Michael Thornton
Senior Cyber Security Engineer
Atlanta,GA
Summary
Proactive Network Security Engineer adept at identifying and remediating and preventing cyber attacks. Pioneers novel network security measures to combat emerging threats. Detail-oriented team player with strong organizational skills. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of professionalism.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
5
5
Certifications
Work History
Information Security Engineer
Safeguard
09.2022 - Current
- Facilitate, manage, and improve advanced cyber security controls, including Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Network Detection and Response (NDR), Privileged Access Management (PAM), and Okta, to enhance network defenses and mitigate cyber risk.
- Actively participated in Breach and Attack Simulation workshops, utilizing industry-leading tools such as Vectra Detect for blue team engagements, to assess and strengthen the organization's security posture.
- Implemented NDR solutions to analyze network traffic, detect anomalous behavior, and discover attack indicators.
- Played a pivotal role in the PAM project roll-out and enforced role-based access controls.
- Integrated Okta single sign-on (SSO) to streamline the authentication process.
- Implemented multi-factor authentication processes for enhanced access control and user management.
Senior Network Security Engineer, Contract
Georgia Lottery
07.2020 - 07.2022
- Deployed risk mitigation strategies, initiatives, and endpoint security policies in alignment with CrowdStrike best practices.
- Conducted routine vulnerability assessments and penetration tests to identify and address software-related vulnerabilities.
- Managed the incident response program and assisted the security team in containing, eradicating, and recovering from security breaches to minimize business impact.
- Implemented a Network Detection and Response solution, resulting in a notable 60 percent reduction in false positives.
- Configured network segmentation, web filtering, DNS security, IPS rules, and access control lists on Palo Alto firewalls.
Network Security Engineer, Contract
Delhaize
01.2020 - 06.2020
- Applied analytics-driven approaches to proactively hunt for potential threats and indicators of compromise within network traffic, system logs, and SIEM tools.
- Implemented and managed Carbon Black Response endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution to enhance the organization's threat detection and incident response capabilities.
- Configured and fine-tuned Carbon Black Response policies, rules, and alerts to align with the organization's security requirements and risk profile.
- Conducted endpoint visibility assessments and deployed Carbon Black Response agents across the enterprise network, ensuring comprehensive coverage and real-time monitoring of endpoint activities.
Cyber Engineer, Contract
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
04.2019 - 11.2019
- Facilitated the design, implementation, and configuration of IT security controls to safeguard mission-critical infrastructure.
- Experienced in validating security controls and reviewing policies for Palo Alto firewalls, IPS, WAFs, and anti-malware solutions.
- Proficient in monitoring security logs and alerts from various sources, including intrusion detection systems, Spam filters, EDR systems, and security information and event management tools.
- Implements continuous threat monitoring, attack surface reduction, and behavioral analysis to maintain compliance with HIPAA, NIST, and PCI standards.
- Reduced the mean time to detect (MTTD) cyber breaches by 30 percent.
- Fortify cyber defenses while adhering to Zero Trust best practices.
- Enhanced day-to-day SOC operations by automating real-time response policies in Carbon Black Defense.
Network Security Engineer, Contract
United Medical Center
01.2018 - 02.2019
- Managed, provisioned, and enforced DLP policies to safeguard sensitive patient data.
- Secured Microsoft SQL Server databases, web servers, medical devices, and SaaS-based applications.
- Utilized Darktrace AI for Cyber Defense to improve the security posture of threat detection and response controls.
- Led projects to implement security controls across various domains, showcasing strong leadership skills.
- Conducted thorough forensics investigations for enterprise security incidents, E-Discovery legal matters, attacks/intrusions, policy violations, and insider threats.
- Ensured confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information systems through rigorous encryption policies for email communications and storage.
Security Solutions Engineer, Contract
TSPEC
01.2016 - 11.2017
- Hands-on experience in deploying and managing security tools such as Windows Defender, Symantec, and Trend Micro.
- In-depth knowledge of threat prevention strategies, vulnerability management techniques, and content filtering technologies.
- Strong understanding of compliance standards, particularly PCI compliance, and experience in conducting internal and external assessments.
- Excellent analytical skills with a proven ability to identify and mitigate security risks effectively.
Senior Network Engineer, Contract
Apex Systems
01.2015 - 02.2016
- Spearheaded the design, implementation, and maintenance of complex network infrastructures, with experience in VMware, Microsoft, and Cisco technologies to ensure optimal performance, scalability, and security.
- Management of VMware 6.0 virtualization technology including vSphere, vCenter, and VMware client.
- Deployed, configured, and managed Cisco firewalls, routers, and switches to establish secure and robust network infrastructures for diverse client environments.
- Designed and implemented complex network architectures, incorporating Cisco ASA firewalls to enforce perimeter security policies and protect against external threats.
- Managed Nimble snapshot policies to ensure data integrity, business continuity, and effective disaster recovery efforts for mission-critical MS SQL servers.
- Configured AlertLogic security policies, rules, and alerts to reduce the risk profile and provide real-time monitoring of events.
Senior Network Engineer (Contract)
TEKsystems
03.2014 - 09.2014
- Designed core network services including DMZ access, object groups, remote access configurations, ACLs, and VLAN setups.
- Utilized SolarWinds to monitor and optimize network performance, demonstrating proficiency in network monitoring tools.
- Maintained and supported a VMware 5.5 cluster hosting critical applications such as Oracle 10, SQL 2008, and Windows 2012 Active Directory.
- Installed, updated, and patched VMware servers deployed on Dell R620 server hardware, ensuring system integrity and security.
- Facilitated the design and implementation of active/active iSCSI connections to the Dell EqualLogic array, enhancing storage performance and redundancy.
- Developed comprehensive documentation for network design, configuration standards, and operational procedures.
- Improved network performance by identifying and resolving bottlenecks, optimizing configurations, and implementing best practices.
- Detected intrusion attempts and promptly responded to DDoS attacks.
Technical Support Engineer (Contract)
Dell AppAssure
09.2013 - 02.2014
- Managed Windows 2012 servers and provided technical resolutions for Exchange 2013, MS SQL server and Active Directory Domain services.
- Installed and configured Dell AppAssure disaster recovery tools on workstations, servers and storage devices.
- Supported cloud based initiatives for Managed Service Providers, by deploying virtual machines from system backups and provisioning disaster recovery sites.
- Evaluated business requirements and recommended system enhancements, updates, patches and hardware improvements.
- Responsibilities included verifying the completion of backup jobs and monitoring application logs for system errors.
- Acquired hands on experience with NAS, CIF Shares, NFS, RAID and ISCSI storage protocols.
- Provided consultation to the Dell community concerning the use of data replication, deduplication and compression.
Education
Associate of Science - Business
Art Institute of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA 05.2001 -
Skills
Network Security Management
Certification
PCNSE-Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer
Timeline
Information Security Engineer
Safeguard
09.2022 - Current
Senior Network Security Engineer, Contract
Georgia Lottery
07.2020 - 07.2022
Network Security Engineer, Contract
Delhaize
01.2020 - 06.2020
Cyber Engineer, Contract
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
04.2019 - 11.2019
Network Security Engineer, Contract
United Medical Center
01.2018 - 02.2019
Security Solutions Engineer, Contract
TSPEC
01.2016 - 11.2017
Senior Network Engineer, Contract
Apex Systems
01.2015 - 02.2016
Senior Network Engineer (Contract)
TEKsystems
03.2014 - 09.2014
Technical Support Engineer (Contract)
Dell AppAssure
09.2013 - 02.2014
Associate of Science - Business
Art Institute of Philadelphia
05.2001 -
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