Khalid Ahmed

Hands-on SOC Lab & Cybersecurity Projects

Projects

🖥️

SOC Lab & Network Segmentation

VirtualBox, pfSense, Windows & Linux VMs

Designed and implemented a full SOC lab connecting home and internal networks behind a pfSense firewall. Hosted multiple VMs for hands-on cybersecurity monitoring and incident response.

Impact: Created a controlled lab for practicing advanced SOC operations.

📧

On-Premises Email Server & Security Testing

hMailServer, Barracuda Email Gateway

Deployed an on-premises email server integrated with a Barracuda gateway. Configured email security protocols and performed phishing simulations to test threat detection and response.

Impact: Strengthened understanding of email security workflows and vulnerability assessment.

📊

Splunk Deployment & Log Forwarding

Splunk Enterprise, Universal Forwarder

Installed Splunk on-premises for centralized log management. Configured a Universal Forwarder on an internal VM to collect and forward logs for real-time monitoring, alerts, and analysis.

Impact: Improved visibility into system and network events for proactive threat detection.

🛡️

pfSense End-to-End Firewall Configuration

pfSense, Routing, NAT, VPN

Implemented a complete pfSense firewall to manage and secure traffic between home and internal networks. Configured routing, NAT, VPN, and security policies for a controlled lab environment.

Impact: Enabled secure network segmentation and realistic cybersecurity simulations.