FIREWALL ADMINISTRATOR

The Role

Designs, tests, and implements state-of-the-art secure operating systems, networks, and database products. Conducts risk assessment and provides recommendations for application design. Involved in a wide range of security issues including architectures, firewalls, electronic data traffic, and network access. Uses encryption technology, penetration and vulnerability analysis of various security technologies, and information technology security research. May prepare security reports to regulatory agencies.

A Firewall Administrator is responsible for configuring, managing, and monitoring the organization's firewall systems to protect networks from unauthorized access, cyber threats, and security breaches. They ensure firewall rules are properly set, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and implement security policies. Additionally, they analyze network traffic, update firewall software, and respond to security incidents. Their role is crucial in maintaining network integrity and preventing cyberattacks. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for this position.
•    Maintain physical infrastructure; change, upgrade, and patch boundary devices using established change management procedures.
•    Administer and configure Palo Alto firewalls to ensure optimal security posture across the organization’s network.
•    Conduct daily analysis of security logs, alerts, and intercepted data packets generated by the firewalls looking specifically for suspicious or malicious traffic or indications of network problems.
•    Coordinate with other functional technical staff when troubleshooting and resolving connectivity issues and/or application failures that include firewalls in the connection path.
•    Coordinate with other functional technical staff when malicious activities are detected – including prioritization of the incident to the incident response team for further analysis as required.
•    Participate in project management, planning, implementation, and installation to ensure configuration and integration conforms to baseline architecture and provide Subject Matter Expertise on capabilities of firewalls during development phase of new projects and solutions.
•    Respond to outages, resolve, and document priority incident tickets, perform network maintenance during prescribed maintenance windows.
•    In-depth understanding of DISA STIG and experience applying it to network and system configurations.
•    Experience with SD-WAN deployment and management.
•    Ability to work individually with minimal supervision and as an integral part of a team. Proficient in all forms of communication—especially when conveying technical details to a non-technical audience, this position will perform work outside of normal business hours and on weekends.

Must Have

Bachelor's Degree and 5 years of relevant exempt experience; 
Master’s Degree and 3 years of relevant professional experience; 
Ph.D. and 0 years of experience.

One of the following may be used as an equivalent to Bachelor's Degree for Information Technology Related Positions Only:

• NNS Apprentice School graduate 
• Navy Nuclear Power School (NNPS) graduate
• Associate's Degree or other formal 2 year program and 2 years of relevant exempt experience or 4 years of relevant non-exempt experience
• Military Paygrade E-5 or above military experience 
• High School/GED and 4 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant exempt experience
• High School/GED and 8 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant non-exempt experience
• A relevant professional certification can be substituted for a Bachelor's Degree.
• Minimum education, (some job titles dictate the response to this based on position level). Bachelor’s in Information Technology discipline

Nice to Have

Have a security first mindset. At least eight years experience in the mgmt./admin. of Palo Alto  firewalls. Firm understanding of routing concepts, IP addressing including CIDR notation and subnetting.
•    Technical Expertise: In-depth knowledge of TCP/IP, Layer 2 switching protocols, and routing protocols such as BGP and OSPF. Hands-on experience with firewalls, preferably Palo Alto Networks products, is essential.
•    Relevant certifications such as Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), or similar credentials are a plus.

DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification, PCNSA, CISSP