Thirumala Rao Padilam

About Thirumala Rao Padilam

Cybersecurity professional with 5+ years of experience in Security Operations, Threat Detection, and Incident Response, currently working as an Associate Manager in a global SOC environment.I specialize in investigating advanced threats using EDR and SIEM platforms, with hands-on experience in Microsoft Defender XDR, CrowdStrike, and log correlation across endpoint, identity, and network sources. My work focuses on detecting, analyzing, and containing threats such as ransomware, phishing, privilege escalation, and lateral movement, using frameworks like MITRE ATT & CK.I have strong exposure to threat hunting and detection engineering, including building and tuning detection logic, reducing false positives, and improving visibility into attacker behavior. I regularly work with KQL and SIEM queries to identify anomalies and uncover hidden threats.In addition to hands-on operations, I have mentored analysts and contributed to improving SOC processes, playbooks, and incident response workflows.I am currently focused on advancing in Detection & Response (MDR), Threat Hunting, and advanced SOC roles, with a goal of strengthening capabilities in SIEM (Splunk), automation, and large-scale threat detection.Core strengths:• Threat Detection & Incident Response • SIEM & Log Analysis (KQL, Sentinel, QRadar) • EDR (Microsoft Defender XDR, CrowdStrike) • Threat Hunting & MITRE ATT & CK • Malware & Ransomware Investigation Always learning, always adapting to the evolving threat landscape.

Experience

1. Associate Manager

   HCLTech

   Feb 2024 — Present · Bengaluru, IN

   Currently working in a global SOC environment, delivering threat detection and incident response services for enterprise customers across multiple regions.• Investigate and respond to advanced threats (ransomware, phishing, privilege escalation, lateral movement) using Microsoft Defender XDR• Perform threat hunting using MITRE ATT & CK to proactively identify threats across customer environments• Correlate logs across endpoint, identity, and network sources to detect complex attack patterns• Lead incident triage and act as escalation point for high-severity incidents impacting customer environments• Participate in customer bridge calls, providing real-time updates, technical analysis, and remediation guidance• Communicate security findings and recommendations to customers in a clear and actionable manner• Develop and execute KQL queries for investigation and detection use cases• Reduce false positives by tuning detection rules, improving customer experience and alert quality• Mentor 27+ analysts to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery across the SOC• Contribute to improving SOC playbooks, processes, and detection strategies for better customer outcomesTools & Technologies: Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Sentinel, KQL, CrowdStrike, SIEM, EDR

Education

• PVP Siddhartha Institute of Technology

  Bachelor of Technology - BTech, Electronics and communication engineering

• KL University

  Postgraduate Degree, Cyber Security and Digital Forensics

  2017 — 2019