Makayla Ferrell
About Makayla Ferrell
Makayla Ferrell is an Associate Consultant in Application Security at Coalfire, where she focuses on identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities in applications. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Mary Washington and a Master's degree in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Current Role at Coalfire
Makayla Ferrell serves as an Associate Consultant in Application Security at Coalfire, a position she has held since 2023. In this role, she works as an associate penetration tester on the application security team. Her responsibilities include identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities in applications, contributing to the overall security posture of the software developed by clients.
Experience at U.S. Army CECOM Software Engineering Center
Ferrell has been employed at the U.S. Army CECOM Software Engineering Center as a Security Software Engineer since 2020. Located in Aberdeen, Maryland, she has accumulated four years of experience in this role. Her work involves ensuring the security of software systems, which aligns with her expertise in application security.
Educational Background
Makayla Ferrell earned her Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Mary Washington, where she studied from 2017 to 2021. She furthered her education at the Georgia Institute of Technology, obtaining a Master's degree in Computer Science from 2021 to 2023. This strong academic foundation supports her current roles in application security and software engineering.
Previous Experience as Peer Tutor
Before her current positions, Ferrell worked as a Peer Tutor at the University of Mary Washington from 2019 to 2020. During this year-long role in Fredericksburg, VA, she provided academic support to fellow students, enhancing her communication and mentoring skills.
Certifications and Expertise
Makayla Ferrell holds the GWAPT and eCPPTv2 certifications, which demonstrate her expertise in web application penetration testing and professional penetration testing. These certifications validate her skills in identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities, reinforcing her qualifications in the field of application security.