Nicholas Johnson Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Chicago, Il, Us

Vernon Hills, Illinois, United States

• Architected and deployed complex firewall solutions using Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, and Cisco firewalls, ensuring robust security architectures that aligned with enterprise-grade requirements and industry best practices.• Led multi-phase firewall migrations and upgrades, including transitioning from legacy systems to Palo Alto next-gen firewalls, while collaborating with cross-functional teams to minimize downtime and ensure seamless transitions.• Designed and implemented custom security policies, rule sets, and IPS/IDS configurations, optimizing firewall performance and strengthening threat prevention measures across diverse enterprise environments.• Developed and enforced firewall governance processes, ensuring security policies, configurations, and rule changes adhered to compliance standards such as PCI-DSS and ISO 27001.• Collaborated with stakeholders to deliver tailored security solutions, aligning firewall configurations with business objectives, while performing advanced troubleshooting and incident response to resolve issues quickly and minimize operational impact.• Successfully led a multi-year firewall hygiene initiative, standardizing configurations, consolidating policies, and reducing redundant rules, resulting in an improvement in firewalls performance.• Conducted security awareness training for non-technical staff, educating them on best practices for email security, phishing prevention, and password management.• Performed incident response for a ransomware attack, analyzing traffic to detect malicious activity and deploying containment measures to protect operations.

• Designed, implemented, and managed enterprise firewall environments for multiple clients, ensuring strict alignment with security best practices, compliance standards, and organizational policies.• Configured, optimized, and monitored firewall policies, NAT rules, and security profiles on Palo Alto, Check Point, and Cisco platforms, significantly enhancing network security and operational performance.• Led firewall migrations and upgrades from legacy systems to next-generation firewalls, orchestrating seamless integration into existing infrastructure and achieving minimal downtime during transitions.• Conducted comprehensive security audits and vulnerability assessments on multi-vendor firewalls, identifying and remediating risks to strengthen overall network security posture.• Performed network segmentation and access control configurations to enforce least privilege and mitigate unauthorized access risks across large-scale enterprise environments.• Collaborated with cross-functional teams and security architects to develop, implement, and maintain standardized firewall policies that align with enterprise security objectives.• Utilized threat intelligence and traffic analysis tools to proactively identify and mitigate security threats, supporting incident response and risk management efforts.• Authored detailed documentation on configurations, network changes, and security incidents, ensuring comprehensive audit trails and maintaining accurate change management records.• Delivered client training on firewall management best practices and security policy adherence to support knowledge transfer and empower client teams in sustaining secure network environments.

Greater Chicago Area

• Delivered end-to-end network security infrastructure assessments, design, and deployment, ensuring secure, scalable, and high-performance environments tailored to client specifications.• Engineered and implemented network security solutions in virtualized environments, enhancing flexibility, scalability, and operational efficiency.• Assisted in developing, implementing, and standardizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for appliance deployment, configuration support, and system reliability.• Contributed to the development and ongoing management of network security policies, standards, and models, ensuring compliance with industry-recognized cybersecurity frameworks and best practices.• Supported strategic sales initiatives by partnering with account executives and solution architects to align security solutions with specific business goals and technical requirements.• Designed and architected customized security solutions, producing in-depth technical documentation, configurations, quotes, and Visio diagrams to ensure precise client deliverables.• Conducted hands-on security solution demonstrations featuring leading technologies such as Palo Alto, Cisco, CheckPoint, McAfee, and FireEye, addressing diverse requirements across enterprise and mid-market projects.• Functioned as a technical and pre-sales resource, facilitating the integration and alignment of security solutions with client objectives and infrastructure needs.

Skokie Il

• Successfully completed the Forsythe Academy, an intensive training program specializing in network security and IT consulting for junior engineers.• Developed a strong foundation in network security principles, including firewall configuration, cybersecurity frameworks, and policy management.• Gained hands-on expertise in firewall technologies (Check Point, Palo Alto, Cisco), executing configurations, deployments, and troubleshooting within lab and real-world simulated environments.• Trained in client communication and technical documentation, delivering tailored solutions and preparing detailed security documentation for customer engagements.• Analyzed business requirements and technical specifications to design and implement customized, secure network solutions.• Collaborated closely with senior engineers to refine skills in advanced troubleshooting, complex security configurations, and solution scalability.

Lake Forest, Illinois, United States

• Delivered nutritional services by performing dietitian tasks, ensuring high resident satisfaction and adherence to dietary guidelines in a residential care setting.• Onboarded and trained approximately 16 employees across various critical roles, enhancing team capability and ensuring adherence to food safety standards and quality service delivery.• Marketed weekly menu options to attract both independent and assisted living residents, leveraging targeted marketing and customer engagement strategies to boost meal program participation.• Awarded two “Taking Charge” recognitions for demonstrated leadership, successfully managing team operations and maintaining service quality without direct management oversight.

• Engineered and prototyped wired and wireless smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detection systems, emphasizing product reliability, performance optimization, and regulatory compliance.• Streamlined testing processes by re-engineering the lifetime expectancy test workflow, achieving a 35% reduction in testing time and improving R&D efficiency and time-to-market.• Created and maintained technical data sheets for each prototype, presented data-driven insights and performance metrics in weekly tier meetings, supporting cross-functional alignment and informed project management.• Applied Lean Six Sigma principles to enhance production efficiency and reduce operational waste across the production floor and engineering office, contributing to continuous improvement and quality assurance.• Supervised production teams on the factory floor to ensure compliance with daily production targets and quality standards, fostering a collaborative, results-oriented environment to support production goals and improve manufacturing workflows.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Electrical And Electronics Engineering

Associate Of Science (As)