On my first day, they handed me an AIX system and said “Make sure this passes the security certification”. It passed, and I learned way more than I ever expected to about Unix, security, and the DoD’s process for certifying systems. Since then, I have built and certified dozens of projects to DoD standards. Windows, Linux, and even the more complex Cross-Domain solutions. My job description is to keep the existing system running, but where is the fun in that? Working closely with Security and the customer, I design and implement projects within our program that extend the contract far beyond the original scope, including:-- Audit collection/reduction (Splunk),-- Datacenter virtualization (VMWare)-- A complete rewrite of the 24/7 mission software-- Cross domain solution to automate file transfers between secure boundaries-- Cross-site replication and resilienceI am always looking to expand and improve the environment I support, and encourage new challenges to be brought to me. Change is good, as long as it keeps us moving forward.