I am a dedicated learner of all things networking and cyber security.

• I’m currently working with Secure Infrastructure Section on firewall engineering and operations.
• I'm currently employed at Internal Services Department - County of Los Angeles, https://isd.lacounty.gov
• How to reach me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romson-niega/

• Led Level 1 and 2 firewall troubleshooting efforts, conducting trace-route and packet capture analysis to diagnose vendor network issues, successfully identifying a floating IP caused by the vendor’s load balancer.

• Managed and secured LA County’s perimeter firewalls, safeguarding sensitive data across DMZ and internal networks. Configured firewall rules, routes, and S2S VPN connections, maintaining optimal network security and performance.

· Proactively conducted threat hunting within a SOC Team by analyzing WAF logs, effectively mitigating potential risks to LA County web servers.

• Developed and implemented security policies using Palo Alto’s Panorama, Cisco’s FTD and ASA to regulate traffic between security zones, enhancing network segmentation by 100% and ensuring robust protection.

• Partnered with network engineers to implement routes, enabling customers to securely access data within ISD data centers. Improved customer connectivity by 20% for accessing programs and applications hosted in AWS, Azure, and OCI.

• Deployed and managed IPS technologies using Cisco’s Talos Threat Source and IPS sensors to detect and prevent network intrusions under the mandate of the Department Information Security Officer.

• Enhanced business continuity plans by developing and refining standard operating procedures for firewalls, including the creation of disaster-specific security policies with pre-approved critical ports. Trained new hires on the firewall (SOP).

• Monitored firewall performance, traffic volume, and alerts using Elasticsearch, PRTG, and Palo Alto’s Strata, proactively mitigating potential security threats.

• Generated and delivered comprehensive reports on firewall activities, including attack statistics, malware interceptions, and system health. Successfully eliminated the need for third-party vendors, reducing departmental costs by 50% annually.

• Hard Skills: Network Engineering, Network Security, Cisco Firepower, Palo Alto Panorama, Elasticsearch, IPSec, VLAN, BGP, OSPF, Bash, Threat Hunting

• Soft Skills: Communication, Analytical Skills, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Multi-tasking, Ethics