Monika Martin
Information Security Engineer
Douglas
Summary
Experienced Network Security Engineer with hands-on expertise in deploying, managing, and maintaining various firewall environments across on-premises, AWS and Azure cloud infrastructures. Proven track record of delivering high availability solutions, optimizing firewall rulesets, and ensuring compliance with PCI DSS and ISO27001 standards. Committed to maintaining secure, resilient network environments for global, 24/7 operations. Skilled in incident response under pressure and dedicated mentor to junior engineers. Avid runner and travel enthusiast.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
2024
2024
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Network Security Engineer
Derivco
08.2021 - Current
- Deploy, manage, and maintain one of the largest Check Point firewall environments worldwide mostly consisting of 1595, 3000, 5000, 6000, 15000, QLS 250 Quantum and Maestro appliances on-premises and in the cloud.
- Provide prompt high-level support for complex firewall issues and mentoring of junior engineers, while providing 24/7 on-call support for critical incident response.
- Create and maintain hundreds of IPSec site-to-site VPNs spanning global offices, hosting sites and 3rd parties, using varied platforms.
- Created Identity based firewall rules leveraging OKTA managed groups, to limit the blast radius of potential security incidents for high value systems.
- Implemented IDS/IPS in PCI leveraging Checkpoint Threat Prevention.
- Maintain web-based application control, leveraging Checkpoint application control and Netskope.
- Conduct quarterly firewall rulebase reviews with Algosec, as well as bi-annual manual rulebase audits to optimize and ensure security posture.
- Proactively monitor infrastructure performance using Check Point Skyline, Zabbix, and Grafana to alert via Pager Duty to ensure 99.99% uptime.
- Responsible for assisting internal and external auditors with security network compliance evidence, documentation and explanations for the accreditation of ISO27001, PCI DSS across the company.
- Responsible for being the key security network contributor of the PCI environment project that led to the transition from PCI DSS 3.2.1 to 4.0 accreditation.
- Proactively drove the design, approval and implementation for high availability of the Checkpoint management station in an isolated PCI environment.
- Led a successful optimization project recovering two public Class C subnets, achieving a cost saving of a substantial amount.
- Deploy infrastructure-as-code pipelines for firewall deployment and configuration, and automate repetitive tasks using scripting to boost operational efficiency and accuracy.
- Maintain detailed documentation for policies, procedures.
- Handle daily support calls via Canvas, Remedy and Microsoft Teams.
- Research alternative technologies, making recommendations based on investigations.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with multiple internal and external teams on segmentation policies to reduce attack surfaces.
- SSL Certificate lifecycle management for IPSec tunnels.
- Manage Palo Alto firewalls.
Senior Security Engineer
Derivco
01.2012 - 08.2021
- Configured and optimized Check Point Firewall Clusters, Cisco ASA, and FortiGate systems, ensuring secure enterprise network operations.
- Led migrations from FortiGate to Cisco ASA and Cisco ASA to Check Point firewalls, enhancing security and performance.
- Developed monitoring alerts with Observium, ensuring high availability across firewall clusters.
- Enforced PCI DSS and ISO 27001 compliance through detailed documentation and audit support.
- Managed Netskope, Websense, and McAfee Web Gateways, enhancing web security.
Security Engineer, Network Engineer
Dimension Data
12.2008 - 12.2011
- Provided 3rd-level support for Check Point, Cisco PIX, Cisco ASA, Cisco FWSM, and FortiGate firewalls, ensuring client system reliability.
- Installed and upgraded firewall and security systems, including Cisco ACS and Symantec SIEM, maintaining high availability.
- Configured Websense, Bluecoat, and Mail Marshall for web and email security.
- Supported Linux based appliances in production.
- Delivered weekly client reports and supported bi-weekly 24/7 standby rotations, resolving high-severity incidents.
- Ensured audit compliance through detailed documentation and evidence.
Security Engineer, Network Engineer, Desktop Technician
Absa Bank
09.1998 - 12.2008
- Security Engineer (Jan 2004 – Dec 2008): Managed Check Point, Nokia IPSO, Cisco PIX, and Cisco ASA firewalls, leading migrations to enhance security. Collaborated with auditors for compliance.
- Network Engineer (Jun 1999 – Jan 2004): Led Ethernet conversion and nationwide Nortel Passport 4440 rollout, configuring VPN tunnels and providing 3rd-level support.
- Desktop Technician (Sep 1998 – May 1999): Provided desktop support for Windows 3.1/95, Lotus Notes, and Microsoft applications, contributing to Y2K compliance.
Education
CCTE R81 - Troubleshooting Expert
Check Point
CCME R81 - Maestro Expert
Check Point
CCSM - Certified Security Master
Check Point
KCNA - Associate
Kubernetes and Cloud Native
CCSE - Certified Security Expert R80
Check Point
AZ 900 - Certified Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft
Security
CompTIA
Securing Networks with Pix and ASA
Cisco
Nortel Certified Support Specialist – Nortel VPN Router Rls 6.0
Nortel
Nortel Certified Support Expert – Contivity Security
Nortel
Certified Ethical Hacker
EC-Council
Skills
Security Analysis & Troubleshooting:- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities, with experience presenting status of security posture to leadership
Communication Skills
Demonstrate strong communication abilities through presenting clear, concise, and well-structured evidence during numerous technical audits. Adept at explaining complex technical concepts and addressing challenging questions from auditors and stakeholders, ensuring clarity and confidence in security posture. Proven capability to translate technical details into understandable information for both technical and non-technical audiences, fostering effective collaboration across cross-functional teams.
Leadership Experience
Experienced in mentoring new hires and junior team members, providing guidance and training to accelerate their skills development and integration into the team. Committed to fostering a collaborative environment that encourages continuous learning and professional growth.
Timeline
Network Security Engineer
Derivco
08.2021 - Current
Senior Security Engineer
Derivco
01.2012 - 08.2021
Security Engineer, Network Engineer
Dimension Data
12.2008 - 12.2011
Security Engineer, Network Engineer, Desktop Technician
Absa Bank
09.1998 - 12.2008
CCME R81 - Maestro Expert
Check Point
CCSM - Certified Security Master
Check Point
KCNA - Associate
Kubernetes and Cloud Native
CCSE - Certified Security Expert R80
Check Point
AZ 900 - Certified Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft
Security
CompTIA
Securing Networks with Pix and ASA
Cisco
Nortel Certified Support Specialist – Nortel VPN Router Rls 6.0
Nortel
Nortel Certified Support Expert – Contivity Security
Nortel
Certified Ethical Hacker
EC-Council
CCTE R81 - Troubleshooting Expert
Check Point
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