Job Title

Job Title:Firewall Operational Support Engineer Company:CIRRUSLABS Location:Global Infrastructure Support (potentially with a home location, e.g., within India)Role Overview: The Firewall Operational Support Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring the security and availability of Deloitte's global infrastructure by providing operational support for firewalls across multiple platforms. This position is a first responder for monitored alerts, incidents, and issues related to firewalls. The role involves fulfilling service requests, performing policy changes, analyzing firewall activity, troubleshooting incidents, and coordinating hardware replacements. The ideal candidate will possess in-depth knowledge of Check Point and Palo Alto firewall technologies, strong networking skills, excellent communication abilities, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.Responsibilities: Incident Management:Serve as the first responder to monitored firewall alerts, security incidents, and availability issues, performing initial triage and resolution where possible. Service Request Fulfillment:Efficiently and accurately fulfill service requests related to firewall global policy and security extension changes, including VPNs, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), URL Filtering, and Application Control. Firewall Policy Management:Execute firewall policy changes, conduct thorough analysis of existing policies, and perform policy clean-up as requested by Deloitte member firms, adhering to established standards and procedures. Visibility and Reporting:Provide clear visibility and insightful information to internal customers regarding firewall activity, usage patterns, and potential security concerns. Incident Resolution:Diligently follow through with Deloitte firm personnel and external technology vendors to troubleshoot and resolve availability, performance, and security incidents impacting firewalls across any Deloitte location globally. Customer Coordination:Effectively coordinate, triage, and troubleshoot firewall-related activities in collaboration with internal customers, ensuring clear communication and timely updates. Operational Excellence:Execute all assigned tasks in strict accordance with established standards, procedures, and documented processes, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Global Collaboration:Communicate and collaborate effectively with customers and peer team members located in different time zones and countries, demonstrating cultural sensitivity and awareness. Communication:Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly and concisely convey technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences. Complex Analysis:Analyze complex technical issues related to firewalls and effectively communicate these findings and proposed solutions to all levels of management. Checkpoint Hardware Replacement:Identify, meticulously document, and perform the necessary steps to replace legacy Check Point firewall hardware with new Check Point hardware, ensuring minimal disruption. Checkpoint to Palo Alto Migration:Identify, thoroughly document, and execute the comprehensive steps required to replace existing Check Point firewall hardware with new Palo Alto Networks firewall hardware, ensuring a seamless and secure transition. Technical Leadership (Hardware Replacement):Serve as the primary point of contact and lead technical discussions via collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Zoom) with local IT staff regarding assigned firewall hardware replacements, providing clear guidance and expectations. Vendor Management:Manage support cases effectively with external technology vendors (e.g., Check Point, Palo Alto) to escalate and resolve complex issues. Documentation:Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of firewall configurations, policies, procedures, and troubleshooting steps. Continuous Improvement:Identify opportunities for process improvement and contribute to the development of more efficient and effective operational procedures.Qualifications: Experience:3 to 5 years of experience in operational support and management of enterprise-level firewalls. Checkpoint Expertise:In-depth knowledge of Check Point firewall technologies, including configuration, management using Security Management Server (SMS) and Multi-Domain Security Management (MDSM), and advanced troubleshooting. Expert level knowledge including additional blades (e.g., IPS, Application Control, URL Filtering, Anti-Bot). Network Configuration:Proficiency in configuring various network interfaces (e.g., physical, virtual, VLANs) and connectivity options, ensuring compatibility with different hardware models. Firewall Hardware Understanding:Understanding of the physical installation and setup of new firewall hardware, including cabling, power management, and initial configuration (while the candidate won't cable, this understanding is crucial for communication with local IT). Checkpoint to Palo Alto Migration Expertise:Extensive experience in planning and executing the migration of firewall configurations and policies from Check Point to Palo Alto Networks, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal downtime and data loss. GAIA to Palo Alto Assessment:Proven ability to assess Check Point GAIA OS and interface configurations, document the existing setup, and define and execute the required steps to replace the device with a Palo Alto firewall. Palo Alto Expertise:Deep understanding of Palo Alto Networks firewall technologies, including configuration via Panorama and local device management, policy creation, management, and advanced troubleshooting. Knowledge of Palo Alto and Cisco firewalls is highly desirable. Network Security Principles:Strong grasp of fundamental network security principles and best practices, ensuring that new firewall setups maintain or enhance the overall security posture. Problem-Solving:Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to effectively identify, diagnose, and resolve complex issues that may arise during daily operations and migration processes. Certifications (Preferred): Checkpoint Certified Security Expert (CCSE) certification is highly preferred. Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) certification is highly preferred. Networking Knowledge:Solid knowledge of LAN/WAN technologies and common network protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, SNMP). Monitoring Tools:Familiarity with network and security monitoring tools and commands to proactively identify and quickly resolve issues. Firewall Policy Management (Advanced):Advanced level skills in creating, modifying, optimizing, and troubleshooting complex firewall policy rulesets. Vendor Management:Proven ability to manage support cases effectively with external technology vendors. Server Technologies (Plus):Knowledge of various server technologies (e.g., Windows Server, Linux) is a plus. Virtual Technologies (Plus):Knowledge of virtualization technologies (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V) is a plus. Communication Skills:Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to easily analyze and communicate complex technical ideas to individuals at all levels of management. Cultural Sensitivity:Sensitivity and cultural awareness are essential, as the role will involve frequent interaction with a diverse group of individuals across the globe. Confidentiality:Discipline and proven experience in recognizing and handling confidential and sensitive information with utmost discretion. Time Management & Detail Orientation:Excellent time management skills and a strong attention to detail are critical for managing multiple tasks and ensuring accuracy. Adaptability:Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure, dynamic global environment.