Profile

Brett Berard Profile Picture

Highlights of Qualifications

Committed, driven Cyber Security professional with ability to work well both with a team and independently. Perseveres through challenges. Calm and focused under demanding conditions. Excellent communication skills. Experience providing outstanding client/customer service. Dedicated work ethic. Consistently meets tight deadlines using strong time management skills.

Experience

Cyber Security Shield

FM Global, Johnston, RI

Network Security Engineer CW (07/2024 - Present)

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  • Configure IKE Gateways, IPSec Tunnels and Bandwidth Configurations for new Prisma Access locations.
  • Managed configurations for 33 Palo Alto Firewalls.
  • Lead on-boarding training for 1 New CW and 2 New Co-Ops.
  • Review team’s pull requests, ensuring infrastructure remained secure.
  • CW Network Segmentation Project: Created network level security policies to segment traffic for ~500 Users. High Priority Board level security risk. Worked within a tight timeline (3 months). Led another engineer during the project. Leveraged Splunk and Excel to generate weekly network reports to aid in firewall rule creation. Researched service exposure and potential organizational impact. Led War room effort on Project Go-Live date to immediately remediate impacts.
  • Terraform: Re-organize complex security module that associates Azure NSGs with Vnets. Manage multiple environments via terraform workspaces.
  • Manage Azure WAF policies, update application gateway WAF policy associations.
  • Calico: Managed Kubernetes Cluster Egress tier security policies.
  • Managed Azure Firewall policies. Data lookups and IP groups to create dynamic firewall policies.

Cyber Co-Op Tech III - CTOE (Firewall Engineer) (01/2024 - 06/2024)

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  • Worked with and configured numerous security controls: Palo Alto Firewalls, F5, Azure NSGs, ASGS, Firewalls, WAF, Application Gateways, Front door.
  • CICD Deployment pipelines. Terraform – Infrastructure as code.
  • Created and updated security infrastructure, WAF policies, Azure NSGs/ASGs.
  • Utilized data lookups to create dynamic security rules.
  • Organized and helped create documentation for NYDFS Audit.
  • Participated in an Agile environment (Kanban, retrospectives, and planning meetings).
  • Adhered to change management and approvals processes.

Cyber Co-Op Tech III - CTDR (SOC Analyst) (07/2023 - 12/2023)

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  • Performed the duties of a SOC Analyst within FM Global in SIEM Environment.
  • Triaged Alerts. Used Splunk SPL to investigate logs. Used Crowdstrike agent to remove potentially malicious files from hosts.
  • Threat intelligence, investigated the scope of CVE’s and possible impact on the company.
  • Received one-to-one feedback. Gained exposure to new technologies (CrowdStrike, Splunk, ServiceNow SOAR, Azure, 365 Defender).
  • Created security event playbooks.
  • Organized processes and incident level categorization for security events ie: DDoS, Ransomware, Misconfigurations, and Insider Threat.

IGT, West Greenwich, RI

Network Engineering Intern (07/2022 – 6/2023)

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  • Installed and configured communications systems into server racks in accordance with a rack diagram.
  • Maintained accurate asset registration spreadsheet.
  • Gained knowledge on all models of routers, switches, load balancers, and Firewalls such as Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, and A10.
  • Took initiative and completed assigned tasks with accuracy.
  • Generated CSR and digital certificates.

Education

Linux Directories

New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich, RI

Bachelor of Science degree in Cyber Security and Network Engineering

Accomplishments

  • GPA: 4.0
  • Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member and Alpha Chi Honor Society member
  • Recipient of the James Langevin Cybersecurity Scholarship
  • Recipient of the William R. Talladay Memorial Scholarship
  • Recipient of the ASIS Security Education Scholarship
  • NECHE College Accreditation Standards Student Representative. Chosen by the college for this role.
  • Capture the Flag Club Founder
  • Esports Team Captain/Player
  • Best of Tech 2023/2025 – Faculty Chosen Award for excellence and achievement in cyber security

Bachelor’s Capstone Project

Worked individually and in a group to solve comprehensive network issues. Solved large scale network issues related to misconfigurations, networking protocols, and troubleshooting. This project incorporated all that I had learned in previous networking classes.

AICU Representative

Selected by the college to serve as student representative. The group was composed of one representative from each of the eight AICU Rhode Island member institutions and offered students a voice in advocacy efforts. The focus of the group’s efforts was on increasing funding for the State Student Aid program which offers funding to RI High School graduates who attend college in RI.

E-Sports Team Captain

Chosen by the team to serve in a leadership role. Assisted players and provided coaching. Helped them to improve their skills. Ensured the team followed protocols.

Hobbies & Interests

Madeira Skiing

Outside of my professional life, I am passionate about technology and competition. I founded the Capture the Flag club at my university, fostering a community of security enthusiasts. I also served as the Captain of the Esports team, where I honed my leadership and teamwork skills in a fast-paced environment.

I enjoy staying up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity trends and experimenting with new tools and technologies in CTF challenges. I maintain a GitHub repository of my CTF writeups and solutions. GitHub Repository

I also enjoy playing Hockey, Skiing, Snowboarding, Gaming, and traveling. I am traveling to Japan in January for a Ski trip!