Hello! I’m Michael “Sleventyeleven” Contino, a seasoned cybersecurity professional with more than twelve years of hands‑on experience spanning penetration testing, vulnerability management, and cloud‑native security architecture. My career has been built on a blend of deep technical expertise, a passion for mentoring the next generation of defenders, and a relentless drive to translate complex threat landscapes into actionable, business‑aligned solutions.
Core Expertise
- Linux Security & Automation – From my early days as a Computer Network Technician to becoming an Exam Developer at the Linux Foundation, I’ve spent over a decade hardening Linux environments. My skill set includes writing secure Bash/Python scripts, developing automated tooling for container hardening, and managing enterprise‑grade endpoint protection (XDR, DLP) across multi‑tenant cloud infrastructures.
- Cloud‑Native & Container Security – I specialize in architecting secure microservices stacks on AWS EKS and GCP GKE. My responsibilities have ranged from designing IAM policies that enforce the principle of least privilege to writing Infrastructure‑as‑Code (IaC) templates (Terraform, CloudFormation) that embed security controls into the build pipeline.
- Vulnerability Management & Red Teaming – I’ve led global vulnerability programs for multinational firms and built internal red‑team practices aligned with PCI, SOX, SOC 2, and NIST standards. My approach marries continuous scanning tools (Qualys, Nessus, OpenVAS) with custom exploitation frameworks to surface risks before they become incidents.
- DevSecOps & Automation – I thrive at the intersection of development and security. At Bark and Groupon, I designed CI/CD pipelines that automatically scan for CVEs, enforce container image build procedures, and rolled out zero‑trust components like device trust—all while maintaining developer velocity.
- Leadership & Mentorship – Beyond hands‑on work, I’m a proven leader: steering cross‑functional teams, managing vendor relationships, and driving security maturity roadmaps. I actively mentor high school and college students in programs such as Cyber Patriot, CCDC, and the CyberLympics—helping them earn industry certifications and secure championships.
Professional Journey
| Years | Role | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 2025‑Present | Principal Security Engineer – Bark | Architected container security controls for a cloud‑native SaaS platform; led internal red team; managed PCI audit readiness; built XDR/DLP suite and zero‑trust rollout. |
| 2017‑2022 | Lead Security Engineer – Groupon | Global vulnerability program leader; migrated core services to AWS; designed DevOps pipelines for secure microservices; developed risk dashboards; oversaw compliance frameworks. |
| 2015‑2017 | InfoSec Consultant – Crowe Horwath | Penetration testing for major banks; specialized in Linux security; performed web, wireless, and secure configuration audits. |
| 2013‑2015 | InfoSec Consultant – Pondurance | Generated enterprise threat reports; automated scripting; conducted social engineering exercises. |
| 2010‑2013 | Computer Network Technician – Integrity PC | Designed computer network systems; Completed computer build and repair tasks; Helped develop procedures for malware removal |
Let’s Connect
If you’re looking for someone who can:
- Harden Linux‑based cloud infrastructures
- Build secure CI/CD pipelines that scale with your product roadmap
- Lead vulnerability and red‑team programs across global teams
- Mentor talent and foster a culture of security awareness
… I’d love to chat. Reach me at @sleventyeleven connect on LinkedIn.
Thank you for stopping by!