// About the founder
Hello. I'm Edith Forestal, CISSP.
Founder of Forestal Security — senior-level security, sized for small business.
I've spent over a decade building and running technology companies — and I still build. My AI security tools have run over a thousand analyses for small businesses. My specialty is finding vulnerabilities before attackers do — across AWS, Microsoft 365, and Azure, identity and access systems, and the everyday software your business runs on.
Most security firms are built for enterprises: bloated toolstacks, account managers, jargon-filled reports nobody reads. I built Forestal Security to be the opposite — flat fees, no contracts, and findings explained in language the person who signs the checks can act on. When you work with me, you work with me: I run the assessment, I write the report, I take the findings call.
The same skills protect high-stakes, heavily audited systems every day — hardening identity, enforcing Zero Trust access, and hunting vulnerabilities. Your business gets that level of rigor, sized and priced for a small business.
Education
Technical specialties
Focus areas
Curious where your business stands?
// Certifications
11 certifications. Every one independently verifiable.
No claims, just proof — every credential below links to the issuing body's own verification page (Credly, Microsoft Learn, or EC-Council). Tap "What is this?" on any row for a plain-English explanation.
My Professional Journey
// My professional journey
From building businesses to defending them.
My career has always been about solving the problems others overlook.
Hello, I'm Edith Forestal, founder of Forestal Security. I've spent over a decade building and running technology companies — starting with a web development and IT firm serving small businesses, and growing into a full cybersecurity consultancy.
That entrepreneurial background gives me something most security professionals don't have: I understand how businesses actually operate. I've handled payroll, managed clients, and built infrastructure from scratch — and worn every hat in between. So when I assess an organization's security, I'm not checking boxes. I'm thinking about what keeps the business running, and what could shut it down.
Today my work spans the full stack of a modern business environment — cloud platforms, identity, endpoints, and the AI systems increasingly woven into all of it — backed by eleven verified certifications and a master's in cybersecurity.
How I can help
- Full-environment vulnerability assessments with risk-ranked, plain-English reporting
- Remediation planning and automated patch management across entire fleets
- CISA KEV-driven prioritization — fixing what attackers actually exploit first
- Microsoft 365 tenant hardening: Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive
- Azure security engineering (AZ-500) and AWS environment reviews
- Configuration baselines that close misconfigurations and data-leakage paths
- Entra ID and Active Directory: provisioning, roles, and access lifecycle
- Conditional Access and Zero Trust policy design and enforcement
- Phishing-resistant MFA and authentication hardening
- Detection engineering: custom KQL analytics rules, MITRE ATT&CK-mapped
- Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR integration and tuning
- Threat hunting for indicators of compromise, lateral movement, and persistence
- VMware vCenter / ESXi administration, hardening, and lifecycle management
- Endpoint management and configuration at fleet scale
- Update rings, maintenance windows, and reboot policies that respect the business
- AI security governance aligned to NIST AI RMF and OWASP LLM Top 10
- 10+ AI-powered security tools built and deployed — 1,000+ analyses delivered
- Security workflow automation: from scan data to executive-ready reporting
Security Tools I Use To Monitor User Behavior, Discover Vulnerabilities, & Detect Network Anomalous Activity:
Microsoft Sentinel
Ivanti
Elastic Security
Defender For Endpoint
AWS GuardDuty
Wireshark
PRTG
Trellix
Barracuda
Splunk
Burp Suite
Tenable Nessus
Cybersecurity Awards and Honors
Recognized for excellence in cybersecurity, risk management, and compliance, these awards highlight my expertise in protecting digital assets, mitigating threats, and strengthening security frameworks.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) AI Achievement
Recognized by EC-Council, this certification validates my expertise in penetration testing, ethical hacking, and AI-driven cybersecurity methodologies. This achievement demonstrates my ability to identify vulnerabilities, deploy countermeasures, simulate AI-powered cyberattacks, and actively defend networks against evolving attacks.
- Advanced Ethical Hacking: Skilled in using AI-powered techniques to detect, exploit, and secure vulnerabilities before attackers do.
- Real-World Attack Simulation: I can conduct comprehensive penetration testing to uncover weaknesses and implement proactive countermeasures.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Excellence Award
This award from WGU recognizes my exemplary work in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), showcasing my ability to assess risks, implement security controls, and ensure regulatory compliance. It highlights my expertise in cybersecurity governance, policy enforcement, and risk mitigation strategies, essential for securing digital infrastructures.
- Proven Expertise in Risk & Compliance: Recognized for assessing, mitigating, and managing cybersecurity risks while ensuring regulatory compliance
- Strategic Security Leadership: Demonstrated ability to develop and implement security frameworks, aligning cybersecurity policies with industry best practices.
My Portfolio Featuring Hands-on Projects
My portfolio features real-world labs, penetration testing exercises, and security implementations, showcasing my ability to detect, analyze, and mitigate threats in complex environments.
Azure + OpenVas for vulnerability scanning and Remediation
Developed a Live SOC W/ Real-time Threat Detection in Azure
Azure + Tenable + PowerShell for vulnerability scanning & Remediation
Proactive Threat Hunting Using MITRE ATT&CK Framework
Still Have Questions?
Thanks for taking the time to read this! If you have any other questions, email me, or find me on Linkedin
Address: 700 E. Firmin St. SUITE 99 Kokomo, Indiana 46901