Apar Baral

Senior Security Researcher @ Dolpo Security Lab

About

I am a Cybersecurity Engineer and Master’s candidate at the University of Maryland with over 2 years of hands-on experience engineering Security Operations Centers (SOC) and automating threat detection. My expertise lies in deploying enterprise SIEM architectures, writing custom automation scripts, and executing purple team operations for government and critical infrastructure clients. Currently, I am seeking opportunities to leverage my technical arsenal in SOC Engineering, Threat Detection, or Incident Response roles. Technical Arsenal & Tool Stack: SIEM & Log Management: LogRhythm, LogPoint, Wazuh, Fortinet SIEM, Splunk, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana). Security Automation (SOAR): Python scripting (Selenium, Automation), Bash, PowerShell, API Integration for workflow orchestration. Vulnerability & Pen Testing: Burp Suite, Metasploit Framework, Nmap, Nessus, OWASP ZAP, Wireshark, Kali Linux. Infrastructure & Cloud: Docker (Containerized SOC), OpenStack, AWS, Azure, Linux Administration, Windows Server, Active Directory. Detection Engineering: Custom Log Parsers (PCRE2/JSON), MPE Rules, AI Engine Rules, Sigma Rules, MITRE ATT&CK mapping. Programming: Python, C, C++, C#, SQL. Throughout my career, I have used these tools to reduce Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) by 60% and reduce false positive alerts by 45% through custom correlation rules.

Country

United States

City

College Park

Industry

Information Technology & Services

Skill

Splunk Enterprise, Microsoft Sentinel, LogRhythm Next Gen. SIEM Solution, Regular Expressions, Security Analyst, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Regex, System Monitoring, parser, LogRhythm, Graphic Design, Design, Photography, Animation, Cyber-security, Video Editing, Web Application Security Testing, security principles, Networking, Network Security

Experience

Senior Security Researcher

Dolpo Security Lab

2024-8 - 2025-8 · 1 yr 1 mo

Kathmandu, Bāgmatī, Nepal

Engineered automated vulnerability management solutions and Dockerized SOC tools (Wazuh, ELK Stack), slashing mean time to detect (MTTD) by 60% and enabling research that identified 200+ previously unseen threats. Engineered containerized Security Operations Center infrastructure using Docker, Wazuh SIEM, ELK Stack, and OpenStack for risk research and threat analysis Designed and implemented a purple teaming laboratory, integrating penetration testing tools and defensive controls for comprehensive threat mitigation Developed Python automation scripts for security operations, reducing incident response time by 35% Automated vulnerability assessment processes, reducing scan time by 30% and enabling more frequent testing of enterprise applications Led the incident response team to contain and eradicate threats, minimizing business impact Created technical documentation for vulnerability assessment tools deployment and configuration processes Built a purple teaming lab and custom automation scripts, enhancing offensive/defensive security operations

Associate Security Researcher

Dolpo Security Lab

2024-8 - 2025-3 · 8 mos

Kathmandu, Bāgmatī, Nepal

SOC Engineer Trainee

CryptoGen Nepal

2023-8 - 2025-2 · 1 yr 7 mos

Kathmandu, Bāgmatī, Nepal

Associate SOC (Security Operation Center) Engineer

CryptoGen Nepal

2022-11 - 2025-2 · 2 yrs 4 mos

Nepal

Deployed and configured enterprise SIEM platforms, including LogRhythm, LogPoint, Wazuh, and Fortinet SIEM for enterprise and government clients Fortified the company's cloud infrastructure, reducing risk from critical vulnerabilities by 70% Developed 50+ custom correlation rules and use cases for threat detection, reducing false positive alerts by 45% Implementeda Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) platform, automating incident response workflows and reducing mean time to respond by 60% Performed 24/7 monitoring, threat hunting, and incident response for critical infrastructure clients, including Nepal Police, Nepal Telecommunication, and the Supreme Court Designed custom log parsers using PCRE2 Regular Expressions and JSON for diverse log sources Conducted Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) investigations, producing comprehensive incident reports Engineered Message Processing Engine (MPE) rules and AI Engine rules for advanced threat correlation Provided SIEM platform support, troubleshooting, and tuning for optimal performance Collaborated with cross-functional teams to architect SOC workflows and improve security operations Conducted vulnerability assessments and penetration testing that identified 15+ critical-risk vulnerabilities, preventing potential data breaches