Ryan Kowalski
Maple Valley,WA
Summary
Trusted Network Security Engineer with 4 years protecting companies against bad actors who disrupt business operations. Serves as primary safeguard against external and internal threats. Educates colleagues on best practices and network safety protocols. Protects networked assets through both preventive and reactionary measures. Experienced in the installation and configuration of endpoint security and SIEM solutions.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Systems Admin / Cyber Security Engineer
VigiLanz Corporation
08.2021 - Current
- Collaborated with IT teams to integrate security measures into the development and deployment of new applications.
- Conducted security audits to identify vulnerabilities.
- Reduced risk of cyber attacks by conducting regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing.
- Improved incident response times by developing and maintaining cybersecurity playbooks for common attack scenarios.
- Analyzed security incidents post-resolution, identifying areas for improvement in both technical controls and incident response processes.
- Performed regular reviews of user access rights, minimizing the risk posed by insider threats or compromised accounts.
- Performed risk analyses to identify appropriate security countermeasures.
- Optimized security monitoring processes by implementing automated tools for real-time threat detection and analysis.
- Ensured compliance with industry regulations by performing comprehensive audits on existing security policies and procedures.
- Enhanced network security by implementing advanced threat detection and prevention systems.
- Conducted regular security risk assessments, enabling proactive identification and mitigation of potential threats.
- Facilitated cross-departmental collaboration to ensure integration of security best practices in all IT projects.
- Led cybersecurity awareness training sessions, increasing staff vigilance against phishing and social engineering attacks.
- Streamlined user access controls, minimizing risk of unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.
- Customized and managed security information and event management (SIEM) systems for real-time threat detection and analysis.
- Played key role in regulatory compliance projects, ensuring adherence to industry standards and legal requirements related to cybersecurity.
- Reduced downtime caused by security incidents by establishing robust incident management and recovery framework.
- Improved system resilience with deployment of advanced firewalls and anti-malware software.
- Guided IT teams in secure configuration of hardware and software, minimizing vulnerabilities and compliance issues.
- Reduced false positive alerts in security monitoring systems by fine-tuning detection parameters, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Recommend improvements in security systems and procedures.
- Played key role in Linux system administration.
IT Specialist/Information Security Analyst
Acutus Medical
03.2020 - 08.2021
- Conducted regular audits of IT infrastructure to ensure adherence to established cybersecurity policies and best practices.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and threat landscape through ongoing research and professional development activities.
- Evaluated emerging security technologies, recommending appropriate tools to enhance organizational defense capabilities.
- Optimized firewall configurations to provide maximum protection without inhibiting productivity or performance.
- Identified and mitigated potential threats by analyzing network traffic and user behavior.
- Spearheaded cybersecurity audits, identifying gaps and recommending actionable improvements.
- Bolstered network security by designing and deploying sophisticated firewall and intrusion detection systems.
- Created customized security awareness training materials tailored to various departments within the organization.
- Drove adoption of security information and event management (SIEM) systems for real-time security monitoring.
- Implemented Microsoft's Defender for endpoint and Identity suite fed into the Azure Sentinel SIEM.
IT Engineer/Junior System Administrator
Pacifica Enterprises
03.2019 - 02.2020
- Provided Help Desk-based IT support to end-users for a fast-paced real estate company, including troubleshooting, server support, customer service, and network security
- Kept 50+ employees up and running on Windows 10/Mac OS/Linux Distributions single-handedly
- Saved the company time and money by implementing cloud-based file hosting due to a failing file server
- Maintained server equipment, ensured backups were secure and kept the network running.
Education
No Degree - Computer Science -
Mira Costa College
CA, CaliforniaNo Degree - Cyber Security -
Coleman University
CA, CaliforniaCurrently Attending - Bachelors in Cyber Security -
Southern New Hampshire University
06.2026
Skills
- Firewall Management
- Endpoint Protection
- Operating System Security
- Security Auditing
- Compliance Management
- Patch management
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Security policy development
- Security Architecture
- Intrusion Detection
- Access Control
- Incident Response
- Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response
- Security Information and Event Management
- Security Awareness Training
- Social Engineering Defense
- Virtual private networks
- Network Security Management
- Risk Assessment
Certification
Comptia Sec+ - Currently In progress. - Completion Date estimated at 8/20/2024
Accomplishments
- Educated management on how to minimize risk of cybersecurity attacks.
- Trained end users on proper security protocol to minimize cybersecurity attacks.
- Performed comprehensive investigations of security incidents and implemented appropriate solutions.
- Created daily database reports to identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities.
- Made recommendations to management on new security software to improve network-based security.
- Developed and implemented security procedures to achieve a more hardened network.
Hobbies and Interests
My hobbies are mostly researching vulnerabilities, how they work and new ways to hack. I enjoy finding new tools for exploiting systems and learning ways to attack a network. Currently I am working on boxes from HackTheBox which I have been a member of for over 8 years. Other than that, as an employee I use my experience and knowledge to better myself and the company.
HackTheBox
Conducted red team capture the flag scenarios to familiarize myself with various windows, mac and linux attack vectors. 8 Years as a member.
Timeline
Systems Admin / Cyber Security Engineer
VigiLanz Corporation
08.2021 - Current
IT Specialist/Information Security Analyst
Acutus Medical
03.2020 - 08.2021
IT Engineer/Junior System Administrator
Pacifica Enterprises
03.2019 - 02.2020
No Degree - Computer Science -
Mira Costa College
No Degree - Cyber Security -
Coleman University
Currently Attending - Bachelors in Cyber Security -
Southern New Hampshire University
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