I'm Jeeva Kumaradas
From factory floors to firewalls — turning grit into great security.
Cybersecurity Analyst · Threat Hunter
- Built a SOC home lab (Splunk, QRadar, pfSense, Windows Server, Kali, Nessus)
- Certifications: CompTIA CySA+, ISC2 CC
- Hands-on, practical, persistent — ready to contribute on day one
From Factory Floors to Firewalls
Cybersecurity has been my goal since high school, but I put it on hold to support my family. After moving to Canada, I worked two jobs—factory shifts by day and restaurant nights—while raising young kids. The dream never left; it just had to wait.
I studied in the margins of the day: on breaks, during commutes, and after bedtime. During COVID, I finally had a window to invest in myself. I completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Network Security & Architecture (Fanshawe, online), earned CompTIA CySA+ and ISC2 CC, and built a full SOC home lab piece by piece—Splunk, QRadar, pfSense, Windows Server, Kali, Nessus, and more.
Many nights ended around 2 a.m., but that discipline became my advantage.
- Resilience: balancing full-time work, parenting, and 15–20 hours/week of study and labs.
- Real practice: SIEM tuning, detections, incident triage, vulnerability scans, and clear write-ups.
- Team value: reliability, documentation, and empathy for the people behind the systems.
A Note to Hiring Managers
Many “entry-level” roles still ask for a degree and 3+ years. My path is different, but the skills are real. I learned by doing—nights, weekends, and self-funded labs. I’m not asking for shortcuts; I’m asking for a chance to contribute, keep learning, and prove it.
If your team values persistence and practical skill, I’m ready to help on day one.