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Tristan Nelson is a Senior Security Analyst at Sentiva Solutions, based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Holding five active certifications — including the CISSP, CEH, CompTIA CySA+, Security+, and Microsoft SC-200 — Tristan brings deep technical expertise to every security engagement.
He leads security initiatives for Sentiva's client base nationwide, from building zero-trust architectures to running incident response operations. His approach is methodical, proactive, and built on the reality that most breaches are preventable.
Five active certifications from the world's most respected cybersecurity bodies — earned expertise, not checkboxes.
The gold standard in cybersecurity. The CISSP validates deep expertise across all eight CISSP domains: security architecture, risk management, cryptography, network security, access control, software security, operations security, and business continuity.
Certifies the ability to think and act like an attacker. Covers penetration testing techniques, vulnerability scanning, social engineering, malware analysis, and hands-on exploitation methods.
Validates the ability to use behavioral analytics to detect and combat cybersecurity threats. Covers threat intelligence, security operations, vulnerability management, and incident response.
The baseline DoD-approved security certification covering core security concepts, network hardening, cryptography, PKI, identity management, and risk analysis.
Microsoft's certification for security analysts using Sentinel, Defender XDR, and the full Microsoft security stack. Critical for clients on the Microsoft platform.
Proactive monitoring using SIEM and EDR platforms. Tristan builds detection rules, tunes alerts, and leads response when threats are identified.
CEH-certified offensive testing that finds vulnerabilities before attackers do. Internal, external, and social engineering assessments with detailed remediation reports.
End-to-end HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, CMMC, and PCI-DSS programs — from gap analysis through audit readiness.
Designing zero-trust network architectures, IAM frameworks, and defense-in-depth strategies that scale with the organization.
Deploys and manages Microsoft Sentinel, Defender XDR, Defender for Endpoint, and Conditional Access policies for clients on the Microsoft platform.
Phishing simulations and live training sessions that measurably reduce click rates and improve security culture across client organizations.
When a breach happens, Tristan leads containment, forensics, eradication, and recovery operations.
Continuous scanning, triage, and remediation tracking with a risk-prioritized patching cadence for all managed environments.
Securing AWS, Azure, and hybrid environments against misconfigurations, identity attacks, and cloud-specific threats including CIS Benchmark hardening.
Tristan Nelson grew up in Erie, PA and has spent his career in the region — building a reputation as one of the most capable cybersecurity professionals in western Pennsylvania.
Before joining Sentiva, Tristan led security operations for a regional healthcare network spanning 8 facilities and 1,200+ endpoints. He rebuilt their entire security program after a near-miss ransomware event — implementing zero-trust architecture, achieving HIPAA compliance, and reducing the attack surface by over 70%.
At Sentiva, Tristan applies that experience to a scalable security practice that right-sizes enterprise-grade protection for organizations of any size — from a 10-person dental office to a 300-person manufacturer.