PATRICK AKPAN
Acworth,GA
Summary
Senior Infrastructure Security Engineer with 10+ years of progressive experience designing, engineering, and operationalizing enterprise-scale security solutions across cloud, network, endpoint, container, and SASE environments. Proven expertise in security architecture, automation, metrics, and regulatory compliance, with deep hands-on delivery in AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, SIEM, and security tooling. Adept at embedding security into infrastructure and product lifecycles, leading cross-functional initiatives, mentoring engineers, and translating complex security requirements into scalable, business-aligned solutions. Strong advocate for automation, AI-driven security workflows, and continuous improvement in dynamic, high-growth environments.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Infrastructure Security Engineer
CISCO
07.2022 - Current
- Designed and operationalized enterprise infrastructure security controls across cloud, endpoint, container, and network-adjacent platforms.
- Engineered and deployed security automation and metrics using Python, PowerShell, Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines, reducing manual effort by over 55%.
- Implemented Zero Trust-aligned infrastructure security patterns enforcing conditional access and least-privilege controls.
- Operationalized SASE-aligned security capabilities through secure access enforcement and network segmentation.
- Integrated security telemetry into Azure Sentinel and Splunk, producing actionable dashboards and KPIs.
- Secured Kubernetes environments using RBAC, policy-as-code, and automated credential rotation.
- Consulted with infrastructure and DevOps teams to embed security requirements into platform designs.
- Led cross-functional security initiatives and mentored engineers on infrastructure security best practices.
- Authored infrastructure security frameworks, runbooks, and incident response documentation.
Security Engineer
IBM
Atlanta, GA
08.2019 - 07.2022
- Engineered infrastructure security solutions across cloud, endpoint, container, and privileged systems.
- Implemented cloud security controls across AWS and Azure to reduce misconfiguration risk.
- Automated security workflows using Python and PowerShell.
- Hardened cloud environments using least-privilege architectures and continuous security reviews.
- Integrated privileged access protections across Linux and Unix systems.
- Collaborated with platform teams to securely integrate Kubernetes access controls.
- Developed security metrics and dashboards using ELK Stack and Azure Log Analytics.
- Supported SOX and ISO 27001 compliance through control evidence and remediation tracking.
Cloud Security Analyst
Verizon
06.2017 - 08.2019
- Monitored and analyzed cloud and infrastructure security events.
- Developed and tuned threat detection use cases improving signal quality by 35%.
- Supported incident response and vulnerability remediation activities.
- Produced security metrics to inform risk assessments.
- Monitored security systems for vulnerabilities and potential threats.
- Monitored alerts generated by intrusion detection systems to identify potential attacks against corporate networks.
- Investigated reported information security incidents by analyzing log files, conducting interviews with involved personnel.
Linux Systems Administrator
Workday
10.2015 - 05.2017
- Administered and secured enterprise Linux environments.
- Implemented system hardening, logging, and monitoring controls.
- Performed forensic analysis during infrastructure incidents.
- Implemented security measures to protect sensitive data and system integrity.
- Monitored system health and resolved issues proactively to maintain uptime.
- Developed scripts to automate routine tasks and improve efficiency.
- Provided technical support to users, enhancing their experience with systems.
- Provided technical support for Linux-based systems including troubleshooting of server applications and hardware issues.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Geology
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, NigeriaSkills
Cloud & Infrastructure Security: AWS, Azure, GCP, Hybrid Cloud Security Architecture, Secure Landing Zones, SCPs, GuardDuty, Azure Security Center
Endpoint & Zero Trust Security: Endpoint Protection Architecture, Conditional Access, Privileged Access Controls, Zero Trust Principles
Network, Email & SASE Security: Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Conditional Access, Secure Email Gateways, Identity-Aware Proxies, Network Segmentation
Automation & Engineering: Python, PowerShell, Bash, Terraform, GitLab CI/CD, Azure Functions, Policy-as-Code, Security Automation & Metrics
Containers & DevSecOps: Kubernetes RBAC, Workload Identity Federation, AKS, GKE, OPA, Secure CI/CD Pipelines
Monitoring, Detection & Metrics: Azure Sentinel, Splunk, ELK Stack, CrowdStrike, EventHub, Security Dashboards, Risk & Control Metrics
Governance, Risk & Compliance: NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, SOX, GDPR, FFIEC, Security Framework Design, Audit Readiness
Certification
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- AWS Certified Security – Specialty
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA CySA+
- HashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate
- Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
Timeline
Senior Infrastructure Security Engineer
CISCO
07.2022 - Current
Security Engineer
IBM
08.2019 - 07.2022
Cloud Security Analyst
Verizon
06.2017 - 08.2019
Linux Systems Administrator
Workday
10.2015 - 05.2017
Bachelor of Science - Geology
Federal University of Technology