Richard Rostum

Cyber-Security Specialist

About

5+ years of experience in networking and security solutions. Professional with a Masters in Computer Science from NYIT. Course work prioritizing network security, information security, NIST framework, ISO 27000 series, and network design.

After years of tinkering with computers, pursuing degrees in Computer Science, messing around with servers, I’ve learned the ins and outs of networking and computers in general.

Experience

Booz Allen Hamilton
Disaster Recovery Specialist

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2023 - Present

After getting my masters degree, I really wanted to put it to use and Booz Allen Hamilton has given me such an opportunity to do so. At BAH, I get to travel all over the country and assist in helping client companies getting their businesses back up from cyber attacks. From reimaging machines, and setting up new domain controllers, to actively decypting machines and recovering data, there’s always something new in store.

Computer Resources of America
Network Administrator

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2018 - 2022

During my undergrad, I had the opportunity to intern at Computer Resources of America. I learned more than I did during my undergrad. Sure I knew how computers worked on a fundamental level and I could easily fix a computer whether it was a hardware or software issue, but did I know how to add a computer to a domain, or how to recreate an Outlook profile? I learned everything there is to learn in an MSP environment from making users in Active Directory to deploying Citrix environments.

I soon started working at CRA full-time while I was pursuing my degrees. During this time the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in full force. While this was a major setback for the world, it helped me learn even more about my field. Suddenly VPNs and remote environments had become incredibly important. Immediately I was responsible for firewall management and setting up everyone with remote access. While it was a nightmare at the moment, I learned so much more. Working full time I’ve also been able to tackle large projects like fully integrating remote anti-virus deployment, remote patching, and full server backups. I’ve also restructured client networks and reconfigured VLANs and subnets in order to improve security.

Education

New York Institute of Technology
Master of Science in Computer Science

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2019 - 2021

After graduating from NYIT, I decided to take on the challenge of earning a master’s degree. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed school as much as I did with my master’s. I’ve become pretty obsessed with computer networking and that’s reflected in the mini-data center that’s in my room. Having classes that mirror my interests so much and that will further my pursuits in the workplace is the icing on the cake. A huge focus was placed on taking classes geared toward cybersecurity and following standards like the NIST framework. While the coronavirus pandemic didn’t help with my pursuit of a degree, it didn’t stop me from earning my master’s.

New York Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

2015 - 2019

My time at NYIT in my undergrad was what I really needed to help push myself to learn more. Not only did I learn a lot more about the intricacies of computers and how they work inside and out, but I was able to meet a lot of people who made me want to learn.

I also had the privilege of being the treasurer and then becoming president of the game club on campus. We were the only non-academic-focused club on campus and I was able to meet a lot of people and help them through college but also had a lot of fun doing so. The game club also hosted a yearly charity event called “Extra Life” and we were able to raise a few thousand dollars for charity every year for our local hospital.

As well as being a part of the game club, I was also one of the founding members of the NYIT Cybears, our school’s E-sports team. E-sports are becoming bigger and bigger and starting a team at a tech school was such a good fit.

Elmont Memorial High School
Advanced Regents High School Diploma

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2009 - 2015

In high school, I found my love of computers. I was always a fan of tinkering with things in my youth and computers/electronics were a step up from that. While I was still your typical honor student and band kid, I was also responsible for maintaining the school website. I’m grateful that the teachers here pushed me to pursue my interests and made me who I am today.