kurt@sec:~$ whoami
kurt jethro
castro
IT student focused on cybersecurity and cloud. i build web apps that run across Linux servers, and i lock them down like 2016 prime Kawhi Leonard.
- focus
- cybersecurity + cloud
- certified
- CompTIA Security+
- currently developing
- vehicle hub web app
- based in
- New Jersey
projects
3 builds · newest first
vehicle hub
add the cars you own and see their NHTSA safety recalls and owner complaints. read and write reviews for any year, make and model, list a car for sale, and find nearby repair or body shops.
what i built
- built the entire PHP front end of a distributed car platform: personal garage, ratings and reviews, NHTSA recall and complaint history, a used-car marketplace and a nearby shop finder
- connected every page to the backend only through RabbitMQ request/reply messaging, keeping the web server separate from the MySQL database and the external API server
- implemented session-based authentication from scratch, with server-side validation, session ID regeneration, session keys checked on every request and generic login errors
- hardened every page against XSS and bad input through output escaping, type casting and server-side validation
- deployed across four Ubuntu VMs networked over Tailscale, and locked down my web server with UFW firewall rules
movie library + watchlist
a movie database site in the style of Letterboxd. users browse and search movies pulled from a public movie API, add their own, and save favorites to a personal watchlist. admins manage roles and the catalog.
what i built
- pulled movie data from the MoviesDatabase API on RapidAPI with cURL, saving it to MySQL and skipping duplicate entries
- full create, read, update and delete for movies, with search filters and sorting by title, release year or date added
- three layers of input validation: HTML form rules, JavaScript checks before submit, and PHP checks on the server
- user accounts with bcrypt password hashing and a personal watchlist linking each user to their saved movies
- role-based admin tools to assign roles, manage user-movie links and find unlinked movies, deployed on Render in a Docker container
rock paper scissors battle royale
a multiplayer desktop game. players connect to a server, join a room and battle in rock paper scissors rounds until only one player is left standing.
what i built
- client/server networking over Java sockets, sending typed payloads for moves, points, timers and ready checks
- game rooms players can create, join and leave, with chat in each room
- rounds start once everyone is ready, run on a 20-second pick timer, and eliminate whoever loses their matchup
- optional extra moves (elbow and knee), a move cooldown, away status and spectator mode
- a Swing interface with views for connecting, rooms, the game board, the player list and game events
experience
where i've worked in IT (so far)
cloud engineer intern @ IT Vortex
supported managed IT services for MSP clients across cloud accounts, network security, endpoint protection and virtual desktops.
- managed the user account lifecycle for client businesses in Microsoft Entra ID and the Microsoft 365 admin center, provisioning new users and removing access for departing employees
- configured email traffic filtering in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 to stop spam and unwanted mail before it reached client inboxes
- configured Fortinet firewalls to secure and control traffic on client networks
- completed 4 on-site client visits to run system health checks, roll out cloud-managed CrowdStrike Falcon endpoint protection to 15+ machines and install IGEL thin clients
- supported client virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), enrolling IGEL thin clients in IGEL UMS and resolving OTP, duplicate-registration and VMware Horizon/PCoIP session issues
toolbox
languages first, then everything around them
CompTIA Security+certified 2024 · verification ID 0TJYQLM5V1Q11MY2