Data Center Veteran Ready for His Next MSP Mission

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

• Systems Engineer with 19 years experience at an Data Center/MSP, specializing in enhancing system performance, reliability and security through innovative solutions.
• With a recent focus on virtualization, clustering, and cloud services across various system environments. Strong troubleshooting abilities, cross-functional collaboration, and a continuous drive to deliver a better service through automation and optimization of processes.
• Over a decade of experience as a key member of the Information
• Security Team, contributing to successful SOC 2 TYPE II audits and achieving Hitrust certification. Committed to exceeding expectations and aligning technology with organizational objectives.

WORK HISTORY

MSP (2022-2025)
Systems Engineer

• Improved system performance by identifying and resolving technical issues in a timely manner while following Change
• Management Policy when applicable.
• Completed software updates and assessed security patches/vulnerabilities prior remediation.
• Analyzed system requirements, developing tailored solutions that met or exceeded client expectations.
• Optimized server resource efficiency through virtualization and capacity planning.
• Coordinated with customers and team members when performing scheduled maintenance, patch management, and emergency maintenance while adhering to SLAs.
• Evaluated new tools and technologies for possible integration into existing infrastructure and customer environments.
• Contributed towards continuous improvement initiatives aimed at streamlining internal processes and enhancing overall service delivery quality.
• Facilitated seamless migration to cloud-based solutions, enhancing scalability and access.
• Optimized environment and system performance using strategic rolling upgrades to minimize impact.
• Created documentation on trouble-shooting and processes to guide support teams.
• Participated in Development Team Meetings to provide historical information, provide new ideas, help troubleshoot bugs, and execute necessary changes to meet launch deadlines.
• Deployed and maintained inhouse and customer application databases.
• Monitored and tested application performance to identify potential bottlenecks, and collaborate with developers on solution implementation.

Information Security Team Member – Compliance (2022 – 2025)

• Worked in a team to produce satisfactory results year after year with SOC 2 Type II reporting.
• Worked with the team to achieve Hitrust certification implementing new controls and policies.
• Conducted regular system audit processes to ensure compliance with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Worked to integrate new tools and processes, also replacing or removing old or non-applicable compliance controls.
• Managed recurring audit controls and gathered evidence to provide to auditors.
• Participated in scheduled InfoSec meetings and Disaster Recovery exercises as required for compliance.
• Enhanced network security by implementing authentication and encryption across all company and customer networks.
• Performed remediation when applicable after vulnerability assessments.
• Improved security posture with deployment of tools such as crowdstrike, falcon, anti-virus and appliance firewalls.
• Supported customers with SOC 2 TYPE 2, PCI compliance audits.
• Tailored and created information security policies to meet compliance requirements
• Improved Change Management procedures at the developer meetings.
• Designed and implemented backup strategies and DR/BC environments, safeguarding critical data against loss.
• Contributed to strategic planning sessions, offering insight to guide company technology decisions while being compliant.

Another MSP/Data Center (2008-2021)
Linux/Network Administrator

• Installed, configured, and resolved issues on virtualized and bare metal systems, clusters.
• Under the direction of network and system engineers, applied configurations to Cisco and Juniper network devices with layer 2 and layer 3 configurations. Configured applications and maintained databases.
• Some experience with network redundancy configurations (vrrp and hsrp) as well as bgp peering. Worked with network technology including NAT, TCP, UDP, IPv4, IPv6, HTTP.
• Configured/maintained SWIP records and IPAM management for several /20 and /18 public IP allocations.
• Communicated with service providers to troubleshoot and ensure handoffs were completed, adhering to customer SLAs.
• Implemented monitoring of network devices using the SNMP protocol.
• Created documentation and basic diagrams of infrastructure for internal and compliance needs.
• Wrote and maintained custom scripts to increase system efficiency.
• Configured firewalls to facilitate company and customer needs.
• Managed backup configurations of network devices using Rancid.
• Deployed and managed critical system backups and DR.

Information Security Team Member – Compliance (2008 – 2021)

• Developed a strong understanding of compliance frameworks by analyzing and refining policy language to meet regulatory requirements.
• Often acted as the primary contact during the evidence collection stage.
• Deployed systems that were required as a control or management of control evidence such as backup/DR solutions, centralized logging, centralized anti-virus, and network/system level authentication.
• Tailored a generic template, to create the initial 50-page draft of the InfoSec policies to align with the business model and integrate existing processes as controls.
• Monitored and documented ongoing compliance evidence collection and ensured scheduled audit controls were completed on time.

NOC IT Support (2006 – 2008)

• Provided phone and ticket support to colocation customers.
• Performed rack and stack, operating system builds as directed.
• Monitored critical systems and responded to alerts, escalating when necessary.
• Installation of physical networks.
• The NOC Team acted as the on site technical staff for many customers, providing managed services from “rack and stack” to application management.

SKILLS

• Building positive User/Customer and vendor relationships
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Written and verbal communication
• Active listening
• Organizational skills
• Waterfall, Agile, and hybrid methodologies
• Cloud services (IAAS)
• Cloud providers: Amazon AWS, Oracle Cloud
• Virtualization/Clustering: Cloudstack, Citrix Xen server, VMWare/VCSA, Proxmox, HCI hyper-v High Availability: Fortinet, Windows replication, DRBD, MySQL, VEEAM, and HAProxy
• System migration: v2v, p2v, v2p, p2p
• Network configuration and administration: Switches, Routers, VLANs, Juniper, Cisco, Foundry, Brocade, Dell, Load balancing, and Fortinet
• Active/Passive monitoring: Zabbix, Nagios, Solarwinds, and NOCWare
• Network security and firewalls: Fortinet, Cisco, Sonicwall, and OS base
• Disaster recovery and Business continuity: Policy writing, exercises, compliance planning
• Document writing: Infosec policies, DR/BC policies, SOPs, and technical guides
• Compliance: AT101 Cybersecurity ramework, PCI, Hitrust, SOC 2 Type 2 Auditing and reporting
• Scripting: bash, shell, PHP, Python, and Powershell
• Application Development and Programming: Knowledge of C, C++, Java, PHP, Gitlab, CVS, SVN and web
• Microsoft Office tools: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Office365, and Teams
• Application and system performance tuning: Nginx, Apache, and MySQL.
• Logical security: Active Directory, Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning, nessus, nmap, tcpdump, Wireshark, wireless networks, Backtrack/Kali, Opensiem, OpenVAS, Baseline OS templates, crowdstrike and Falcon
• Physical security: Handnet, Biometric systems, Symmetry, CCTV surveillance, and Proximity badge systems
• Containerization: kubernetes
• Operating systems: Windows 11, Unix, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Debian, Fedora, Kali, Ubuntu, Centos/Rocky, Redhat, Windows Server 2008 2012, 2019 2022, Windows Server Core and GUI Data Center/ Standard
• Password and key management: Keeper
• Backup and Replication: Veritas, BackupPC, Veeam, Carbonite, Windows Failover Cluster, Rancid,and rsync

EDUCATION

• Associate Of Arts And Sciences:
• Computer Programming
• Certificate Of Technical Studies:
• Network Administration LAN (Cisco)