Technical Expertise Portfolio
The projects below represent hands-on, practical experience with enterprise-grade technologies. Each undertaking was driven by a specific challenge, engineered to a production-ready standard, and solved a real-world problem. They demonstrate a proven ability to design, implement, and manage the core infrastructure and security solutions that modern businesses rely on.
Enterprise Virtualization & Private Cloud Platform
Objective & Challenge
Eliminate hardware dependency and increase agility by consolidating multiple physical servers into a centralized, highly available virtual environment for complex testing, isolated dev environments, and safe deployment practice.
Solution & Implementation
Deployed a high-availability Proxmox VE cluster. Configured ZFS pools for integrity and snapshots, engineered VLAN segmentation, and created golden image templates for rapid VM/LXC provisioning.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Virtualized 10+ server-equivalents, reducing hardware footprint and power costs.
- Reduced provisioning time to under 5 minutes using templates.
- Used snapshots/clones to enable zero-risk testing and fast recovery states.
Secure Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure Bridge
Objective & Challenge
Integrate on-prem infrastructure with public cloud services to create a secure hybrid environment for scaling, DR practice, and workload separation while maintaining control over sensitive local data.
Solution & Implementation
Architected a hybrid model using Microsoft Azure with a site-to-site VPN to an Azure VNet, deployed Azure VMs for specific workloads, used Azure File Sync, and defined the environment using Terraform for repeatability.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Built a functional hybrid cloud bridge used for scaling and DR scenarios.
- Codified infrastructure as code for consistent rebuilds and safe changes.
- Implemented right-sizing and monitoring to keep cloud spend predictable.
High-Performance Computing & Custom Workstation Builds
Objective & Challenge
Maximize performance-per-dollar for compute-intensive workloads while guaranteeing stability under sustained load.
Solution & Implementation
Researched, sourced, and assembled custom systems; tuned BIOS/UEFI settings; implemented high-airflow and AIO cooling; benchmarked and stress-tested for long-duration reliability.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Achieved 30–40% performance uplift vs similarly priced pre-built systems.
- Maintained safe CPU/GPU thermals during 24+ hour validation runs.
- Delivered high compute capability with lower total cost of ownership.
Private Cloud Storage & Data Management System with TrueNAS
Objective & Challenge
Create a centralized, reliable storage platform with enterprise protection (snapshots, bit-rot detection) accessible from Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Solution & Implementation
Built a TrueNAS system on ZFS, configured redundant pools and automated snapshots, exposed SMB/NFS/AFP services, and deployed complementary apps in isolated environments.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Enabled detection/correction of silent data corruption via ZFS checksums.
- Used snapshots as an instant recovery layer against deletion/ransomware.
- Provided a unified high-speed storage target for multiple OS clients.
Advanced Network Security & Segmentation with pfSense
Objective & Challenge
Upgrade a flat network into a segmented, professionally managed design isolating IoT, guest, and lab traffic from trusted devices to reduce breach blast radius.
Solution & Implementation
Deployed pfSense on dedicated hardware, configured VLANs with a managed switch, enforced stateful firewall rules between segments, and established WireGuard VPN access for secure administration.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Isolated vulnerable IoT devices to prevent pivot attacks into trusted networks.
- Created a separate guest segment with controlled access and bandwidth limits.
- Enabled secure remote administration without exposing RDP/SSH publicly.
Comprehensive Web Application Security Hardening
Objective & Challenge
Defend self-hosted web apps against common OWASP Top 10 threats and automated scanning by building a hardened baseline beyond basic SSL.
Solution & Implementation
Hardened Nginx (TLS 1.3), integrated ModSecurity WAF with OWASP CRS, deployed security headers (HSTS/CSP/X-Frame-Options), and automated certificate renewals via Let's Encrypt and Certbot.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Blocked hundreds of automated probes with WAF and rule-based mitigation.
- Achieved A+ SSL Labs ratings through modern TLS configuration.
- Created reusable hardened templates so new services are secure by default.
Network-Wide Ad Blocking & DNS Security with Pi-hole
Objective & Challenge
Improve privacy, performance, and security by blocking ads, trackers, and known-malicious domains at the network DNS layer for all devices without per-device software.
Solution & Implementation
Deployed Pi-hole as primary DNS, curated blocklists, enabled encrypted upstream DNS-over-TLS, and used query logs to tune policies and identify anomalous traffic.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Blocked ~30% of DNS requests, improving privacy and load times.
- Added a simple but effective security layer against malware/phishing domains.
- Used logs to identify noisy devices and potential misconfigurations.
Automated 3-2-1 Backup & Disaster Recovery System
Objective & Challenge
Implement a robust, automated 3-2-1 backup lifecycle to guarantee recoverability from failures, ransomware, and accidental deletion.
Solution & Implementation
Designed multi-tier backups using rsync, encrypted versioned archives, and encrypted offsite sync to cloud storage, fully automated with scheduling and integrity checks.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Verified full restores and file-level restores; reduced RTO to under 2 hours.
- Automated the backup lifecycle to remove human error and ensure consistency.
- Implemented cost-effective offsite redundancy with encrypted cloud sync.
Cross-Platform Endpoint Security Hardening
Objective & Challenge
Build a consistent security baseline across Windows, macOS, and Linux devices by enforcing encryption, patching, and firewall policies.
Solution & Implementation
Configured BitLocker/Defender and policy settings for Windows, FileVault for macOS, and LUKS plus firewall and automated security updates for Linux, with centralized log review.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Achieved 100% full-disk encryption coverage for data-at-rest protection.
- Reduced attack surface through consistent baselines and timely patching.
- Demonstrated readiness for common compliance/security frameworks.
Containerized Application Deployment & Orchestration
Objective & Challenge
Master modern deployments by packaging services as portable containers and managing stacks declaratively instead of manual installs.
Solution & Implementation
Dockerized multiple applications with custom Dockerfiles, composed stacks with docker-compose, and explored K3s Kubernetes for service discovery, scaling, and declarative operations.
Technologies & Skills
Outcomes
- Achieved reproducible deployments and eliminated environment drift.
- Defined application stacks in code for version control and rollback.
- Built solid foundations in cloud-native deployment tooling.
PC & Mac Performance Optimization
Overview
Performed diagnostics, malware removal, and tuning on Windows and macOS devices to improve speed and stability, including cleanup, optimization, and targeted hardware upgrades.
Technologies & Skills
Results
- Restored multiple PCs and Macs to optimal performance.
- Resolved malware and software conflicts and improved reliability.
- Reduced boot/load times by up to 50% on affected systems.
Hardware Repair & Diagnostics
Overview
Diagnosed and repaired hardware failures (drives, RAM, GPU/CPU, thermals), ensuring stable operation with correct handling and BIOS/UEFI troubleshooting where required.
Technologies & Skills
Results
- Repaired multiple desktops and laptops and restored stable operation.
- Performed upgrades to improve performance and longevity.
- Minimized downtime for critical personal systems.
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