Soumik Biswas

As a Technical Lead within the Centre of Excellence team, I provide specialized L4 technical support, manage critical P1 issues, and lead design and implementation efforts for new projects. My role involves global coordination, technical consultation, and team management, supporting both clients and onsite teams worldwide.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements:

• SASE Solutions Expertise: Primarily focus on Palo Alto Networks' SASE portfolio, including Prisma SASE, Prisma SD-WAN, and Prisma Access.
• Global Implementation & Support Leadership: Steering the implementation and providing major fault support for 40+ global clients, ensuring high availability and optimal performance of critical security solutions.
• Technical Consultation & Project Lifecycle Management:Perform Major Change Plan Revisions to ensure seamless and risk-averse solution deployments.
  Coordinate effectively with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) for advanced technical support and product roadmap alignment.
  Conduct sizing considerations for new solution deployments, ensuring scalability and efficiency.
  Provide technical consultation to clients and onsite support teams, guiding them through complex architectural decisions and troubleshooting.
  
• Team Collaboration & Productivity: Actively contribute to a productive team environment, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing to enhance overall workplace efficiency.

As a Security Solutions Lead within a comprehensive Security Enhancement Project for a prominent refinery in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I was responsible for the end-to-end implementation and operational support of diverse network and endpoint security solutions, including SIEM. My contributions spanned the entire project lifecycle, from initial design to post-production support.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements:

• Security Solution Design & Architecture:Designed and planned comprehensive Cisco security solutions, encompassing Firepower NGFW, Palo Alto NGFW with Panorama & WF500, Email Security, Web Security Proxy, AMP, and Threat Grid.
  
• Implementation & Deployment Leadership:Spearheaded the implementation of various firewalls and IPS modules, ensuring robust network perimeter defense.
  Led the implementation and post-production support of Cisco AMPvPC and Threat Grid, including their integration with ESA, WSA, and Firepower Sensors (FTD, SFR), alongside the rollout of agents for endpoints and servers.
  Managed the implementation of McAfee NIPS and its integration with McAfee ATD, enhancing intrusion prevention capabilities.
  Directed the implementation and post-production support for Cisco E-Mail Security Appliance, Bluecoat Malware Analysis, Bluecoat Management Center, and Bluecoat Reporter, including their integration with Bluecoat Proxy ASG.
  
• Proxy & Optimization Solutions:Responsible for the implementation and post-production support of proxy solutions, specifically Cisco WSA and Bluecoat ASG.
  Contributed to the deployment and ongoing support of Palo Alto/Fortigate Next-Generation Firewalls.
  Implemented and supported Citrix NetScaler for optimization, access gateway, and content switching, including basic load balancing for applications like Exchange solutions.
  
• Operational Support:Provided critical post-production operational support for all implemented security solutions, ensuring continuous security posture and minimal downtime.
  

Technologies & Solutions:

• Firewalls/IPS: Cisco Firepower NGFW, Palo Alto NGFW (with Panorama & WF500), McAfee NIPS, Fortigate NG firewalls
• Endpoint Security: Cisco AMPvPC, Cisco Threat Grid (TG), McAfee ATD
• Email Security: Cisco E-Mail Security Appliance (ESA)
• Web Security/Proxies: Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA), Bluecoat Proxy ASG, Bluecoat Malware Analysis, Bluecoat Management Center, Bluecoat Reporter
• Load Balancing/Optimization: Citrix NetScaler

Progressed through various roles, starting with core networking and evolving into a comprehensive security solutions expert, delivering complex projects for global clients, including significant onsite engagements.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements:

• End-to-End Security & Network Implementations: Led and executed the implementation of diverse network and security solutions, encompassing Cisco Routers and Switches, Cisco ASA, Cisco FTD, Palo Alto (Hardware & Software VM, Panorama), and Fortinet Firewalls, along with Proxy and Wireless solutions.
• Project Leadership & Delivery: Spearheaded technical deployments for critical security projects, notably leading the implementation of Cisco FTD, Email Security Gateway (ESA), RSA SIEM, and McAfee Endpoint solutions for one of the largest refineries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Documentation & Quality Assurance: Authored crucial project documentation, including Lower-Level Design (LLD), As-Built Documentation, and Network Ready For Use (NRFU)/User Acceptance Test (UAT) documents, ensuring solution integrity and client sign-off.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Collaborated closely with Governance, Risk, and Information Security (GRC/InfoSec) teams to ensure solutions complied with stringent industry audit standards like NISP and HIPAA controls.
• Cloud Security & Administration: Gained hands-on experience with Azure Intune deployments and Azure administration, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Azure Landing Zones, vHub, vWAN, and Gateway deployments.
• Global Project Exposure: Successfully delivered multiple projects with both offshore and onsite execution models, demonstrating adaptability and effective cross-cultural communication.