Mehdi Daghnoun
Freelance Network & Security Engineer
Passionate about strengthening enterprise security posture through advanced networking solutions. Specializing in Next Generation Firewalls, Cisco ACI, and Network Automation.
About Me
I am a passionate, enthusiastic and result-oriented professional Network & Security Engineer. The variety of different technologies I have worked with in the past has provided me a deep knowledge of all IT Enterprise life cycle activities operations.
Since few years I have essentially shifted my career goals towards Networking & Security: Next Generation Firewall (Cisco ASA, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Check Point), Cisco ACI, NX-OS, IOS, IOS-XR, Network Automation (Python, PHP Laravel), Load Balancer (F5 LTM, ASM, APM).
In order to help corporate business, improve and strengthen their security posture due to the global rise of cybersecurity threats. My mantra is everything is learnable if you have the drive and motivation to improve and develop your professional career skills and knowledge.
Experience
Freelance Network Engineer
Siemens Mobility
Brussels, Belgium
Siemens Mobility plays a crucial role in Belgium by providing advanced mobility solutions. They are responsible for train signaling and control systems, railway electrification, trains and rolling stock, ticketing and payment systems, as well as traffic management solutions.
- ▪Collaborated with Allied Telesis network equipment, configuring, deploying, and maintaining network infrastructure
- ▪Utilized Python, Bash, and PowerShell scripting languages to automate processes and improve efficiency
- ▪Performed field engineer tasks, conducting on-site interventions and troubleshooting network issues
- ▪Provided 3rd line support, resolving complex technical issues escalated from lower support tiers
- ▪Led firewall migration projects to Fortinet, overseeing planning, configuration, and deployment
Network Engineer
Network Research Belgium (NRB)
Herstal, Belgium
NRB group is one of the main Belgian actors in the ICT sector, providing optimal end-to-end IT solutions and services in long-term partnership with public and private sector clients.
- ▪Direct contact with clients to meet their needs and provide customized solutions
- ▪Maintained house-made Network Team CMDB developed using PHP (Laravel Framework)
- ▪Developed automation scripts using Python
- ▪Maintained documentation by creating professional Visio diagrams
- ▪Involved in 3rd line support
- ▪Worked in multi-tenant environment with heterogeneous systems (Cisco IOS, NX-OS, IOS-XR, ACI, Palo Alto, F5, ISE)
Network & System Administrator Intern
POWERDALE NV/SA
Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium
Company specializing in Electromobility and Energy Management, manufacturing charging points for electric vehicles.
- ▪Secured and improved LAN network by updating inventory and dividing into separate subnets
- ▪Installed new Zabbix server instance for real-time monitoring
- ▪Implemented OpenVPN server to balance traffic load during Covid-19
- ▪Managed Cisco Routing/Switching infrastructure
- ▪Migrated virtual machines from XEN Citrix to VMware ESXi
Skills & Technologies
Network Equipment
Firewalls
Load Balancers
Automation & Scripting
Monitoring & Management
Platforms & Tools
Certifications & Education
Professional Certifications
Cisco Certified Network Administrator
Cisco
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator
Palo Alto Networks
ITIL® 4 Foundation
AXELOS
Fortinet Certified Associate Cybersecurity
Fortinet
Education
Bachelor of Computer Science & Systems
DistinctionHE2B École Supérieure d'Informatique
Brussels, Belgium • 2020
Network and Telecommunications
High School Diploma
INRACI
Brussels, Belgium • 2016
Computer Science • Network and Telecommunications
Technical Insights
Sharing knowledge and best practices in network security, automation, and infrastructure design.
Implementing Zero Trust Architecture in Enterprise Networks
Learn how to transition from traditional perimeter-based security to a Zero Trust model, with practical implementation strategies for Cisco ACI and Palo Alto firewalls.
Automating Network Configuration with Python and Ansible
Discover how to leverage Python scripting and Ansible playbooks to automate repetitive network configuration tasks, reducing human error and deployment time.
Best Practices for Palo Alto Firewall Migration
A comprehensive guide to migrating from legacy firewalls to Palo Alto Networks, including configuration export, policy optimization, and testing strategies.
Securing Remote Access with F5 APM and Multi-Factor Authentication
Explore how to implement secure remote access solutions using F5 Access Policy Manager with integrated MFA, ensuring robust authentication for remote workers.
Get in Touch
Looking for a network security expert to strengthen your infrastructure? Let's discuss how I can help your organization achieve its networking and security goals.