Kesavan Purushothaman

About Kesavan Purushothaman

Network Security Engineer with 4.1 years of experience working with firewalls, routers, switches, androuting protocols including OSPF, BGP, and EIGRP, along with hands-on experience in cloud technologiesand data center environments. Extensive expertise in Palo Alto Networks PA-3220,PA-3260, GlobalProtect, Panorama), FortiGate (200, 1800 series), Cisco ASA (5500-X), Check series – R77.30, R81.10), and Cisco Firepower FTD (1120, 1140) for advanced threat prevention,IPS, URL filtering, VPNs, and centralized security management. Experienced in working with Akamai WAFand Certificate Provisioning System, Zscaler proxy services (SSL inspection, URL filtering, authentication),and Illumio micro-segmentation to secure applications and enforce Zero Trust principles. Proven ability tosecure cloud workloads using Azure Firewall, Prisma Access, Prisma SD-WAN, AWS VPC and subnets, Site-to-Site VPNs, and CloudWatch alarms.

Experience

1. Network Security Engineer

   Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

   Nov 2024 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Implemented Palo Alto WildFire threat intelligence to proactively detect and block unknown threats, strengthening overall network security posture. Enhanced network visibility by integrating Palo Alto and firewall logs with Splunk to generate actionable security and performance insights. Configured centralized logging and reporting using Palo Alto Panorama to improve monitoring and incident response. Implemented automated TLS certificate management using Akamai Certificate Provisioning System to ensure secure encrypted communications. Performed log and attack signature analysis in Akamai Security Center to identify advanced persistent threats (APT) targeting enterprise portals. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to monitor and analyze security events using Juniper SRX logging and reporting capabilities. Utilized automation frameworks such as Cisco NSO and Ansible to orchestrate complex workflows, accelerate provisioning, and enforce consistent configurations across Cisco ACI fabrics. Worked extensively with Cisco Nexus and switches and ASR 800 and series routers. Integrated Microsoft Intune with Azure Active Directory for unified endpoint management and enforcement of mobile device security policies. Managed Azure Firewall to control traffic between Azure virtual networks and on-premises environments, ensuring secure hybrid connectivity. Implemented endpoint compliance checks using Cisco ISE to validate device security posture before granting network access. Monitored performance and health of Azure-hosted Active Directory following OS upgrades, proactively resolving issues to maintain service availability. Assisted with integration of Prisma SD-WAN and Prisma Access to support secure connectivity for remote users and branch offices. Worked on F5 BIG-IP r2600 platforms, implementing iRules and iPools for traffic optimization. Managed Zscaler proxy services including authentication, URL filtering, SSL inspection, and bypass rules.

Education

• Central Michigan University

  Master's degree, Information systems

• Geethanjali College of Engineering and Technology

  Bachelor of Technology - BTech, Computer Science