SCS
  • Automated vulnerability triage and remediation workflows using Jira API and SailPoint IIQ connectors, accelerating MTTR by 60%
  • Implemented container security benchmarks (CIS Docker, Kubernetes), integrating kube-bench and Trivy scans into CI jobs
AWS CDK SailPoint IIQ Kubernetes NIST 800-53 Trivy

IT Help Desk Analyst

Principal Financial Group 2021 – 2022 Des Moines, IA
  • Provided Tier 1/2 support for 3,500+ users; collaborated on initial SIEM alerts for compromised credentials
  • Assisted in onboarding Windows and Linux endpoints into Splunk Forwarders; troubleshot data-collection issues
  • Supported Microsoft 365 incident response: investigated Exchange Online alerts, worked with Defender for Office 365 sandbox reports
Splunk Microsoft 365 Defender for Office 365

Certifications

Industry-recognized certifications demonstrating expertise across cloud security, cybersecurity, and IT infrastructure.

Advanced Security

ISO/IEC 27001:2022

Lead Auditor

ISO

Cloud Platforms

Solutions Architect

Associate Level

AWS

Solutions Expert

Microsoft Certified

Microsoft

Security & Compliance

Microsoft Certified

Microsoft

CompTIA Suite

SecurityX ce

Advanced Security

CompTIA

CySA+ ce

Cybersecurity Analyst

CompTIA

PenTest+ ce

Penetration Testing

CompTIA

Cloud+ ce

Cloud Infrastructure

CompTIA

CloudNetX ce

Cloud Networking

CompTIA

Security+ ce

Security Fundamentals

CompTIA

Specialized Tools

InsightVM

Administrator

Rapid7

Core Competencies & Tools

CI/CD & Automation

GitHub Enterprise Jenkins GitLab CI Azure DevOps

Cloud & Infrastructure

AWS Azure AWS CDK Terraform CloudFormation

Security Testing

AppScan OWASP ZAP Snyk SonarQube Checkmarx Burp Suite

Containerization

Docker Kubernetes EKS Trivy kube-bench

IAM & Governance

SailPoint IdentityIQ Microsoft Entra ID Workday Azure AD

Scripting & Development

Python PowerShell Bash KQL SQL

Security Frameworks

NIST CSF CIS Benchmarks ISO 27001 MITRE ATT&CK OWASP

SIEM & Monitoring

Azure Sentinel Splunk Microsoft Defender XDR Logic Apps Cisco Umbrella

Education & Content Creation

Formal Education

Master of Science

Cybersecurity & Information Assurance

Western Governors University

2024

Bachelor of Arts

Electronic Media

Wartburg College

2011

Get In Touch

Let's connect and discuss cybersecurity, cloud security, or potential collaboration opportunities.

Email

isaac.slings@gmail.com

Send Email

Location

Des Moines, IA

Open to remote opportunities

Credentials

View my certifications

Credly Profile

Cybersecurity Education

I create comprehensive practice exams and educational content to help cybersecurity professionals advance their careers. My courses focus on practical, real-world scenarios that prepare students for certification success.

CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Exams
CloudNetX Practice Exams
Professional Development Content
View My Udemy Courses