Ray Caparros
Security Architect & Engineer shaping the next generation of cybersecurity talent — through hands-on engineering, teaching, and career mentorship.
I'm a Security Architect and Engineer with deep experience across both defensive and offensive disciplines — from next-gen firewalls, SIEM, and zero-trust architecture to penetration testing and adversary emulation. But just as much as building and defending systems, I'm passionate about building people: as an adjunct professor and cybersecurity career coach, I've spent years mentoring career-changers, veterans, and entry-level analysts — helping them turn technical curiosity into real, employable skill. I also bring AI and machine learning into security practice, applying it to threat detection, behavioral analytics, and workflow automation.
About Me
Security Architect and Engineer bridging both offensive and defensive cybersecurity disciplines. My career has spanned Security Operations Center (SOC) leadership, SIEM engineering, zero-trust architecture, and adversarial security testing — including senior engineering roles supporting federal environments. I bring AI and machine learning into cybersecurity practice, applying it to threat detection, behavioral analytics, and workflow automation.
Quick Facts
Current Role
Security Architect & Engineer
Education
MBA — Artificial Intelligence Systems Management, Strayer University
Master of Science, Information Systems — Computer Security Management, Strayer University (2018)
Bachelor of Science, Computer Information Systems, Strayer University (2007)
Certifications
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)
CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner CE (CASP+)
EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
ITIL v4
Teaching & Mentoring
Adjunct Professor — Network Security, Digital Forensics & Incident Response, Cloud Security, Ethical Hacking
Cybersecurity Career Path Mentor — Netsectap Career Coaching Program
Languages
Experience
From SOC leadership to security engineering and AI-driven automation — building and defending systems across federal, enterprise, and academic environments.
ManTech International
Sr. Cyber Security Engineer / R&D Manager
Government contractor supporting federal cybersecurity operations and engineering.
Key Achievements
- Led the design, implementation, maintenance, and evolution of a cutting-edge cybersecurity IT lab infrastructure, incorporating both on-premises and cloud environments.
- Provide engineering solutions for complex problems focused on Security Operations Centers (SOC), including Intrusion Detection, Full Packet Capture, NetFlow, Malware Analysis, and Network Forensics.
- Perform enterprise-wide vulnerability management and coordinate mitigation and patch management.
- Design, deploy, and operate highly available, scalable, and fault-tolerant systems across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
- Build, maintain, and administer Splunk infrastructure (installation, configuration, dashboards, reports, alerting).
- Provided mentorship and training to junior engineers, fostering their professional development and contributing to team growth.
Strayer University
Adjunct Professor
Teaching undergraduate cybersecurity and computer science courses.
Key Achievements
- Teach undergraduate computer science courses within the B.S. program, including Network Security, Database Management, Management of Information Systems, and Cybercrime Techniques and Responses.
HackerUSA / ThriveDX
Cybersecurity Instructor
Cybersecurity bootcamp and workforce training provider.
Key Achievements
- Delivered engaging courses in core cybersecurity domains, including Network Security, Digital Forensics and Incident Response, Cloud Security, and Ethical Hacking.
Guidepoint Security
Sr. Security Engineer
Cybersecurity consulting firm supporting federal and civilian agency clients.
Key Achievements
- Designed and deployed network mapping applications for federal and civilian agency environments.
- Deep firewall expertise across PfSense, Palo Alto, Juniper, and Checkpoint NG.
- Architected IPS/IDS solutions using Cisco Sourcefire, Snort, and Palo Alto.
Early Career
Systems Engineer / Security Engineer
Foundational years building hands-on security operations and incident response experience.
Key Achievements
- Performed daily IDS sensor monitoring, firewall/IDS management, and incident response coordination.
- Managed hiring and training for new security analyst hires, and provided ongoing training and mentoring for federal employees and new analysts.