Harsh is available for hire
Hire HarshHarsh Patel
Verified Expert in Engineering
IT Security Developer
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Toptal member since November 22, 2022
Bio
Harsh has worked in the information technology field for over seven years and has experience in network infrastructure security working for Fortune 500 enterprise IT companies. He takes pride in being a team player with his uncompromising work ethic and determination to learn from every challenge. Harsh's work practices and knowledge have allowed him to rapidly understand and apply new technologies and suggest the best security solutions to clients and stakeholders.
Portfolio
Cyderes
Checkpoints, Fortinet, Firewalls, Palo Alto Networks, Networks
Bell Canada
Check Point, Fortinet, Networking, Firewalls
IBM
Check Point, Fortinet, Juniper, Cloud, NXS-T, Networking
Experience
- Firewalls - 7 years
- Fortinet Firewall Configuration - 7 years
- Check Point - 7 years
- Load Balancers - 6 years
- VPN - 6 years
- F5 Networks - 5 years
- Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) - 5 years
- Palo Alto Networks - 2 years
Preferred Environment
Windows
The most amazing...
...project I've worked on is setting up a Hybrid cloud environment.
Work Experience
Security Engineer
2023 - 2026
Cyderes
- Managed and executed over 150 critical firewall changes monthly and client requests across a diverse multi-vendor environment, including Check Point, Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Azure.
- Utilized Elastic, Splunk, and advanced analytical skills to investigate and resolve over 90% of complex, multi-vendor security incidents, reducing average time-to-resolution by 15% for Tier 3 tickets.
- Ensured proactive maintenance by scheduling and deploying regular technical changes, including signature updates, Hotfixes, and major software releases across production systems.
- Drove security policy optimization utilizing hit count analysis and Firemon audits, resulting in the elimination of over 1,000 redundant rules and improved performance.
- Ensured 100% compliance by verifying backup schedules (Backbox) and resolving configuration drift; strictly enforced change management protocols for all security rule modifications.
- Coordinated ticket resolution with 3rd-party vendors and maintained detailed documentation on investigations, solutions, and operational knowledge for security technologies.
Technologies: Checkpoints, Fortinet, Firewalls, Palo Alto Networks, Networks
Security Engineer
2022 - 2023
Bell Canada
- Drove a major security cleanup initiative utilizing Algosec, eliminating over 1,500 unused and redundant firewall rules across a fleet of 100+ production firewalls, optimizing the overall security posture.
- Analyzed policy hit counts and access controls to optimize the rule base, ensuring adherence to the change management process and formal authorization requests.
- Performed daily administration, configuration, and monitoring of production firewalls, including Check Point, Fortinet, and Palo Alto, for client access requests and issue resolution.
- Provided necessary network designs and detailed documentation to support security policy implementations and infrastructure changes.
Technologies: Check Point, Fortinet, Networking, Firewalls
Network Architect
2021 - 2022
IBM
- Architected and deployed a Hybrid Cloud Environment using Fortinet On-Prem firewalls and Fortinet VMs on IBM Cloud, including configuring BGP peering with NSX-T to ensure seamless connectivity.
- Led the solution delivery for 5 new sites and data center deployments, configuring new Juniper and Check Point hardware to support 500 new employees based on capacity analysis and company standards, along with planning equipment placement.
- Collaborated with project managers to create accurate bill of materials (BOMs) and communicated complex technical design aspects to client stakeholders.
- Managed the end-to-end lifecycle for Check Point firewalls, including OS upgrades, installation, configuration, and policy implementation, ensuring a smooth handover to the Operations team.
Technologies: Check Point, Fortinet, Juniper, Cloud, NXS-T, Networking
Network Security Engineer
2015 - 2021
DXC Technology
- Acquired strong hands-on experience and exposure to Checkpoint and Fortinet Firewalls regularly. Configured all Fortinet Firewall models and a centralized management system (Forti-Manager) to manage large-scale firewall deployments.
- Spearheaded the IT infrastructure split for four major companies (HPE, HPI, DXC, Micro Focus) with an emphasis on security infrastructure, ensuring seamless transformation and continuous support across all entities.
- Designed and executed the replacement of aging Check Point infrastructure with new Next-Generation Fortinet and Check Point appliances to introduce advanced URL and Application Inspection capabilities.
- Managed end-to-life datacenter migration projects, including deploying new Check Point 21400/15400 internet firewalls and configuring IPS and NAT policies for global remote sites.
- Managed network infrastructure components, including F5 Load Balancers (LTM/GTM) and proxy services (whitelisting/blacklisting), to maintain high availability for critical applications.
- Implemented Palo Alto User-ID agents to enhance security context and streamline firewall rule management based on user identity.
- Provided expert support and configuration for Site-to-Site Co-managed VPNs using IKE Phase 1 and 2 protocols, ensuring secure B2B connectivity.
- Administered and upgraded proxy environments, including Bluecoat and McAfee Web Gateways, and managed proxy PAC files and mappings to control HTTP/HTTPS connectivity.
- Exceeded 99% SLA adherence consistently by processing an average of 20+ high-priority change requests and incident tickets daily (HPSM, ServiceNow) for critical production security systems.
Technologies: Firewalls, Proxy Servers, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), VPN, Load Balancers, Fortinet Firewall Configuration, Web Security, F5 Networks, Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto Networks, Network Architecture, Network Engineering
Experience
Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
I set up a hybrid cloud infrastructure for clients using Fortinet firewalls. I also configured on-premise Fortinet firewalls and a centralized management system called FortiManager to manage firewalls and Fortinet VM on the cloud. I also implemented Forti-analyzer.
I worked with the senior architect and security team to set up segments based on Zero Trust architecture while setting up the cloud workload segments. I enabled IPS and URL filtering on Fortinet firewalls and performed operating system upgrades on Fortinet on-prem appliances as well as VMs.
I worked with the senior architect and security team to set up segments based on Zero Trust architecture while setting up the cloud workload segments. I enabled IPS and URL filtering on Fortinet firewalls and performed operating system upgrades on Fortinet on-prem appliances as well as VMs.
Education
2013 - 2015
Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering
State University of New York at Binghamton - Binghamton, NY, USA
Certifications
JANUARY 2026 - JANUARY 2028
Fortinet NSE4
Fortinet
JANUARY 2026 - JANUARY 2028
Checkpoint Certified Security Expert
Checkpoint Technologies
JANUARY 2026 - JANUARY 2028
Checkpoint Certified Security Administrator
Checkpoint Technologies
Skills
Tools
VPN
Platforms
Windows
Languages
C++
Other
Firewalls, Fortinet Firewall Configuration, Electrical Engineering, Proxy Servers, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), Load Balancers, Check Point, Networks, Security, Network Security, IT Security, Web Security, F5 Networks, Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto Networks, Cloud, Network Architecture, Network Engineering, Fortinet, NXS-T, Networking, Checkpoints
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