Gavin Alan

IT Professional & Systems Engineer

Gavin
Alan

21+ years across networks, systems, cloud infrastructure & cybersecurity. From field support to cloud architecture — building resilient, secure technology.

21+Years in IT
9Certifications
20K+Users Served
CompTIA CSIS
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Specialist
About

The person behind the tech

I'm a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of hands-on experience spanning the full technology stack — from physical hardware and network cabling to cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity architecture.

My career has taken me through field support & technical services, systems and network engineering, cloud architecture, and cybersecurity. I've led multiple IT teams and managed cross-functional projects from inception through delivery.

I believe strongly in automation wherever applicable. My approach combines deep technical expertise with strategic thinking and a relentless drive toward sustainable, robust resolution — not band-aid fixes.

Critical Thinker
Analyzing from multiple angles — always after root causes, not surface symptoms.
Relentless Learner
Actively pursuing new certifications, technologies, and challenges.
Automation Advocate
If a task repeats, it should be scripted — repeatable, scalable solutions.
Resilient Resolver
Pursuing robust fixes under real-world conditions. Never quit, always resolve.
Leader & Collaborator
Equally effective leading teams or executing solo projects end-to-end.
Skills

Technical expertise

Networking
CiscoMikroTikUbiquitiVLANsRouting & SwitchingOSPF / BGPSegmentationWAN
Systems Administration
Windows Server 2008–2025Active DirectoryGroup PolicyRHELUbuntuDebianKali Linux
Security
PfSenseCisco FirewallSSL / TLSSIEMACLsThreat MonitoringPen Testing
Cloud & Virtualization
AWSVPCSecurity GroupsVMware ESXivSphereProxmoxVDI
Dev & Automation
PowerShellBashPythonGitScriptingIaCAutomation
Storage & Recovery
Synology NASVeeamAcronisDisaster RecoveryBackup Strategy
Experience

Career journey

Recent Role
Cloud & Cybersecurity Engineer
Cloud Infrastructure & Security
Designing and securing cloud infrastructure on AWS — VPC architecture, security groups, ACLs, and on-premise to cloud migration. Ongoing cloud networking and security posture management.
Systems Engineering
Systems & Network Engineer
Infrastructure Engineering
Designed complex multi-VLAN networks, enterprise firewalls, hypervisor deployments, and NAS storage. Implemented security policies and segmentation for regulated environments.
Leadership
IT Team Lead & Manager
Multi-Team Leadership
Led multiple concurrent IT teams across support, infrastructure, and engineering. Managed staffing, project delivery, escalation handling, and process improvement.
Foundation
Field Support & Break-Fix
Technical Support & Field Service
Hands-on hardware, software, and networking support for diverse clients. Deep foundational knowledge across Windows, Server, and networking — the bedrock of a 21+ year career.
Projects

Notable work

Professional
01

ESXi Game Server Hypervisor — ISP-Scale Deployment

Solo end-to-end delivery of a production VMware ESXi hypervisor hosting multiple headless game servers on a WAN network, serving 20,000+ active users across an ISP. Owned every phase: planning, architecture, implementation, testing, maintenance, and support handoff.

VMware ESXiHypervisorWANISP NetworkingHeadless Servers20,000+ Users
Personal Lab
02

Zero-Trust Home Network with SIEM & Isolated VLANs

Fully segmented home network: ISP → PfSense firewall → managed switch with multiple VLANs isolating servers, internal devices, and IoT. Self-hosted password manager on an air-gapped VLAN, Synology NAS, and a Linux SIEM generating automated security reports by email.

PfSenseVLANsSIEMSynology NASLinuxIoT Isolation
Professional
03

On-Premise to AWS Migration with Hardened VPC Architecture

Led full migration of an organization's on-premise environment to AWS. Restructured server roles, separated application and database tiers, designed private/public VPC segmentation, and hardened the infrastructure with security groups and ACLs following least-privilege principles.

AWSVPCCloud SecurityCloud MigrationSecurity GroupsNetwork Segmentation
Personal Lab
04

DevOps Home Lab — End-to-End CI/CD Pipeline

View on GitHub
Phase 1 Complete · Phase 2 In Progress

End-to-end DevOps pipeline built for learning and portfolio purposes. Covers full infrastructure-as-code provisioning on AWS, automated server configuration, app containerization, and a complete CI/CD pipeline — with monitoring via Prometheus and Grafana planned for Phase 3.

Terraform Ansible Docker GitHub Actions AWS CI/CD Prometheus · Grafana
Certifications

Credentials & qualifications

SEC+
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA
Earned
ISC²
Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)
ISC2
Earned
NET+
CompTIA Network+
CompTIA
Earned
SVR+
CompTIA Server+
CompTIA
Earned
LPI
Linux Essentials
Linux Professional Institute
Earned
A+
CompTIA A+
CompTIA
Earned
Contact

Let's connect

Available for opportunities, consulting, and collaboration. Send a message and I'll get back to you.

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