Oluwaseyi Paul Babalola

Sr. Network & Cyber Security Engineer • Data Center & Cloud Networking • Automation (Python/Ansible/Terraform)

About Me

Oluwaseyi Paul Babalola

Sr. Network and Cyber Security Engineer with 9+ years of experience designing, securing, and operating enterprise, data center, and hybrid-cloud network infrastructures. Specialized in next-generation firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco, Check Point), Zero Trust access, SD-WAN, and secure cloud connectivity across AWS and Azure. Strong background in high-availability network design, segmentation, incident response, and compliance-driven environments, with automation using Python, Ansible, and Terraform.

Authorized to work in the U.S. (Green Card Holder)

Download CV (PDF)

Work Experience

Sr. Network Security Engineer

Jul 2023 – Present

Pledge Environmental | New Jersey, USA

  • Design, implement, and operate enterprise, data center, and hybrid-cloud network security architectures with high availability, segmentation, and compliance alignment.
  • Engineer and manage next-generation firewall platforms (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco ASA/Firepower, Check Point) including NAT, SSL inspection, IPS, URL filtering, and site-to-site VPNs.
  • Centralize policy orchestration and lifecycle management using Panorama, FortiManager/FortiAnalyzer, Firepower Management Center, and Check Point SmartConsole.
  • Architect secure hybrid-cloud connectivity across AWS and Azure (Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, ExpressRoute, VPN, BGP routing, VPC peering).
  • Support SOC operations and incident response using SIEM/EDR telemetry (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike, Defender) and threat-hunting queries (KQL/SPL).
  • Build automation for configuration, reporting, and testing using Python, Ansible, Terraform, and CI/CD workflows.

Infrastructure and Software Application Support Engineer (Tier-2/3)

Mar 2018 – Oct 2018

SOFTCOM Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd | Stellenbosch, South Africa

  • Provided Tier-2/3 infrastructure and application support across on-prem and hybrid cloud environments.
  • Supported Azure hybrid infrastructure, Windows/Linux server operations, backups, and recovery workflows.
  • Troubleshot complex network/security issues (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, routing, firewall rules, inter-VLAN routing).
  • Deployed Cisco ASA firewalls and IPsec site-to-site VPN tunnels; supported SSL VPN and Citrix access gateways.
  • Engineered application delivery using F5 LTM and Citrix NetScaler (VIPs, pools, SSL offloading, HA clustering).
  • Automated tasks using Python (Paramiko) and Ansible to reduce manual configuration effort and improve consistency.

Systems and Network Engineer

Feb 2012 – Nov 2016

DPoint Information Technologies | Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Designed and supported enterprise LAN/WAN infrastructures across multi-site environments from implementation through production support.
  • Configured routing and switching (VLANs, trunking, STP, HSRP, OSPF) across Cisco enterprise platforms.
  • Deployed and operated firewall and perimeter security solutions (Palo Alto, FortiGate, Cisco ASA/Firepower, Check Point).
  • Implemented remote access and site-to-site VPNs, secure access controls, and centralized firewall management.
  • Supported enterprise wireless solutions and network monitoring using SolarWinds, Wireshark, SNMP, and NetFlow.
  • Built automation scripts using Python and Ansible for repeatable network and security operations.

Database, Systems and Network

Jan 2011 – Jan 2012

Verde Information Technologies | Abuja, Nigeria

  • Administered Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL environments on Windows Server, including backups, restores, patching, and user management.
  • Supported Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Exchange, and core infrastructure services for enterprise workloads.
  • Implemented network segmentation, firewall rule tuning, and security controls for sensitive systems and data.
  • Configured Cisco routers/switches and delivered Layer 2/3 networking (VLANs, inter-VLAN routing, OSPF/EIGRP/BGP).

Technical Skills

Firewalls: Palo Alto (Panorama/GlobalProtect), Fortinet (FortiGate/FortiManager), Cisco ASA/Firepower, Check Point
Routing & Switching: BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS, VRF, VLANs, STP, LACP, IPv4/IPv6
Data Center: Cisco Nexus/Catalyst, Arista, EVPN/VXLAN, Spine-Leaf, High Availability
Cloud Networking: AWS VPC, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, VPN, Route53; Azure NSG/Firewall/ExpressRoute
SD-WAN & Remote Access: Cisco Viptela, Prisma SD-WAN, ZTNA, IPsec/SSL VPN
SIEM/SOC Tooling: Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, ELK, Defender XDR, CrowdStrike
Monitoring: SolarWinds, FireMon, Nagios, Wireshark, NetFlow, tcpdump
Automation/DevNet: Python, Ansible, Terraform, Git, Jenkins, APIs

Project Portfolio

Each project includes an interactive Jupyter Notebook link (Binder) that runs live on GitHub.

Web-Application Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS)

A machine-learning powered NIDS with full React/Node.js web interface for real-time network threat analysis and visualization.

GitHub Repository
Launch Jupyter Notebook

AI-Driven Intrusion Detection for HD Video Surveillance

Deep learning + OpenCV system for real-time surveillance threat detection using advanced computer vision algorithms and neural networks.

GitHub Repository
Launch Jupyter Notebook

Ground Resource Management (GRM) Scheduler

A MATLAB system for CPUT that schedules multiple LEO satellite passes using priority-based conflict resolution.

GitHub Repository
Launch Jupyter Notebook

EPTA Digital Communication Decoder

Python-based wireless protocol decoder for analyzing EPTA communications with signal processing and machine learning components.

GitHub Repository
Launch Jupyter Notebook

HMM-DMD WiFi Localization Algorithm

Machine-learning localization algorithm combining Hidden Markov Models and Dynamic Mode Decomposition for precise indoor positioning.

GitHub Repository
Launch Jupyter Notebook

Education

Certifications

Contact Me