Jesse Flippen
Security Operations Specialist | Splunk SIEM & Threat Detection | AWS Certified | Python Automation
Professional Summary
I transitioned into cybersecurity after building Python automation systems in high-stakes enterprise environments — and I bring something rare to a SOC team: a decade of experience understanding how data moves through organizations, which makes me exceptionally effective at threat detection and security event correlation.
Currently completing the Per Scholas Cybersecurity program with hands-on labs in SIEM operations, network security, incident response, and cloud security. Actively pursuing CompTIA Security+ and Splunk Core Certified User certifications.
What makes me different:
- A decade of enterprise experience — I understand the business risk behind every vulnerability, not just the technical one.
- Hands-on SIEM experience: Splunk dashboards, alert configuration, and live log forwarding from infrastructure I personally deployed and hardened.
- Comfortable in the Linux terminal: UFW, Fail2ban, SSH key management, systemd, and Bash scripting — validated in a live production deployment at PyTexas 2026.
- Self-directed learner: Hack The Box, TryHackMe, LabEx, and Splunk training — used daily to build real blue-team skills.
- Proven track record translating complex technical findings into business-risk language for VP and director-level audiences.
Technical Skills
Security Operations
- SIEM / Log Analysis & Correlation
- Splunk SPL Query Writing
- Incident Triage & Response
- Threat Detection & Correlation
- MITRE ATT&CK Framework
- IDS/IPS Concepts
- Network Traffic Analysis
Cloud Security
- AWS IAM & Security Groups
- CloudTrail & VPC Flow Logs
- Cloud Threat Modeling
- Network Segmentation
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Scripting & Automation
- Python (automation & log parsing)
- Bash Scripting
- FastAPI
- SSH Key Management
- Tailscale Mesh Networking
- systemd / UFW / Fail2ban
Infrastructure & Networking
- Linux Administration
- Wireshark / Packet Analysis
- TCP/IP & Network Protocols
- Active Directory Concepts
- Cisco Packet Tracer
- Endpoint Hardening
Certifications & Credentials
Focused on SOC analyst readiness — ordered by relevance to security operations roles.
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)
Threat detection, network security, cryptography, identity management, and risk management fundamentals — the primary SOC analyst entry credential.
In Progress · Expected May 2026Splunk Core Certified User
SPL searching, dashboarding, and alert configuration — the foundational SIEM credential for SOC operations and threat hunting workflows.
In Progress · Expected July 2026AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
Cloud security model, IAM, core services, and infrastructure fundamentals — essential for understanding cloud attack surfaces in modern SOC environments.
Earned · January 2026HTB Certified Junior Cyber Analyst (CJCA)
Hands-on blue team certification from Hack The Box, focused on SOC analyst workflows, log analysis, and defensive threat investigation.
Expected · September 2026CompTIA Linux+
Linux administration, scripting, and security fundamentals — critical for SOC analysts operating in Linux-heavy environments.
Expected · August 2026Google AI Essentials
Responsible AI principles, prompt engineering, and practical AI tool integration — applied to security automation and AI-assisted threat intelligence workflows.
CompletedDaily Learning Stack
Platforms I use actively every day to build real, hands-on security skills — not just theory.
Hack The Box
Hands-on penetration testing labs and CTF challenges. Building practical offensive and defensive skills in real-world simulated environments, with a focus on blue-team analyst paths.
TryHackMe
Structured SOC-focused learning paths including log analysis, SIEM operations, network forensics, and incident response. Specifically targeting blue-team and defensive security scenarios.
Splunk Training
Official Splunk education platform and SPL (Search Processing Language) practice. Daily hands-on work toward the Splunk Core Certified User exam and real dashboard-building skills.
CyberDefenders
Blue team CTF challenges focused on defensive security: log analysis, network forensics, and incident investigation. Ideal for building SOC analyst tradecraft beyond lab environments.
LabEx
Browser-based Linux and cloud labs. My go-to for reinforcing Linux command-line fundamentals, Bash scripting, and cloud infrastructure hands-on practice.
Professional Experience
Senior Business Development Manager – Moët Hennessy Portfolio
Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits | Texas | December 2022 – Present
Python Automation Initiative
- Engineered an automated reporting solution that reduced manual administrative workflow by over 3 hours weekly — the same data-parsing and anomaly-detection pattern applied directly in security log analysis.
- Managed enterprise account data requiring sensitive handling; built compliance-aware, automated reporting systems that reduced manual data exposure and human error in sensitive pipelines.
- Developed strategic performance analyses for weekly supplier meetings; presented complex technical findings to brand teams at director and VP level — translating data into clear risk-and-opportunity language.
Business Development Manager
Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits | Dallas-Fort Worth | March 2019 – December 2022
- Managed high-stakes enterprise accounts, translating complex metrics into actionable business strategies for VP-level stakeholders.
- Built data pipelines across enterprise analytics platforms (Compass, Onesource); engaged with IT infrastructure decisions and vendor security assessment processes daily.
- Developed deep on/off-premise channel expertise including engagement with enterprise IT buyers familiar with security procurement and compliance requirements.
Sales Representative – Coastal Division (Diageo Portfolio)
Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits | Dallas | February 2017 – March 2019
- Analyzed complex territory data to identify market opportunities, utilizing data-driven solutions to optimize a $14.8M portfolio.
- Engaged enterprise IT buyers across DFW; developed working familiarity with security procurement, compliance requirements, and organizational risk tolerance.
Inside Sales Consultant
Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits | Dallas | July 2015 – February 2017
- Managed 250+ accounts weekly via SAP with strict data governance protocols; built the CRM and order management foundation applying enterprise access control and data security practices from the ground up.
Earlier Experience
Stocker – Glazer's Distributors (2014–2015) | Brand Builder – ABCo Brand Builders (2010–2014)
- Built industry foundation in merchandising, product promotion, and retail distribution execution across the Texas market.
Technical Projects
Recent GitHub Activity
A selection of my most recent and active projects — spanning security tools, automation, web development, and Python utilities.
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Featured Projects
In-depth case studies of key technical projects demonstrating security operations, automation, and software engineering capabilities.
Security Operations
Tailscale Raspberry Pi Security Wrap
Overview: Designed and deployed a hardened Raspberry Pi infrastructure for the PyTexas community — then used it as a live security monitoring exercise, forwarding logs into Splunk for real-time threat detection.
- Configured UFW firewall with least-privilege port exposure; deployed Fail2ban for SSH brute-force protection
- Enforced SSH key-only authentication; deployed Tailscale mesh VPN for network-agnostic remote access
- Forwarded API and network logs into Splunk — built real-time threat detection dashboard with alerting on unauthorized access attempts
- Deployed systemd unit for unattended auto-start; validated at live PyTexas 2026 (~300 attendees)
Stack: Python · FastAPI · Tailscale · Splunk · UFW · Fail2ban · Raspberry Pi · systemd
Python Automation
Enterprise Log Parser & Anomaly Reporter
Overview: Built Python automation to ingest, parse, and surface anomalies in large structured data exports — the same foundational skill applied in security log analysis and SIEM alert correlation.
- Automated parsing of multi-thousand-row enterprise data exports, reducing analysis time by 3+ hours weekly
- Implemented outlier detection logic to flag anomalous patterns — directly transferable to security log correlation and threat hunting
- Output structured reports consumed by VP-level audiences; extending the pattern to JSON/CSV security log formats
Stack: Python · Pandas · Regex · CSV/JSON parsing · Excel automation
Open Source Contribution
Windows Compatibility & Subprocess Optimization — voglster/lumbergh
Overview: External contributor to lumbergh, a Python backend tool. Improved cross-platform support and process reliability, with the maintainer manually merging the work into main after resolving complex rebase conflicts.
- Standardized all
subprocess.runcalls to UTF-8 encoding, eliminating character-set bugs across Windows and Linux environments - Implemented Windows-specific "kill path" using
taskkill /F /Tto properly terminate child processes and prevent memory leaks - Authored
test_windows_kill.py— a dedicated unit test suite verifying cross-platform process termination with no regressions - Refactored
libtmuxserver initialization to use a dynamicpsmuxfallback, increasing backend environment flexibility - Resolved complex merge conflicts caused by simultaneous upstream changes via interactive rebase
Stack: Python · subprocess API · libtmux · Git (rebase / conflict resolution) · Windows · Linux
Universal Unit Converter
Engineering Discipline: Built a production-ready web application from scratch — no frameworks, no templates — demonstrating clean software architecture and user-focused engineering.
Technical Highlight: Responsive state management in vanilla JavaScript for instant, bi-directional conversions across 8 distinct unit categories — no page reloads.
Impact: Live production app serving users worldwide, with dark mode support and SEO optimization.
Stack: HTML · CSS · JavaScript · Netlify
Portfolio Website
Designed and built this portfolio from scratch — no frameworks, no templates. A purposeful exercise in clean HTML, CSS architecture, and progressive JavaScript enhancement.
Focus: Performance, accessibility, SEO, and a clear narrative around a career transition into security operations.
Stack: HTML · CSS · JavaScript · Netlify CI
Security Lab & Tools
Interactive security utilities and demonstrations — built with vanilla JavaScript. Try terminal mode for the full experience.
Interactive Terminal
user@jflip-sec:~$
welcome
Welcome to Jesse Flippen's Security Operations Portfolio!
Type 'help' to see available commands.
Type 'help' to see available commands.
user@jflip-sec:~$
Network Footprint Scanner
See your public network footprint. This tool queries your IP address, location, and browser details using public APIs. No data is stored.
Scanning...
Base64 / Hex Decoder
Encode or decode Base64 and Hex strings. Essential for log analysis, reverse engineering, and CTF challenges.
Volunteer & Organizations
Chair — PyTexas Community Committee
PyTexas Foundation | Texas | Ongoing
Lead community organizing for one of Texas's largest Python developer conferences, coordinating events and supporting the growth of Python practitioners across the state. Helped coordinate PyTexas 2026 at the Austin Central Library with approximately 300 attendees.
Security Relevance: Active leadership in the technical community developing the programming language most used in security automation, SOAR development, and threat hunting. Presented the WrangLED infrastructure hardening project at PyTexas 2026 — a live, public demonstration of endpoint security, firewall configuration, and infrastructure monitoring.
Phi Sigma Phi Honor Society
Academic recognition for exceptional scholarly achievement.
Let's Connect
Connect on LinkedIn
I'm actively pursuing SOC Analyst opportunities and would love to connect with security professionals, recruiters, and fellow cybersecurity enthusiasts.
Let's connect! Send me a LinkedIn connection request and let me know what you're working on or if you'd like to discuss security operations, SIEM, or Python automation.
Connect on LinkedInPrivacy-first approach: I prefer to connect via LinkedIn for professional networking. Please reach out there with a brief message about how we can collaborate!
Education & Training
Per Scholas — Cybersecurity Training Program
Dallas, TX | March 2026 – July 2026 (Expected)
Intensive 16-week cybersecurity program covering SIEM operations, incident response fundamentals, threat detection and log analysis, network security, Active Directory, Linux administration, and cloud security. Hands-on labs using Splunk, Wireshark, and Cisco Packet Tracer. Cohort-based program with industry mentors preparing candidates for SOC Analyst roles.