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Ross Nesbitt

Senior Network & Systems EngineerLinux, SMTP & Cybersecurity Specialist
408.771.6351rossnesbitt@gmail.comgithub.com/hapnesbittFort Collins, CO
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Professional Summary

Highly accomplished Senior Network & Systems Engineer with over 25 years of extensive hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and managing high-performance Linux-based network infrastructure, mission-critical email security systems (including 12+ years specializing in Proofpoint technologies), and complex cloud solutions.

Deep expertise in SMTP protocols, advanced command-line network troubleshooting (strace, tcpdump, Wireshark), MySQL/MariaDB administration, and developing shell/Python scripts for automation, rapid triage, and remediation. Proven ability to lead enterprise-wide migrations, optimize system performance, and ensure robust security frameworks in fast-moving environments.

Technical Expertise

Operating Systems & Virtualization

  • Linux Expert (RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian)
  • UNIX, Solaris, Windows Server
  • VMware (ESX, KVM), Docker Compose
  • Cloud Platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Engineering Practices & Tools

  • Technical Documentation & Runbooks
  • Incident & Problem Management
  • Change Management & Vendor Liaison
  • Jira, Confluence, Splunk, Nagios, Grafana

Networking & Advanced Troubleshooting

  • TCP/IP, SMTP Deep Expertise, HTTP/S, DNS
  • Load Balancing, Firewalls, Network Segmentation
  • tcpdump, Wireshark, strace, netstat, lsof

Automation & Scripting

  • Python, Bash, Perl, sed, awk
  • PowerShell, VBS
  • Full-stack Development (Flask, React, Next.js)

Databases & Core Systems

  • MySQL/MariaDB Administration
  • Performance Tuning, Replication
  • Apache, Nginx, Redis

Email Security & Authentication

  • Proofpoint Suite (TPRS, SER, Email Protection)
  • DMARC, SPF, DKIM, TLS/SSL
  • Anti-Spam/Phishing, Message Tracking

Professional Experience

Recent Contract Engagements

Senior Solutions Architect (DLP & Email Security)

Wells Fargo

Jan 2024 – May 2025
Led enterprise-wide DLP and DMARC remediation
Engineered Proofpoint TPRS and SER deployments
Optimized SMTP routing for hybrid-cloud infrastructures
Strengthened email authentication protocols

Email Security Architect

Graphic Packaging Inc.

Jun 2022 – Sept 2023
Enhanced email security infrastructure
Managed Proofpoint configurations
Optimized mail flow and security policies

Systems Engineer / DR Planning

Morgan Stanley

Jun 2021 – Jan 2022
Executed critical MySQL database migrations
Developed comprehensive DR runbooks
Ensured data integrity and operational stability

Core Professional Experience

Foundation of expertise

Team Lead & Senior Technical Support Engineer

Proofpoint

Oct 2004 – Jan 2017 (12+ years)
Mastered advanced command-line troubleshooting (strace, tcpdump, Wireshark)
Served as technical liaison between enterprise customers and engineering
Managed staged patching and OS upgrades across extensive deployments
Developed extensive library of automation scripts (Bash, Perl, Python)
Administered MySQL/MariaDB databases with performance optimization
Championed proactive system reliability and permanent fixes

Education

University of California San Diego

December 10, 1994

Bachelor of Arts in General Literature

Harold Edwin Ross Nesbitt III