Richard Kelly

About Richard Kelly

Penetration Tester and Cybersecurity Professional with GIAC certifications and SOC leadership experience, specializing in offensive security and practical risk reduction.I combine hands-on technical expertise and operational leadership to help organizations identify vulnerabilities and strengthen defenses before attackers exploit them.My background includes security operations leadership, cyber advisory roles, and advanced penetration testing training, supported by continuous hands-on practice in a dedicated cyber range.Core Expertise-Penetration Testing & Red Team Methodologies-Active Directory Exploitation & Privilege Escalation-Incident Response & SOC Operations-Cloud Penetration Testing (AWS)-Detection Engineering & SIEM Analysis-Security Assessments & Risk ReductionCertifications-GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester (GCPN)-GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)-GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)-Security+Technical Initiative:I maintain a fully virtualized cyber range for continuous offensive security practice, including-Enterprise Active Directory environment-Kali Linux attack platform-Exploitation targets-Wazuh SIEM detection lab-Phishing simulation infrastructureLeadership Background-20 years of U.S. Army leadership-Defense contracting and operational planning-Deputy Sheriff and SWAT operator-Cybersecurity advisory and SOC leadership rolesFocused on penetration testing and offensive security roles where technical depth and leadership experience provide measurable security improvements.

Experience

1. Founder CEO

   Port Zero Cyber Solutions

   Feb 2025 — Present · US

   Launched and led PORT:ZERO Cyber Solutions, a cybersecurity consultancy dedicated to enhancing organizational resilience through realistic awareness training and threat-based education.Built a full-stack Python application using FastAPI and Streamlit, featuring dynamic dropdown-based configuration, structured user input handling, and AI-generated executive summaries. Designed modular backend services, REST APIs, and JSON-based data models to support scalable application workflows and automated document generation.Designed and delivered high-impact cybersecurity awareness presentations tailored to businesses, schools, and individuals, covering social engineering, phishing, ransomware, and modern adversarial techniques.Produced a growing library of hands-on cybersecurity videos simulating real-world attacker tactics, tools, and procedures (TTPs), helping viewers understand how breaches occur and how to prevent them.Operate the @PORTZEROCyberSolutions YouTube channel, delivering educational content that bridges the gap between technical exploits and end-user awareness, reaching a broad audience across industries.Create training materials that incorporate real attack simulations, behavioral indicators, and blue-team defensive strategies, empowering viewers to detect, respond, and stay vigilant.Partnering with small businesses to build practical incident response plans and helping align their cybersecurity posture with frameworks like NIST CSF and CIS Controls.Mission: To educate and empower individuals and organizations by teaching them to think like a threat actor before the real ones show up.

Education

• Utica University

  B.S. Cybersecurity, Cyber Security

• SANS Technology Institute

  Penetration Testing & Ethical Hacking

• Coastline College

  Associate in Arts (AA), Business Administration

  2013 — 2015