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based on 3,225 client reviews
  • $225 hourly
    Hey, I'm James. I've been a self-employed business network and server admin for 21+ years. I've worked with all flavors of Linux and Windows for some of the best businesses in the country. My average customer that I've worked with has been with me over 10 years. I specialize in analyzing current infrastructure and determining the needs of my clients then providing a written plan to correct any issues and protect the business systems from hackers and cryptolockers. In one of my recent projects, I consulted with a six billion dollar, publicly traded company to completely redesign their infrastructure to have redundant firewalls, VMWare host servers, leased fiber lines directly to Amazon AWS with a VPN backup over a regular Internet circuit that would automatically fail over in case of any circuit issue. The vmware servers would auto migrate the guests in the case of overload or host server failure. All power systems were redundant with two powersupplies for each piece of equipment. At the end of this project, we had reduced their monthly cost of management by over 25,000 per month and reduced their server load from over 20 servers to just 8 servers. When you hire me, here's what you can expect: 1. First, click the invite button to invite me to your job. 2. Once everything is accepted, I'll jump on the phone or a zoom with you 3. We'll go over the details of the job and I'll ask questions to drill down to the specific goals you want to accomplish. 4. I'll provide you with a high level written plan to address your goals along with expected time needed to complete your project. 5. When we agree on the timeline and process, I will execute the plan. So, if this sounds good, just click the "invite" button and we can start.
    vsuc_fltilesrefresh_TrophyIcon Network Security
    Docker
    Email Design
    Network Engineering
    Network Administration
    Network Monitoring
    Network Design
    Linux System Administration
    Network Planning
    Web Hosting
    Windows Administration
    Virtualization
    System Administration
    System Monitoring
    NGINX
  • $55 hourly
    Certified Network Administrator/ Enterprise Ubiquiti Network Expert Certified Systems Engineering Expert Certified Systems Administration, Certified IT Support Specialist/Cyber Security Consultant Certified Network Security Expert (Home / Business), VAPT Certified System Security Expert. Certified HelpDesk Support Specialist Microsoft Azure Certified, Microsoft365/Azure EntraID Network Security Certified Network Security and deployment Consultant Domotz Expert/ Synology consultant Fortigate Certified Sonicwall Expert, Unifi/Ubiquiti Expert Hands on Experience on: Microsoft Exchange Online Windows 10 Administration Server Administration Experr Windows 11 Administration Remote IT Management/ VPN management Windows Server Administration Expert Domain Migration Microsoft Outlook Network Equipment consultation Server Virtualization Microsoft Windows Powershell Microsoft Active Directory Office 365 DNS DHCP Cisco, Fortinet, Fortigate, Pfsense Expert, Unifi/Ubiquiti Expert Administrator UDM pro, USG Expert UDM vpn Expert unifi specialist., MDM solution Specialist(jamfpro, Sophos mdm,) Azure, AWS, Google Work Space, Contabo, Rackspace Unifi, Ubiquiti Expert, SonicWall Expert(VPN troubleshooting) Threat Hunting, IPS ,IDS, WEB SECURITY, QUALYS, SENTINALONE. SOPHOS Network Administration, System Administration, Office365, Intune, MDM, Windows users Administration. Domotz admin, NAS, VLan Expert Windows servers 2016-2022 Failover Clustering , Hyper-V management, RDS, Synology DSM, Virtual Hosting. QNAP , QSAN ,NAS,SAN Active Directory Expert, VPN, Switches ,Routers Zendesk trainer, EDR, XDR, Connectwise Admin, CWRMM, Sentinal one Azure Sentinal. Fortinet, Cisco, Network monitoring Expert, Veeam Backup Specialist(Cloudberry, SPX) HIPPA complaince certified, PCI DSS accessor, PCI DSS complaince Expert. Having Certs (NSE1, NSE2, NSE3) ,CCNA, CCNP(training) Crowd Strike Deployment, TrendMicro deployment. Cloud Network/ System Administrator and Network/System Security consultant NSE 1 NSE 2 ICSI CNSS certified having vast and versatile experience in Network Administration with vast working in cloud technologies, QNAPS, VIRTUAL PRIVATE SERVERS , ACTIVE DIRECTORY. SECURING THE WEBSERVERS , SECURITY OF ON PREM NETWORK. Have worked on the antivirus deployments Crowd strike TrendMicro, Webroot, managing incidents and alerts on them. also have hands on Cisco network designs firewall configurations. Server and system administration grip on Windows Server (2012 2016 2019 2022) remote task management and remote assistant to the clients as well worked with the organization and provided them with tech skills network and system administration support as well as offered soft skills, my primary skillset is Network Design Network security OWASP mitigation System Hardening System Security Network Optimization Server administration Server Migrations Network troubleshooting Firewall Configurations Backup policies / configurations Desktop support. Cloud management Failover clustering Deployment and Management (Windows Server 2019, 2016, 2022). System security Solutions and Deployment. System Hardening. I will be optimizing the networks and will be providing industry solutions to clients including deployment of Antiviruses like crowd strike as well as trend micro I will be looking forward for more technical work here to pursue as a network and security consultant and technical support freelancer. I am sure I will provide quality work to the clients as per their requirements, and for me, client satisfaction is much important than the earned amount. I have worked with the US dental offices and MSP, so I want to invest my time here to reap good results. and serve the people here with my good technical skills about home networks and office networks . Hands on experience on Cisco Switches(CCNA CCNP LEVEL) and SonicWALL's + Fortigate firewalls, QNAP , QSAN, SYNOLOGY, Buffalo NAS, During My freelancing career i have worked on multiple projects like Network Designs solution deployment across the organization and on top of it have hands on Experience of vendor Management and have know how towards the TrendMicro and Crowd Strike. Setting up IT office were the main procedures during my Job Tenures and also Veeam backup deployment across the organization. EDR, MDR AWS AZURE Specialist. Experience in QNAPS, Synology, Virtualization Expert, Hyper V. Hands on Experience for providing Remote IT Support to multiple clients. Managjng Networks servers plus Security configurations. Hypervisor Expert, Remote IT tools complete Hands on Experience, vpn Expert wiregaurd, openvpn, NAS Expert.
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    Ubiquiti
    Information Security
    Network Administration
    Backup Administration
    Intrusion Prevention System
    Backup & Migration
    Cisco Certified Network Associate
    System Security
    Network Engineering
    Microsoft Azure
    Microsoft Active Directory
    Office 365
    System Administration
  • $59 hourly
    Am a CCIE#26611 with extensive experience in Routing & Switching, Security, Datacenter, Virtualization, Programmability & Automation. Am delivering unique & absolutely different service for the below technologies: * SDN Datacenter: Cisco ACI, VMware NSX, Nutanix Flow, Arista. * SDN Storage: Cisco HyperFlex, Nutanix HCI, VMware VSAN. * SDN Access: Cisco DNA, LISP Implementation, Cisco Spaces, Cisco ISE, PacketFence. * SDN WAN: Cisco SDWAN, VMware VeloCloud, SilverPeak, PaloAlto SDWAN, FortiGate SDWAN, Meraki. * Programmability & Automation Controllers: Python & API tools to automate business intent & workflows within networks, Ansible, Chef, NSO, Terraform, OpenShift. * Monitoring Applications: Zabbix, SolarWinds, Home Made Custom Tools, Nmap, Packet Tracer (Wireshark), Splunk. * Routing & Switching and Wireless Technologies: Cisco, Mikrotik, Juniper, FS, Arista. * Security: Cisco, PaloAlto, Meraki, FortiNet, Ubiquiti, VMware MDM, Infoblox. * Datacenter, Cloud Computing, Cloud Native, Virtualization & HCI Solutions. * Public Cloud: Design, Setup & Administer Tenants on AWS, Azure. * Micro-segmentation & Containerized Applications: Docker, Kubernetes. * API Gateways & Swagger Documentation. * Python Scripting for DevOps, SecOps, NetOps & IaC. * Technical Writing & Documentation. Please refer to my LinkedIn account aossama. Certifications: * CCIE Enterprise CCIE#26611. * Cisco CCNP DevNet. * Cisco CCNP Enterprise. * Cisco CCNP Datacenter. * Cisco ACI Certified Specialist.
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    Server & Virtualization Software
    Fortinet
    MikroTik
    Cisco Meraki
    Palo Alto Firewalls
    Network Design
    Network Monitoring
    Network Engineering
    Python
    Information Technology
    Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert
    Cisco ACI
    Software-Defined Networking
    Cisco
  • $39 hourly
    I have 30-years experience in network projects including design, implementation, system administration and in software development. For the first 5 years of my career I worked on software development: coding and especially testing. For the last 25 years I'm working on implementation and maintenance of University of Nis WAN. Last 20 years I'm deeply involved in AMRES (Academic Network of Serbia) project. Don't fix it if it ain't broken, don't break it if you can't fix it! SKILLS SUMMARY - Any system administration tasks - Operating Systems: any *nix (Linux, FreeBSD, SGI IRIX, SCO, Solaris, OSX), Windows 3.1/9x/Me/XP/Vista/W7/W8/W10, WinServer NT/2K/2003/2008/2012/2016 - LAN & WAN: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI and Wireless LANs. T1/T3, SDH/SONET, Frame Relay, WDM, ISDN, ADSL, SHDSL, Cable Modems, Cellular, X.25. - Network Protocols: TCP/IP, IPv6, UDP, OSI, CDP, IP Multicast, IPSec, VoIP, Routing, VLANs, Bridging, Trunking, VPN, SNA, DLS - Network Services & servers: SMTP/POP3/IMAP, FTP/SFTP, Telnet/SSH, HTTP/HTTPS, DNS, DHCP, NNTP, NTP, LDAP, SNMP, NETBIOS, Apache, Nginx, MySQL, Plesk, cPanel, Zimbra, VMware, CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian - Network Equipment: various types of modems, firewalls, switches and routers. - Dedicated, VPS and cloud environment servers (Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, MS Azure, Digital Ocean, Linode). - Programming Languages: Unix Shell scripting, BASH, C, Pascal, MS Visual Basic, PHP, HTML, (a bit of Python).
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    CentOS
    Ubuntu
    System Administration
    Apache Administration
    SSL
    Let's Encrypt
    Linux System Administration
    Firewall
    Red Hat Administration
    Internet Security
    Cloudflare
    Zimbra Administration
    Unix System Administration
    Network Administration
  • $50 hourly
    I am a 2x Certified Elastic Stack (ELK) Engineer and successfully designed and implemented over 200 Elasticsearch projects, managing hundreds of terabytes of data for different use cases. My expertise include consulting and implementation of the Elastic Stack, including Elasticsearch, Kibana, and Logstash. I specialize in cluster architecture, setup, configuration, scalability optimization, maintenance, and integration with databases, third-party tools, and custom data sources. My key skills are 1. Data Processing and Pipeline Development: Expert in crafting complex ingest and Logstash pipelines for efficient data cleaning and transforming raw logs into structured data. 2. Advanced Integrations and Tooling: Skilled in integrating Elastic Stack with machine learning, Generative AI (RAG), Elastic Agent, filebeat, metricbeat, auditbeat, winlogbeat, uptime monitoring, APM, Kibana Canvas, and other Elastic tools. 3. Specialized Applications: Implemented Elastic Stack solutions for a variety of applications, including log analytics, SIEM, cybersecurity, full-text search, data analytics, and reporting. If you’re seeking support for implementation, upgrades, maintenance, optimization, cluster review, or proof-of-concept development around the Elastic Stack, I’m here to help. Additionally, I provide migration services from other platforms such as Solr, OpenSearch (OpenDistro), QRadar, and Splunk.
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    IT Infrastructure
    Observational Data Analysis
    Grok Framework
    Kibana
    Logstash
    Firewall
    Elasticsearch
    Apache Lucene
    Full-Text Search
    Sphinx
    Apache Solr
    MySQL
  • $75 hourly
    My approach involves a meticulous understanding of project requirements, coupled with a hands-on approach to problem-solving. I am committed to delivering comprehensive solutions that span from the endpoint to the perimeter, ensuring the integrity and security of your IT infrastructure. Key Areas of Expertise: - Cybersecurity: Specialized in Fortinet products - Fortigate, Forticlient, FortiEMS, Fortianalyzer, FortiManager, Fortiswitch, FortiAP - with a keen focus on innovative solutions. I'm also Fortinet NSE4 certified and an official Advocate Fortinet Partner. - Virtualization: Proficient in installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of virtualization solutions using VMware and Hyper-V. - Cloud Solutions/Architect: Well-versed in Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud solutions. - Networking: Extensive experience in building and implementing end-to-end projects for small/medium LAN/WAN environments using a variety of vendors and technologies like Cisco, Aruba, and Fortinet. Why Choose Me? - Diverse Skill Set: As a "jack of all trades," I bring a wealth of experience across various IT domains. - Cybersecurity Focus: My dedication to Cybersecurity and Fortinet projects ensures cutting-edge solutions. - Commitment: I am incredibly responsive, responsible, and available for any IT infrastructure/operation project, ready to contribute my expertise to drive your success.
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    DNS
    Microsoft Active Directory
    VMware vSphere
    Virtual LAN
    Network Administration
    LAN Implementation
    Fortinet
    Cisco UCS
  • $165 hourly
    Sr. Architect and Engineer specializing in Cybersecurity, Networks, Cloud, and IT Systems with proven international business experience and management skills. UPWORK experience: 9000+ work hours, 100% Job Success, Top Rated Plus, Expert-Vetted With 15+ years of professional experience, I provide a complete set of services from proven advanced technical solutions and methodologies to business development, team-building, and management. I have successfully delivered complex projects across heterogeneous environments such as Telco/ISP providers, SMB, and Large International Enterprises in USA, Europe & Globally. Main offered services include: • Cybersecurity Architect • Network Architect • System Architect • Cloud Architect • Digital transformation • Solution design and implementation • IT strategy development • Information Security Manager • vCTO | vCIO | vCISO • Executive Consultant Highly experienced SME in the following technology fields: Information Security & Cyber Security • Develop & enhance Cybersecurity management frameworks. • Develop, implement & monitor strategic, comprehensive enterprise information security & IT risk management programs. • Develop, and maintain cybersecurity policies, standards, baselines, guidelines, and procedures. Network/IT/System Security • Firewall, UTM, NGFW & NG-IPS protection: Fortigate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, Cisco (ASA FirePower), Barracuda, pfSense, Checkpoint, PaloAlto, SonicWall, WatchGuard • Email Security: Cisco, Barracuda, Mimecast, Microsoft • Web Security: Cisco, Barracuda, Fortinet, McAfee, Zscaler • Proxy and Reverse Proxy: Squid, Nginx, Dante • IPSec VPN & SDWAN: Cisco DMVPN, HPE ADVPN, Fortigate ADVPN • SSL VPN: Fortigate, Cisco, PaloAlto, Barracuda, SonicWall, OpenVPN, pfSense, Swan, OpenConnect • Network Access Control (802.1X, Radius, Tacacs+…), BYOD and MDM : Aruba ClearPass, Cisco ISE, PacketFence, NPS, Genians, Intune... •     ZTNA Expert with all leading multi-vendor solutions • IAM SSO SAML2 Oauth: OKTA, Keycloack, Auth0 • DLP & CASB Bitglass, Forcepoint • EDR McAfee, Sophos, SentinelOne... • SIEM and SOC solutions - Wazuh, Fortinet, Splunk... IT Cloud/Systems/Virtualization/Backup/DR • Hybrid Cloud, Multi Cloud Architecture • Cloud Infrastructure Security, Networking, Storage, VPC (AWS, Azure, OVH, OpenStack...) • Virtualization planning, implementation, tuning (VMware, Proxmox, KVM, Hyper-V) • Hyperconverged HCI solutions ESXi & vSAN, Proxmox & CEPH • Linux Systems deployment, administration and development (Debian Ubuntu OpenSuSE CentOS RedHat) including performance optimization, hardening, scripting, HA, backup & restore • Windows Server architecture & administration (Hyper-V AD GPO DNS DHCP PKI File Server ...) • SAN (FC/FCoE), ISCSi, NAS(File) • VDI and Virtual App (Microsoft, VMware, Citrix) • Load Balancer/Application Delivery: HAproxy, Nginx, Barracuda, F5 • ElasticSearch & OpenSearch design & implementation • Critical HA Database clusters: PostgreSQL & MySQL • HA, Backup & Disaster Recovery planning & deployment (Veeam, VMware, Proxmox, Linux, AWS, Azure, Windows...etc) Network technologies • Switches: Cisco, HPE, Comware, Aruba OS, Arista, Alcatel, Juniper, Dell • Routers: Cisco, HPE, Comware, Alcatel, Juniper, Mikrotik • WiFi Mobility: Aruba OS & Central, Cisco, Meraki, Ubiquity, Mikrotik • MPLS L2/L3 VPN, MP-BGP, VPLS, SDWAN • BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, EIGRP routing protocols • FRR, VyOS, Bird • VLAN, QinQ, VXLAN, EVPN L2 scalable overlay networks • ACL, PBR, NAT, QoS, NAS; large-scale DHCP/DNS • IGMP L2 and PIM L3 multicast • Secure WiFi planning: controller managed & cloud-managed • NMS, EMS, FCPAS and OSS/BSS systems - LibreNMS, Zabbix, Nagios, Cacti Some of the most notable certifications I hold are: • CISSP - ISC2 • HPE Master Accredited Solution Expert - Network Solutions • HPE Accredited Solutions Expert - Network Architect • SUSE Cert. Linux Admin.: SLES In addition to technical skills, I deliver proven business operations experience for: • Business development planning and acquiring the correct technology • Project Management • Team building and management • RFP preparation Proposal preparation (technical/commercial) • Pre-sales & Sales Management • Business development, planning, and acquiring the correct technology • Project Management • Team building and management • RFP preparation Proposal preparation (technical/commercial) • Pre-sales & Sales Management • Business partnership establishment and management with leading companies such as HPE, Aruba, Fortinet, Cisco, IBM, Dell, Microsoft… and many more I am an avid learner, enabling me to swiftly adapt to new business environments and new project needs. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills combined with my long experience in team-leading & management enable me to collaborate strongly and work in global project teams with multiple members (in both leading or supporting roles).
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    Certified Information Systems Security Professional
    Firewall
    High Availability and Disaster Recovery
    NIST Cybersecurity Framework
    Network Design
    Network Architecture
    Solution Architecture
    Cloud Architecture
    Cloud Security
    Business Development
    System Administration
    Cybersecurity Management
    Information Security
    VPN
  • $28 hourly
    Dedicated and detail-oriented Security Engineer with over 5 years of experience, I specialize in protecting networks and systems from potential threats and ensuring the integrity of your data. My passion for cybersecurity drives me to stay ahead of the latest trends and threats, allowing me to implement robust solutions tailored to your need. I have a proven track record of enhancing security postures through: Threat Analysis: Conducting comprehensive risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and threats. Security Architecture: Designing secure infrastructure, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, VPN, and secure application development practices. Incident Response: Leading incident response efforts to mitigate breaches, minimize damage, and conduct thorough investigations. Data Loss Prevention: To safeguard sensitive information and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. Security Awareness Training: Educating teams on best practices to cultivate a security-first culture. I am proficient in a range of security tools and technologies, including Firewalls, VPN, SIEM, endpoint protection, Data Security and encryption solutions, and I continuously stay updated with the latest trends and emerging threats in cybersecurity. My goal is to help businesses secure their assets, ensure compliance, and foster trust with clients through effective security measures.
    vsuc_fltilesrefresh_TrophyIcon Network Security
    Cloud Security
    Data Protection
    Data Center Operations
    SOC 2
    Docker
    Linux System Administration
    Firewall
    VPN
    Security Testing
    Database
    Information Security
    Amazon
    Windows Server
  • $50 hourly
    Over 25 years of progressive experience in computer networks field. Comprehensive network technology knowledge in designing, implementation, administration and support. In-depth knowledge of deploying IP protocols and troubleshooting. Experienced in layer 2 switching and 3 routing, security and wireless. Extensive experience in Planning, Implementation, Configuring, Testing and Troubleshooting of networking systems. Competent in handling escalating problems. 7+ years as a Cisco Networking Academy Manager and Instructor. In-depth knowledge of major server OSes. Exceptional analytical abilities. Confident, polite and patient.
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    PfSense
    Proxmox VE
    Wireless Network Implementation
    VPN
    Wireless Security
    Ubuntu
    Cisco Certified Design Associate
    OpenVPN
    Server Virtualization
    Linux System Administration
    Cisco IOS
    Network Design
    Cisco Certified Network Associate
  • $60 hourly
    Talented IT Manager offering over 25 years' experience and top-notch abilities in organizing workflows, solving complex problems and making accurate decisions based on sound judgment and analytical strengths. Diligent, forward-thinking and adaptable to dynamic company, customer and project needs. Successful at motivating teams to meet demanding timelines.
    vsuc_fltilesrefresh_TrophyIcon Network Security
    Network Engineering
    Security Engineering
    Vulnerability Assessment
    Infrastructure Management
    System Deployment
    VMware Administration
    Citrix
    Cloud Architecture
    Citrix Hypervisor
    Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops
  • $125 hourly
    Experienced technology leader and cyber security expert. Experience building security programs from the ground up for large organizations, conducting security audits, technical policy writing, and gap analysis. I am efficient, driven, and highly capable in all areas of cybersecurity. I hold both a Masters degree (MBA) as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business, IT Management. Additionally, I have received certifications which include: CISSP, CISA, CISM, GSLC, CCNA, CCNA-S, and certifications from Microsoft and CompTIA.
    vsuc_fltilesrefresh_TrophyIcon Network Security
    Firewall
    Technical Writing
    IT Consultation
    System Configuration
    Troubleshooting
    System Administration
    Information Security
    Security Engineering
    System Security
    IT Management
    IT Compliance Audit
    Network Engineering
  • $80 hourly
    Passionate IT professional offering more than 15 years of experience in design, deployment and troubleshooting of medium to large scale fast converging optimized and scalable multi-site enterprise data center and campus network infrastructure, including 7+ years of leading successfully performing teams. Proven experience in transforming enterprise network infrastructure into a highly available, secure, and reliable environment. Adept at multitasking to achieve individual and team goals. Strong problem-solving skills, fast learner & excellent communication skills. The buck stops here.
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    Wireless Network Implementation
    Wireless Communication
    Wireshark
    Cisco Certified Network Professional
    WiFi
    Palo Alto Firewalls
    Cisco IOS
    Cisco
    Cisco Firepower Threat Defense
    Juniper
    Cisco ASA
    Network Administration
    Cisco Meraki
    Fortinet
    VPN
    Ubiquiti
  • $130 hourly
    I specialize in building, designing and troubleshooting network infrastructure and transport. Wired, Wireless, LAN, WAN, VPN and Security solutions to fit your business needs. I have been employed as a Network Engineer for Snapchat, Fortinet, Nuance Communications, Port of Seattle, Infospace, and Costco Wholesale. As a consultant I have worked on network and firewall projects as part of the AT&T consulting team for the State of Texas, New York Yankees and HP Enterprise. As a Professional Services Engineer for Fortinet, I deployed hundreds of Fortinet appliances for a large-scale IPSec VPN deployment for the State of Washington. Vendor Certifications include: Cisco CCNA, CCNP, Fortinet NSE4, NSE5, CWNA, Ekahau ECSE Design, Juniper JNCIA, and ITIL Foundations.
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    Google Cloud Platform
    F5, Inc.
    Cisco Certified Network Associate
    Wireless Communication
    Network Design
    Ubiquiti
    Extreme Networks
    Network Engineering
    Fortinet
  • $40 hourly
    I'm an experienced network, cloud and system engineer. Networking : - Design, configurations, implementations, maintenance ; switches, routers, firewalls, monitoring systems, Cisco ISE, Wifi Controllers and APs, VoIP infrastructures - Vendors : Cisco, Checkpoint, Fortinet, PfSense, Mikrotik, Ubiquiti (Unifi),Watchguard, HP, DELL, - Projects : Edge and internal firewalls, DMVPN solutions, Core and DC infrastructures, Wifi Systems, Bank VoIP system (CUCM, IVR, CUBE, Call Center solution) etc - Certifications : Cisco (CCNP Security & Enterprise & VoIP), CCNA CyberOps, Checkpoint CCSA and CCSE Cloud : - Azure infrastructure using portal or automation via Terraform - Resource Group, VNETs, Azure AD, Storage Accounts, VMs, VMSS, private link, VPN site to site and point to site, Enterpise Apps integration, IAAS, PaaS, etc - Intune (MDM), Microsoft365 (Exchange Online, Teams,OneDrive) - SD WAN network solution on cloud (Aviatrix) - Certifications : Azure Administrator Az-104, ACE Associate (Aviatrix) Systems : - Windows Server (AD, file server,DHCP, DNS, GPOs, user and groups, persmissions etc) - Linux (Ubuntu & CentOS) - Veaam Backup solution, VMWare, Proxmomx, Hyper-V
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    Fortinet
    PfSense
    Windows Server
    Cisco WLC
    Cisco ISE
    Cisco ASA
    Cisco Router
    Docker
    Check Point
    Network Design
    Linux System Administration
  • $20 hourly
    I am Working with Cyberoam/Sophos products. Having 5+ Yrs of hand on Exp. for Cyberoam/Sophos product. Certified Sophos Support Engineer, Cyberoam Certified Engineer as well as working as a Customer support representative for the E-commerce Shopify dropshipping website. 1. Working with Routing, Creating policy Configuring IPSec VPN, SSL VPN, PPTP VPN, L2TP VPN. 2. IPS policy. 3. Spam filter 4. Authentication service on Cyberoam. 5. Depth knowledge in VPN technology. Trained on AWS with skill of create and maintain instances, Assign a role to user, VPC, DNS, Cloudwatch, etc. Troubleshooting, installing, configuring software  System Back up & Recovery Using Symantec Ghost  Server Back up & Recovery.  DNS, DHCP & Active Directory Configuration.  OU & GPO Creation.  Firewall Configuration & Creating Policy  Printer installation  Remote Support Feel free to contact me on any related project. It would be my pleasure to do work with you. thank you so much
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    Technical Support
    Microsoft Office
    Shopify
    Sophos Sophos UTM
    Customer Service
    Customer Support
    Network Monitoring
    Firewall
    VPN
  • $25 hourly
    Hello, I am Richard Reyes, a network and security engineer based in Philippines, Manila. I have six years of professional IT experience and have worked on enterprise networks that serve thousands of users. When we work together, we share the same goal, maximizing the productivity of your network to keep your business operations going securely for your valuable data. Specialization: IPsec and SSL VPN implementation and troubleshooting Fortigate firewalls administration - DHCP, NAT, DNS, AP, TCP/UDP/IP Sophos firewalls administration - DHCP, NAT, DNS, AP, TCP/UDP/IP Advanced troubleshooting & traffic analysis Enterprise network design SD-WAN implementation High Availability Fortimanager - Policy/Device configuration and propagation, VPN management Fortianalyzer - Network security logging, analysis, and reporting Fortiswitch - Device configuration, and propagation. Professional qualifications : Fortinet Certified Network Security Professional (NSE4) Cloudpath 5.1 SE and Partner Assessment Accreditation Exam Certified Bosch Security Camera Expert Malware Assessment Training and Certification Sophos Firewall Support Certified for XG/UTM Sophos Firewall Architect Certified for XG/UTM Sophos Firewall Engineer Certified for XG/UTM Sophos Central Email Engineer Certified Sophos Wireless Access point Certified Engineer/Support You can send me initial information regarding your project and requirements. After I analyzed it, Let's discuss the work around.
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    Fortinet
    Sophos Sophos UTM
    HP Network Management Center
    Network Administration
    SonicWall
    Wireless Network Implementation
    Firewall
  • $10 hourly
    * I was covid positive and couldn't reply to messages. Because of that I have a one 3.7 review. I have 8+ years s experience as a Senior Systems Engineer. My Technical Skills: Experience in implementing, configuring, and administering Server and Network (Wired/Wireless) hardware, Microsoft Windows (Server, Desktop), Linux (CentOS, Ubuntu, Oracle Linux, RedHat) operating systems and services and BASH, Powershell Scripting. Hands-on experience in Cisco (Nexus,IOS), Palo Alto, Checkpoint and Juniper, Network Devices and Firewalls. Hands-on experience in virtualization and cloud technologies including Hyper-V, VMware VSphere, AWS, Oracle Cloud and Scaleway. Hands-on experience in administering Avast Business, McAfee EPO, Kaspersky, Desktop Central and Nexpose Vulnerability Assessment tool.
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    Ansible
    Network Design
    Server
    Cisco Certified Network Associate
    Web Hosting
    Firewall
    Network Administration
    Email Security
    VMWare
    Amazon Web Services
    System Administration
    DNS
    Windows Server
  • $125 hourly
    Are you interested in remote help? - I specialize in Cisco Routing & Switching and Palo Alto Firewalls. - I have experience in other brands like Arista, Meraki, FS, Dell, Brocade. Do you have Network Infrastructure in Central Florida but no local staff to support it? - I can provide "Smart-Hands" services. - University of Central Florida, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) - Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) - Proficient in Cisco Switching and Routing - Proficient in Palo Alto Firewalls
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    Cisco Router
    Cisco Certified Network Professional
    Routing
    Firewall
    Palo Alto Firewalls
    Cisco IOS
    Cisco
    DHCP
    Cisco Certified Network Associate
    Network Engineering
    SSL
    Network Equipment
    Network Administration
    Cisco Meraki
  • $35 hourly
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Inside IT Security: How to Protect Your Network from Every Angle

Network security. Cyber security. Endpoint security. These different, often overlapping arms of IT security can get confusing. As hackers get smarter, it’s increasingly important to know what each does and how to implement them into your own network.

In the wake of the highly-connected Internet of Things (IoT) and the rise of the cloud, we’re facing increased vulnerabilities to our networks—networks that are less monolithic, legacy architectures and more distributed, microservice-based networks. With large-scale data breaches making headlines, whether you’re a small startup or an enterprise organization, security should be a top priority.

In this article, we’ll explore the different types of IT security and what technologies and methods are used to secure each so you can arm your network with the people and plans you need to have excellent lines of defense in place and keep attacks at bay.

The IT security chain

Why are there so many types of IT security? The more links in a network’s chain, the more opportunities for hackers to find their way in. Each component requires its own subsequent security measures—with many of them overlapping and working in tandem, much like the actual components of a network do.

It’s also important to note that with security, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Every network is different and requires skilled professionals to create tailored plans across all fronts: apps, databases, network devices, cloud servers, IT infrastructures, and the often weakest link in the security chain: users. These security plans are living, breathing things that need to be updated, upgraded, and patched on a constant basis, too.

Let’s start broad and work our way into narrower fields of security.

It all boils down to information: information security, IT security, and information assurance

Information security and information technology (IT) security sound similar, and are often used interchangeably, but they’re slightly different fields. When we’re talking about information security (or infosec), we’re actually referring to protecting our data—whether that’s physical or digital. IT security is a bit more specific in that it’s only referring to digital information security.

IT security pretty much covers all of the types of security within a network, from components like databases and cloud servers to applications and the users remotely accessing the network. They all fall under the IT security umbrella.

Within this is another term to know: information assurance. This means that any important data won’t be lost or stolen in the event of an attack or a disaster—whether that’s a tornado wiping out a server center or hackers breaking into a database. It’s commonly addressed with things like backups and offsite backup databases and rests on three main pillars: confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA). These philosophies carry over into every other aspect of security, whether it’s application security or wireless security.

IT security experts (also, system administrators and network admins, which we’ll talk about next) are one of the most important team members you can hire. They’re responsible for the safety and security of all of a company’s hardware, software, and assets, and regularly audit back-end systems to ensure they’re airtight. Through security analysis, they can identify potential security problems and create “protect, detect, and react” security plans.

Network security: the best defenses

Network security is anything you do to protect your network, both hardware and software. Network administrators (or system administrators) are responsible for making sure the usability, reliability, and integrity of your network remains intact. A hacker is capable of getting into a network and blocking your access, for example by holding a system hostage for a bitcoin ransom. You need an excellent defense in place to ensure you’re protected.

Detecting weaknesses in a network can be achieved through:

Security engineering: the practice of protecting against these threats by building networks to be safe, dependable, and secure against malicious attacks. Security engineers design systems from the ground up, protecting the right things in the right ways. If a software engineer’s goal is to ensure things do happen (click here, and this happens), a security engineer’s goal is to ensure things don’t happen by designing, implementing, and testing complete and secure systems.

As a part of security engineering, there are proactive measures to predict where vulnerabilities might lie and reinforce them before they’re hacked:

  • Vulnerability assessment: Engineers identify the worst case scenarios and set up proactive plans. With security analysis software, vulnerabilities in a computer, network, or communications infrastructure are identified and addressed.
  • Penetration testing: This entails deliberately probing a network or system for weaknesses.
  • Network intrusion detection systems (NIDS): This type of software monitors a system for suspicious or malicious activity.

Network admins are able to target threats (whether through suspicious activity or large queries to a database), then halt those attacks, whether they’re passive (port scanning) or active, like:

  • Zero-day attacks, also called zero-hour attacks—attacks on software vulnerabilities that often occur before the software vendor is aware of it and can offer a patch. Or, hackers will initiate attacks on the software vulnerability the day that it’s made public there’s an issue, before users can install patches (hence the name “zero day”)
  • Denial of service attacks
  • Data interception and theft
  • Identity theft
  • SQL injection

Other methods of protecting networks include:

  • IT Security frameworks: These act like blueprints for a company to set up processes and policies for managing security in an enterprise setting. Which a company uses can depend on the industry and compliance requirements. COBIT is popular among larger, publicly traded companies, ISO 27000 Series is a broad set of standards that can be applied to a number of industries, and NIST’s SP 800 Series is used in government industries, but can be applied elsewhere.
  • Password “salt and peppering”: Adding salt, or random data, to a password makes common passwords less common. A pepper is also a random value attached to the password, which is helpful in slowing hackers down.
  • Authorization, authentication, and two-factor authentication (sometimes sent via SMS, although this can prove vulnerable as well)
  • Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
    • Application whitelisting, which prevents unauthorized apps from running on a computer
    • Firewalls: Block unauthorized access to a network or data interceptions
    • Honeypots: These are like decoy databases that attract hackers but don’t house any important information.
  • Anti-virus software
  • Encryption—decoding data, in transit or at rest, including end-to-end encryption often used in messaging apps and platforms that only allows encrypted messages to be read by sender and receiver

Within network security is also content security, which involves strategies to protect sensitive information on the network to avoid legal or confidentiality concerns, or to keep it from being stolen or reproduced illegally. Content security largely depends on what information your business deals in.

Endpoint security: securing the weakest link

It’s said that users are often the weakest link in the security chain, whether it’s because they’re not properly educated about phishing campaigns, mistakenly give credentials to unauthorized users, download malware (malicious software), or use weak passwords. That’s why endpoint security is so crucial—it protects you from the outside in.

Endpoint security technology is all about securing the data at the place where it both enters and leaves the network. It’s a device-level approach to network protection that requires any device remotely accessing a corporate network to be authorized, or it will be blocked from accessing the network. Whether it’s a smartphone, PC, a wireless point-of-sale, or a laptop, every device accessing the network is a potential entry point for an outside threat. Endpoint security sets policies to prevent attacks, and endpoint security software enforces these policies.

If you’ve ever accessed a network through a virtual private network (VPN), you’ve seen endpoint security in action. Malware is one of the core threats addressed by endpoint security, including remote access trojans (RATs), which can hack into a laptop and allow hackers to watch you through your webcam.

Internet security: guarding against cyber crimes

The internet itself is considered an unsecured network—a scary truth when we realize it’s essentially the backbone for how we give and receive information. That’s where internet security (or cyber security consulting) comes in, and it’s a term that can get pretty broad, as well. This branch of security is technically a part of computer security that deals specifically with the way information is sent and received in browsers. It’s also related to network security and how networks interact with web-based applications.

To protect us against unwittingly sharing our private information all over the web, there are different standards and protocols for how information is sent over the internet. There are ways to block intrusions with firewalls, anti-malware, and anti-spyware—anything designed to monitor incoming internet traffic for unwanted traffic or malware like spyware, adware, or Trojans. If these measures don’t stop hackers from getting through, encryption can make it harder for them to do much with your data by encoding it in a way that only authorized users can decrypt, whether that data is in transit between computers, browsers, and websites, or at rest on servers and databases.

To create secure communication channels, internet security pros can implement TCP/IP protocols (with cryptography measures woven in), and encryption protocols like a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), or a Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Other things to have in an internet security arsenal include:

  • Forms of email security
  • SSL certificates
  • WebSockets
  • HTTPS (encrypted transfer protocols)
  • OAuth 2.0, a leading authorization security technology
  • Security tokens
  • Security software suites, anti-malware, and password managers
  • Frequently updating and installing security updates to software, e.g., Adobe Flash Player updates
  • Encryption, and end-to-end encryption

Cloud security: protecting data that’s here, there, and everywhere

Much of what we do over the web now is cloud-based. We have cloud-based servers, email, data storage, applications, and computing, which means all of the communication between onsite and the cloud needs to be secure, too. With all of this connectivity and the flowing of (sometimes sensitive) information comes new concerns with privacy and reliability—and the cloud can be notoriously vulnerable. This has given way to a new subdomain of security policies: cloud computing security.

Computer security, network security, and information security as a whole all need to be optimized for the cloud. For businesses that use public clouds, private clouds, or a hybrid cloud—information is getting exchanged between the two regularly and needs to be protected.

Building a cloud security framework involves creating a strategic framework for how all operations will happen in a cloud environment, managing access, protecting data, and more.

Application security: coding apps to be safe from the ground up

A lot of the internet security focus is on patching vulnerabilities in web browsers and operating systems, but don’t neglect application security—a majority of internet-based vulnerabilities come from applications. By coding applications to be more secure from the start, you’re adding a more granular layer of protection to your internet and network security efforts, and saving yourself a lot of time and money.

App security does rest on top of many of the types of security mentioned above, but it also stands on its own because it’s specifically concerned with eliminating gaps and vulnerabilities in software at the design, development, and deployment stages. Security testing (which should be conducted throughout the code’s lifecycle) digs through the app’s code for vulnerabilities, and can be automated during your software development cycle.

Choosing a language, framework, and platform with extra security fortifications built in is paramount, too. For example, Microsoft’s .NET framework has a lot of built-in security, and the Python Django-style Playdoh platform addresses application security risks. Rising in popularity is the Spring Security framework, a Java framework known for excellent built-in authentication and authorization measures, and the PHP framework Yii prioritizes security, as well.

Aside from framework choice, there are a few strategies to bolster application security, including:

  • Ensuring TLS
  • Authentication and authorization measures
  • Data encryption
  • Sandboxing applications
  • Secure API access
  • Session handling

Not sure where to start? Enlist the help of a network security freelancer today

By adopting a proactive security stance, educating your users, and taking advantage of the latest in authentication measures, you’ll be better able to prevent, detect, and strengthen your company against attacks. However, it’s important to remember that securing your network isn’t a one-time thing—it’s an ongoing process that needs to be constantly occurring and evolving along with your website and organization to ensure you’re protected in the face of the ever-changing landscape of security threats. Luckily, there are plenty of security experts with a variety of specialties on Upwork you can hire to help assess your network for vulnerabilities and create a custom security plan—browse network security freelancers today to get started. You can also utilize IT services on Upwork that matches you with proven IT talent.

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