AV / PORTFOLIO

CHICAGO AREA · COMPUTER SCIENCE AT UIC

Curiosity.
Code.
Secure systems.

I’m Alan Gabriel Vega Tinjaca, a computer science student bringing together cybersecurity, software development, and an engineering mindset.

From securing backend authentication to connecting sensors and exploring network traffic, I learn by building.

Explore my work ↗ LinkedIn ↗
SECURITY FUNDAMENTALS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT DATA & CONNECTED SYSTEMS

01 / SELECTED WORK

Built to learn.
Made to solve.

Academic and personal projects connecting software, data, and the physical world.

01 / NETWORK ANALYSIS Normal → Attack UNSW-NB15 · descriptive analysis

CYBERSECURITY · DATA SCIENCE

Understanding network traffic

Collaborative exploratory analysis of 175,341 records in the UNSW-NB15 training dataset. Compared normal and malicious traffic using data-quality checks, descriptive statistics, and visualizations.

Current scope: descriptive analysis; predictive modeling is future work. Collaborator: Angelica Vanessa Castro.

Python Pandas Matplotlib
View repository ↗
02 / MOBILE DEVELOPMENT CheckYourFinance Track. Organize. Persist.

ANDROID · ACADEMIC BETA

Personal finance, on device

Native Android app with local registration and login, expense CRUD, category filters, and persistent sessions. Built with Kotlin, Room (SQLite), and an MVC + Repository structure.

Kotlin Room Android
View repository ↗
03 / CONNECTED SYSTEMS Sensor → Dashboard ESP32 → HTTP → PHP / MySQL

IOT · ACADEMIC PROTOTYPE

SafeHome IoT

ESP32 and MQ-2 gas/smoke monitoring prototype that sends readings to a PHP/MySQL dashboard, with backend WhatsApp alerts. Uses a local server.

Educational gas/smoke prototype; not a certified carbon monoxide detector.

ESP32 Arduino C++ MySQL
View repository ↗

02 / EXPERIENCE

Technical thinking.
People skills.

Security experience backed by communication, teamwork, and hands-on problem solving.

AUG 2025 — JAN 2026

Remote · Bogotá, Colombia

Cybersecurity Analyst Intern

Kiddy SAS

  • Assessed web and mobile backend systems for exposed endpoints and authentication gaps.
  • Hardened authentication using JWT guards, role-based access control, and token hashing and rotation.
  • Performed compliance gap analysis aligned with OWASP Top 10 and ISO 27001.

AUG 2024 — PRESENT

Cicero, Illinois · Part-time

Sales Associate

Dollar Tree

Provide customer service in a high-volume retail environment, handle POS and cash operations, and collaborate on inventory replenishment and merchandising.

03 / EDUCATION

A foundation in engineering.

IN PROGRESS · EXPECTED MAY 2028

University of Illinois Chicago

Computer Science · College of Engineering

Transfer student. Coursework: Program Design II, Mathematical Foundations of Computing, and Applied Statistical Methods.

COMPLETED FALL 2025 · CEREMONY MAY 2026

Morton College

Associate in Engineering

GPA 3.810 / 4.0 · 86 credits
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

ENGINEERING STUDIES · COLOMBIA

Universidad EAN

Systems Engineering & Industrial Engineering

Systems Engineering coursework completed; degree conferral pending. Industrial Engineering studies in progress.

04 / TOOLKIT & COMMUNITY

Always building range.

Development

Python · C++ · JavaScript · Kotlin · Java
Git / GitHub · Android Studio · Docker · Linux

Security & cloud

Authentication · RBAC · OWASP fundamentals
AWS EC2 / Lambda · Wireshark · Packet Tracer

Learning & recognition

AWS Academy Cloud Foundations · Cisco IT Essentials, Networking Essentials, Python Essentials 1, and IoT coursework · SANS Foundations Alumni · National Cyber Scholarship Finalist 2024

Community

AWS Student Builder Group cloud education content. STEAM outreach with Impossible Science and West40 ISC. UIC Engineering Fair volunteer and WiCyS miniCTF participant.

Outside the terminal: piano, soccer, and swimming. Spanish (native) · English (fluent).

LET’S CONNECT

Good work starts
with a conversation.

Email me ↗ GitHub ↗ LinkedIn ↗