Portfolio Projects That Get You Hired for Cyber Security Jobs (With Real GitHub Examples)

1. Why a Cyber Security Portfolio Is Key

The cyber security field is unique: while certifications (e.g., CompTIA Security+, CISSP, OSCP) prove certain levels of knowledge, employers often want hands-on evidence that you can identify vulnerabilities, build secure architectures, detect intrusions, or respond to cyber incidents effectively. That’s where a portfolio becomes invaluable:

• Demonstrates practical expertise: Show you can actually apply theoretical knowledge—configuring firewalls, scanning networks, writing secure code, or responding to threats in real time.

• Showcases your problem-solving: Cyber security is about thinking on your feet. A portfolio reveals how you address complex issues, handle false positives, and pivot when new threats arise.

• Highlights innovation: If you’ve built custom security tools, threat intelligence dashboards, or automated detection scripts, you prove you’re resourceful and forward-thinking.

• Differentiates you: Many candidates talk about security—few show real projects that illustrate attention to detail, technique, and methodology.

Think of your portfolio as both a technical demonstration and a narrative of your professional passion. It illustrates your best work, unique insights, and the value you can bring from day one.

2. Tailoring Your Portfolio to Specific Cyber Security Roles

“Cyber security” covers a wide range of specialisms. Before you start crafting projects, decide which career track interests you most. Below are key roles and potential project angles:

2.1 Penetration Tester / Ethical Hacker

Typical Responsibilities: Finding vulnerabilities in networks, web applications, and systems. Conducting red-team engagements, simulating cyberattacks to test defences.
Ideal Portfolio Focus:

• Vulnerability assessments: Show how you find and exploit weaknesses ethically in test labs (like Hack The Box or VulnHub).

• Custom exploit scripts: If you can craft or modify Metasploit modules or Python-based exploit scripts, it highlights your creativity.

• Reporting: Clear, structured vulnerability reports and root-cause analyses demonstrate professional thoroughness.

2.2 SOC Analyst / Blue Team Specialist

Typical Responsibilities: Monitoring and responding to security incidents, using SIEM systems (Splunk, ELK Stack, etc.), performing threat hunting, and refining detection logic.
Ideal Portfolio Focus:

• HomeLab SIEM setup: Configuring Splunk or Elastic Stack to ingest logs from a sample environment, and building detection rules.

• Incident response playbooks: Demonstrate how you triage alerts, isolate compromised hosts, or escalate incidents.

• Threat hunting: Document queries and detection techniques for suspicious activity in logs.

2.3 Cloud Security Engineer

Typical Responsibilities: Securing cloud infrastructures (AWS, Azure, GCP), implementing IAM best practices, and ensuring compliance.
Ideal Portfolio Focus:

• Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) with embedded security: Show Terraform, CloudFormation, or Pulumi scripts configured with least-privilege roles, encryption, etc.

• Custom security checks: Automating checks for misconfigurations (open S3 buckets, unencrypted databases).

• Monitoring and alerting: Using AWS GuardDuty, Azure Security Center, or GCP Security Command Center to detect anomalies.

2.4 Security Researcher / Malware Analyst

Typical Responsibilities: Reverse-engineering malware, creating detection signatures, and exploring emerging threats.
Ideal Portfolio Focus:

• Malware sandbox environment: Show your dynamic and static analysis approach for suspicious binaries.

• YARA rule creation: Demonstrate your custom detection signatures for well-known or new threats.

• Write-ups on zero-day findings: Even if you’re re-analysing known threats, thorough technical breakdowns are a big plus.

2.5 Application Security Engineer

Typical Responsibilities: Securing the software development lifecycle (SDLC), code reviews, threat modelling, working closely with developers to eliminate bugs.
Ideal Portfolio Focus:

• Secure coding best practices: Sample applications with thorough input validation, authentication/authorisation, and secure session handling.

• Automated scanning: Show how you integrate tools like OWASP ZAP or SonarQube into a CI/CD pipeline.

• Threat modelling: Documentation of processes like STRIDE or PASTA for a sample web app.

By directing your projects to your preferred niche, you clearly convey your career goals and the capabilities you’ll bring to a future employer.

3. Anatomy of an Effective Cyber Security Project

Regardless of your specialised role, a strong project contains these core elements:

1. Purpose and Scope

   • Clearly outline the problem you’re addressing. For instance: “Scanning a web server for OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities,” or “Deploying a SIEM solution for a small network.”

   • Limit the scope to keep your project focused and reproducible.

2. Tools and Techniques

   • Detail the hardware/software environment, frameworks, or libraries used (e.g., Nmap, Wireshark, Metasploit, Splunk, Suricata).

   • Mention any relevant frameworks like the MITRE ATT&CK matrix if it guided your approach.

3. Methodology

   • Show step-by-step procedures. If you’re pen testing, explain reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, and post-exploitation.

   • For defensive tasks, detail how you set up logs, rules, or automations.

4. Results and Analysis

   • Summarise your findings. What vulnerabilities did you discover? How effective was your detection rate?

   • Provide metrics (e.g., number of alerts generated vs. false positives, coverage of specific TTPs in the ATT&CK matrix).

5. Remediation or Mitigations

   • If you discovered issues, propose solutions: patching, reconfiguring network devices, or adjusting firewall rules.

   • For detection pipelines, discuss how you can refine rules to reduce noise.

6. Documentation and Presentation

   • A thorough README or blog post explaining your approach is essential.

   • If you built a tool or script, include usage instructions and sample outputs.

Demonstrating a clear narrative from identifying a problem to proposing or implementing fixes is crucial. It’s exactly how real cyber security tasks unfold in professional settings.

4. Real GitHub Examples to Study

Explore these open-source repositories to see how established cyber security projects maintain code structure, documentation, and collaboration:

4.1 Pen Testing Framework

Repository: rapid7/metasploit-framework
Why it’s great:

• Industry standard: Metasploit is a go-to for penetration testing.

• Robust codebase: Study how modules are structured and documented.

• Active community: Frequent pull requests and issue resolutions reflect real-world collaboration.

4.2 SIEM & Threat Detection

Repository: AlienVault-OTX/ApiV2
Why it’s great:

• Threat intelligence focus: Connects to AlienVault’s Open Threat Exchange.

• API-driven: Illustrates how to gather community-shared threat data.

• Integration examples: Useful for building detection rules or enriching SOC data.

4.3 Container Security Tools

Repository: aquasecurity/trivy
Why it’s great:

• Practical container scanning: Detects vulnerabilities in Docker images.

• Clear docs: Explains usage in both local and CI/CD contexts.

• Frequent updates: Large user base, showcases how to handle security advisories and fast patching.

4.4 Web Vulnerability Scanning

Repository: zaproxy/zaproxy
Why it’s great:

• OWASP ZAP is widely used for dynamic app security testing.

• Documentation & tutorials: Offers a solid example of how to present usage instructions.

• Extensible: You can create or fork custom add-ons, demonstrating your ability to adapt open-source tools for your portfolio.

By diving into these repos, you’ll gain insights on best practices—how experienced teams structure their code, commit changes, and manage community contributions.

5. Six Actionable Cyber Security Project Ideas

Feeling inspired but not sure where to begin? Here are some practical project ideas you can start to showcase your cyber security prowess:

5.1 HomeLab SOC Environment

• What you’ll learn: SIEM integration, log collection, threat detection, incident response.

• Implementation steps:

  1. Set up a virtual environment with multiple VMs (Kali Linux, Windows Server, etc.).

  2. Configure a SIEM tool like Splunk Free or Elastic Stack to ingest logs (Windows event logs, syslog from Linux, etc.).

  3. Create detection rules for suspicious user behaviour, port scanning, or brute-force attempts.

  4. Document your incident response plan, including escalation procedures.

5.2 Vulnerability Scanning on Custom Web Apps

• What you’ll learn: Web security scanning, OWASP Top 10, reporting.

• Implementation steps:

  1. Build a deliberately vulnerable web app (e.g., DVWA, Juice Shop, or your own).

  2. Use tools like OWASP ZAP or Nikto to find SQL injection, XSS, or other vulnerabilities.

  3. Manually verify results to reduce false positives.

  4. Propose remediations and patch the application, then rescan to confirm fixes.

5.3 Network Pentesting Lab

• What you’ll learn: Reconnaissance, exploitation, privilege escalation.

• Implementation steps:

  1. Spin up a small internal “lab” with VirtualBox or VMware, including a vulnerable OS (e.g., Metasploitable).

  2. Use Nmap for scanning and Metasploit or custom scripts for exploitation.

  3. Document each phase: enumeration, exploit selection, session management.

  4. Summarise findings in a formal pentest report.

5.4 Container Security & CI/CD Pipeline

• What you’ll learn: Secure DevOps, container scanning, supply chain security.

• Implementation steps:

  1. Containerise a sample microservice with Docker.

  2. Implement a CI pipeline (GitHub Actions or GitLab CI) that scans images with Aqua Trivy or Anchore.

  3. Fail builds if critical vulnerabilities are found.

  4. Document how security gates improve your software supply chain.

5.5 Malware Analysis Sandbox

• What you’ll learn: Reverse engineering basics, dynamic/static analysis.

• Implementation steps:

  1. Set up a virtual isolated lab with tools like REMnux or FLARE VM.

  2. Analyse a benign sample or known safe malware test file (e.g., EICAR) to demonstrate your process.

  3. Show how you gather behavioural logs, detect registry changes, network activity, etc.

  4. Write a short analysis report with recommended signatures (YARA rules).

5.6 Threat Intelligence Dashboard

• What you’ll learn: Collecting data feeds, correlation, visualisation.

• Implementation steps:

  1. Gather open threat intel feeds (AlienVault OTX, MalwareBazaar, etc.).

  2. Build a small tool or script to aggregate indicators of compromise (IOCs).

  3. Use a simple front-end or CLI-based approach to display suspicious IPs, domains, or malware hashes.

  4. Show potential correlations and how defenders can use the data.

Each idea is modular: you can start small and expand over time—an excellent way to show progression, deeper learning, and initiative in your portfolio.

6. Best Practices for Showcasing Your Work on GitHub

It’s not just what you build but how you present it that leaves a lasting impression. Follow these guidelines to make your repos shine:

1. Project Naming and Clarity

   • Use descriptive names like splunk-homelab-soc or vuln-webapp-testing so recruiters can understand your project’s focus at a glance.

2. Detailed README

   • Introduction: Briefly describe the purpose (e.g., “Setting up a SIEM solution in a home lab to detect brute-force attacks”).

   • Setup Instructions: Step-by-step environment configuration, dependencies, and usage.

   • Images/Diagrams: Screenshots of dashboards, network diagrams, or relevant results.

   • Limitations and Future Work: Show you understand what’s missing or how you might improve the setup.

3. Version Control Discipline

   • Commit regularly with meaningful messages (e.g., “Add detection rule for SSH brute force on Splunk” rather than “update stuff”).

   • Use branches for new features or experiments (e.g., feature/malware-sample-analysis).

4. Security Considerations

   • If your code interacts with external APIs or includes secrets (e.g., SIEM credentials), never store them in the repo.

   • Use .gitignore to protect sensitive data. This is especially crucial in cyber security, as it demonstrates you practice what you preach.

5. Test Cases and Validation

   • For code-based projects, outline how you tested functionalities.

   • If it’s a SIEM environment, provide a log snippet or screenshot of an alert triggered by a test attack scenario.

6. Documentation of Results

   • Include references to known vulnerability databases (CVE IDs) if relevant.

   • Show any automated scanning results—if you used a container scanner or SAST/DAST tools, attach or link the final reports.

Presenting your projects in a polished, professional manner showcases not just your technical skills but also your organisational and communication strengths—critical in cyber security roles.

7. Beyond GitHub: Amplifying Your Portfolio

While GitHub is ideal for technical deep dives, you can reach a broader audience with additional channels:

• Personal Blog / Website

  • Summarise your approach, key takeaways, and industry relevance in simpler language.

  • Embed code snippets or logs directly within blog posts.

• LinkedIn Articles

  • Write brief overviews highlighting interesting aspects: “How I used Splunk to detect brute force attempts in my home lab.”

  • Tag relevant groups or use hashtags like #cybersecurity, #infosec, #threathunting.

• YouTube or Screencasts

  • Record a walk-through showing how you set up your environment, step by step.

  • Demonstrate a vulnerability being exploited or an alert being triggered in real time.

• Conference Submissions or Local Talks

  • Present your project at local security meetups (OWASP chapters, BSides events).

  • Great for networking and building a reputation in the infosec community.

A multi-channel presence not only demonstrates your proactive approach but also helps you connect with peers and potential employers who might not stumble upon your GitHub alone.

8. Linking Your Portfolio to Job Applications

Even the best portfolio won’t shine if recruiters can’t find it:

• Direct Links in CV

  • Under “Projects” or “Relevant Experience,” link to your star GitHub repos.

  • Mention key achievements: “Discovered 3 critical vulnerabilities in a simulated environment—documented patch solutions.”

• Cover Letters

  • Explain how your showcased projects align with the job’s requirements: “As a prospective SOC analyst, here is my SIEM project demonstrating threat detection and response workflows.”

• Online Profiles

  • Platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and especially CyberSecurityJobs.tech allow you to list or link projects.

  • Add short descriptions so hiring managers know what each repository addresses.

When your work is polished and easily accessible, it reduces friction for employers—encouraging them to explore your code and see what sets you apart.

9. Boosting Visibility and Reputation

Want more people (including potential employers) to notice your cyber security portfolio? Try these strategies:

• Q&A Communities:

  • Contribute to sites like Stack Overflow or the Security Stack Exchange.

  • Reference your project repos when relevant—helping others while showcasing your work.

• Open Source Contributions

  • Submit pull requests or bug fixes to projects like Metasploit, OWASP ZAP, or TheHive.

  • Public contributions in well-known infosec tools are powerful endorsements.

• Security Write-Ups

  • Conduct a mini Capture the Flag (CTF) challenge and write a post about your approach.

  • Tag or mention the CTF organiser if it’s a known platform—they often reshare or highlight noteworthy solutions.

Each step strengthens your professional brand and may draw more traffic to your portfolio.

10. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How many projects should my cyber security portfolio include?
Quality over quantity. Two to four well-documented, in-depth projects typically have more impact than a dozen superficial ones.

Q2: Do I need a high success rate in challenges like Hack The Box or TryHackMe?
Not necessarily. Employers value methodology and learning process. Document your steps, even if you didn’t fully solve a box. Reflection on challenges faced can be just as revealing.

Q3: Should I build projects from scratch or fork existing code?
Forking established tools (e.g., building a custom Metasploit module) is fine as long as you contribute unique value and thoroughly explain your changes.

Q4: How do I ensure I’m not breaking any laws while testing vulnerabilities?
Always use legally approved and intentionally vulnerable targets. Or set up your own environment. Never test systems without explicit permission.

Q5: Is it okay to include failed or incomplete projects?
Yes—if they showcase significant learning or partial successes. Just document your findings and what you’d do differently. Transparency can demonstrate scientific rigour and humility.

11. Final Checklist Before You Apply

Before making your portfolio public or directing potential employers to it, ensure the following:

1. README Quality: Is each project’s purpose, methodology, and results clearly stated?

2. Code Cleanliness: Remove any secrets, personal data, or sensitive credentials.

3. Logs and Evidence: If you’re showcasing detection or exploitation, provide redacted but illustrative logs or screenshots.

4. Version Control: Are your commits well-labeled? Does branching reflect feature additions vs. bug fixes?

5. Documentation: If you’re referencing external resources (CVE IDs, threat intel feeds), make sure links are correct and properly credited.

A meticulous, well-documented repository conveys attention to detail—vital in cyber security.

12. Conclusion

A portfolio is not just a collection of random projects—it’s a testament to your hands-on capabilities, problem-solving methods, and overall approach to security. By carefully curating relevant projects—whether pentesting labs, SIEM configurations, or secure coding pipelines—you demonstrate your readiness to tackle modern cyber threats.

Key takeaways:

• Align your portfolio with the role you want—red team, blue team, cloud security, app sec, etc.

• Incorporate methodologies: from vulnerability scanning to incident response and secure CI/CD.

• Follow GitHub best practices: clear READMEs, commit discipline, and robust documentation.

• Share your work across multiple channels—blogs, social media, local security meetups—to maximise visibility.

• Finally, upload your CV on CyberSecurityJobs.tech to connect directly with employers seeking proactive cyber security talent.

You’re now equipped to build a cyber security portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills. Start brainstorming your next project, fire up that virtual lab, and document your journey. Your next position in cyber security could be just one compelling portfolio away!