Eric Obeng

About Eric Obeng

Network & Security Engineer | Cisco Routing & Switching | Palo Alto Firewalls | VPN | Network Hardening & Compliance | Active Secret ClearanceI am a Senior Network & Security Engineer with proven expertise in designing, implementing, and securing complex enterprise and federal IT infrastructures. Over the years, I’ve built, hardened, and optimized hybrid networks that power mission-critical systems — ensuring availability, resilience, and compliance with NIST 800-53, DISA STIG, and FISMA frameworks.My experience spans across Cisco routing and switching, Palo Alto and FortiGate firewalls, and secure VPN architectures for LAN/WAN, cloud, and multi-site environments. I specialize in Zero Trust implementation, SSL decryption, User-ID/App-ID policies, and centralized management via Panorama.Beyond firewalls and routers, I’m equally comfortable in Linux (RHEL/CentOS) and Windows Server environments, handling Active Directory, DNS, GPOs, and patch automation through Ansible, WSUS, and BigFix. I leverage tools like Wireshark, Checkmk, SolarWinds, NetAlertX, and Splunk SIEM for proactive monitoring, vulnerability detection, and performance optimization.Driven by precision, documentation, and continuous learning, I take pride in bridging operational excellence with security innovation — ensuring every network I touch is resilient, compliant, and ready for tomorrow’s threats.

Experience

1. Senior Network System Engineer

   Harmonia Holdings Group, LLC

   Jan 2025 — Present

   Lead the installation, configuration, and administration of LAN/WAN infrastructure, servers, SANs, and network devices to ensure secure and reliable operations.Provide technical leadership and mentorship to contractor staff, aligning daily operations with DHS mission objectives and industry best practices.Drive system capacity analysis, performance optimization, and resiliency planning to maintain high availability across mission-critical systems.Design, configure, and manage Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls (PA-3400 and PA-1400 series) to enforce advanced threat prevention, SSL decryption, and secure segmentation.Administer Panorama centralized management for policy uniformity, configuration synchronization, and global content updates across DHS network zones.Implement and monitor HA Active/Passive pairs (HA1, HA2, HSCI) with link and path monitoring to ensure continuous availability and seamless failover during COOP transitions.Apply User-ID, App-ID, and Content-ID technologies to enforce least-privilege access, control evasive applications, and maintain DHS-level visibility into network traffic.Manage Windows Server (AD DS, DNS, DHCP, GPO) and RHEL 8/9 environments, ensuring domain security, patch compliance, and integration with network authentication systems.Maintain and administer VMware ESXi 7/8 infrastructure, overseeing virtual networking, resource allocation, and COOP site replication for continuity readiness.Implement automated patching and compliance management using WSUS, BigFix, and Ansible, ensuring adherence to NIST 800-53, DISA STIG, and FISMA frameworks.Integrate Panorama with Splunk SIEM and DHS SOC tools for automated log forwarding, correlation, and advanced threat analytics in compliance with Binding Operational Directives.Maintain detailed network and system documentation, SOPs, and security runbooks in the CALEA repository to support audits, accreditation, and operational readiness.

Education

• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi

  Bachelor of Science, Computational Science