Gerard Patrolia

Experienced IT professional with over 15 years of expertise in security, network, and infrastructure engineering. Led teams on projects related to network growth, integration, emerging technology transitions, and the design and maintenance of environments. Astute in the dynamic evolution of enterprise networks, encompassing technology, applications, and complexity. Strong background in selecting, developing, and evaluating technical teams and IT solutions, with excellent communication skills in resource allocation during project implementation. 

• Enterprise Network Design and Analysis; Expertise in designing, analyzing, and maintaining enterprise network infrastructure to ensure optimal performance and consistent reliability. Proven experience in WAN architecture, cloud strategies, and implementing reference architectures from concept to rollout, with IPv4 addressing schemes and ACLs applied for access control. Strong networking fundamentals applied to meet client requirements and support corporate strategy.

• Project Management; Proven ability to manage network-related projects, ensuring timely, budget-conscious delivery with appropriate technology and resources. Developed business cases and presented network solutions to senior leadership, incorporating innovative approaches and organizational skills to network challenges. Demonstrated effective communication skills and worked cross-functionally to achieve project goals.

• Network and Cybersecurity; Extensive hands-on experience with hardware and software solutions from multiple vendors, including Cisco routers (IOS, NXOS, ACI), Juniper (JUNOS), Palo Alto Firewalls (UI and PAN-OS), and others, ensuring secure and fault-tolerant networking. Knowledgeable in IDS/IPS systems like SourceFire and firewall technologies such as Cisco ASA and Palo Alto. Applied information security best practices in network design to drive customer success.

• Security and Load Balancing Expertise; Highly experienced in the development, optimization, and continuous maintenance of robust security policies and resilient, highly available load balancing configurations. Demonstrated ability to ensure efficient traffic distribution, system scalability, debugging and enhanced fault tolerance. Strong problem-solving skills.

• Network Product Development; Collaborated with engineering and operational teams to drive product roadmaps for network, cloud, risk management and WAN tools, aligning technology features with organizational needs. Provided technical requirements and participated in incident resolution and root cause analysis using information security frameworks. Developed strong client relationships to align solutions with business needs.

• NMS Tools; Proficient in managing network performance tools like Cisco Prime, SolarWinds, Nagios, Cacti, Nedi, ExtraHop, and NetFlow for fault isolation, auditing, and implementing monitoring and alerting systems to identify and resolve issues, minimizing downtime. 

• Security and Regulatory Compliance; Expertise in developing and implementing multilayered security frameworks, including access control, network segmentation, data encryption, and vulnerability scanning management. Experienced in conducting SOC assessments and adhering to PCI-DSS and HIPAA standards. Hands-on experience with Cloudflare and Qualys for threat mitigation, supporting corporate strategy through risk management.

• Network Access Control (NAC) and Authentication; Skilled in deploying and managing NAC solutions using RADIUS and TACACS+ protocols (e.g., Cisco ISE), integrating with DNS and Active Directory. Managed secure remote access through VPN solutions, ensuring secure connectivity and enforcing information security policies. Contributed to customer success through reliable authentication systems.

• Wireless Technologies; Experience deploying, managing, and maintaining wireless technologies across multiple IEEE standards (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), ensuring seamless wireless network operations. Applied ACLs for WLAN access control and ensured adherence to information security policies, supporting client requirements.

• Routing and Network Protocols; In-depth knowledge of routing technologies such as EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, and advanced network features like VRF, VXLAN, NAT, and QoS. Skilled in implementing redundancy solutions including vPC, vPC+, OTV, and GRE tunnels using IPv4. Strong networking fundamentals applied for effective problem resolution.

• Problem Resolution and Monitoring; Experienced in leading incident resolution, conducting root cause analysis, and applying preventative measures. Developed network architecture and operational best practices, incorporating vulnerability scanning and information security standards. Delivered ITSM-compliant support to ensure rapid issue resolution.

• Systems Administration; Proficient in Windows and Linux system administration, providing IT support and maintaining stable network environments. Applied scripting and automation using tools like JavaScript to streamline administrative tasks. Developed cross-functional relationships to enhance customer success.

Bachelor’s Degree (B.S.) Magna Cum Laude, Computer Science, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA (01/20/2006)