Kristiyan Braykov

University of San Diego | Cyber Security Engineering, M.S. | Apr 2026

Relevant Coursework: Applied Cryptography, CyberSecurity Domain, Incident Detection, Network Defense, Network Engineering, Secure System Life Cycle, Test Engineering. (Overall GPA: 4.0)

Organizations/Awards: University of San Diego Cyber Spartans

California State University San Marcos | Management Information Systems, B.S. | May 2024

Relevant Coursework: Artificial Intelligence, Business Intelligence, Database Design, Java Programming, Telecommunication & Network Security, Web Development. (Overall GPA: 3.4, Department GPA: 3.94)

Organizations/Awards: Dean’s List (Fall 22, Spring 23, Spring 24), Latino Business Student Association, Management Information Systems Society, SIM San Diego Scholarship Recipient

Technical Operations Specialist and Apprentice | North County Water Heater Services | San Marcos, CA | Jan 2017 - Present

• Implemented AWS CloudWatch, EC2, IAM, SNS, and S3 for business solutions reducing downtime by %30.
• Planned 1,500+ pipe system layouts and installations while overseeing scheduling and resource allocation.
• Prepared budget estimates, progress reports, and cost tracking reports to increase budget accuracy by 75%.
• Generated detailed inventory reports with over 8,000 products using Excel.

Academic Researcher | California State University San Marcos | San Diego, CA | Jul 2023 - Dec 2023

• Conducted comprehensive research on prompt engineering methodologies for optimizing human-AI interactions alongside Dr. Yuzhang Han.
• Explored diverse techniques including prompting with samples, system 1 & 2 questions, emotion-driven prompts, prompt programming, and prompt patterns.
• Evaluation results highlighted the strengths and considerations of each methodology, emphasizing their impact on precision, adaptability, versatility and user engagement resulting in a 20% improvement in AI response accuracy.

Developer & Campus Ambassador | XRP Ledger Community | Remote | Jul 2023 - Jan 2024

• Developed a recycling incentivization program by leveraging RippleScript, blockchain technologies, and smart contracts.
• The solution prompted long term sustainability as well as a clear way of verifying transparent and auditable data while also facilitating community engagement.
• Organized and led technical workshops across San Diego County, demonstrating the advantages of XRPL and blockchain technologies to over 200 local enthusiasts.

Competencies:

• Internal Data Acquisition
• Open Source Intelligence
• Threat Intelligence Platforms
• Cyber Kill Chain and Diamond Model
• Heat map and visual analytics

Competencies:

• Explanation of the value of AWS Cloud.
• Understanding and explanation of the AWS shared responsibility model.
• Knowledge of security best practices.
• Familiarity with AWS Cloud costs, economics, and billing practices.
• Description and positioning of core AWS services (compute, network, databases, storage).
• Identification of AWS services for common use cases.

Competencies:

• Designing resilient architectures
• Designing high-performing architectures
• Designing secure applications and architectures
• Designing cost-optimized architectures
• Selection of appropriate AWS services based on data, compute, database, and security requirements
• Implementing cost control strategies
• Architecting for the cloud using AWS best practices

Competencies:

• Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities
• Risk Management
• Identity and Access Management
• Cryptography and PKI
• Security Operations and Incident Response
• Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Competencies:

• Security Principles
• Disaster Recovery and Incident Response
• Access Controls
• Network Security
• Security Operations

Chief Financial Officer & President | Management Information Systems Society | Feb 2021 - Feb 2024

• Led and motivated a team of officers and members to execute projects and events, fostering a collaborative and high- performance organizational culture.
• Cultivated relationships with industry professionals, alumni, and potential sponsors, securing partnerships and support worth $5,000 for society initiatives per year.
• Developed and implemented membership engagement strategies to increase participation and retention within the society by 80%.
• Represented the society at university meetings, events, and external engagements, promoting its mission and activities to stakeholders and the community.
• Collaborated with other executives within the society to ensure effective financial planning.

Executive Board Member | Student Advisory Council | May 2023 - Feb 2024

• Represented the interests and concerns of our respective student organization, (MIS Society), within the council.
• Collaborated with the CoBA Dean, Director of Student Success, and ASI CoBA representatives to address student needs and enhance the student experience.
• Participated in strategic planning sessions to align council activities with the goals and objectives of CoBA.
• Supported the recruitment and onboarding of new presidents and student leaders within CoBA student organizations.

Information Technology Director | Latino Business Student Association| Apr 2023 - Jan 2024

• Designed and maintained the association’s website, ensuring it remained user-friendly and reflected current activities, leading to a 30% increase in web traffic.
• Collaborated with other board members to leverage technology for marketing campaigns and event promotions, increasing outreach and engagement.
• Oversaw the deployment and maintenance of digital tools and platforms used for virtual meetings, workshops, and events.