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Michael Ossmann, CISSP

mike@ossmann.com

Experience

6/07--present

Protiro, Inc.

Denver, CO

Information Security Engineer

  • Performed research and engineering services under contract to the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences at the Department of Commerce Boulder Laboratories.
  • Conducted comparative security analysis of public safety wireless communication protocols.
  • Served as editor and principal author of the security chapter of the Public Safety 700MHz Broadband Statement of Requirements published by the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council to inform the FCC's 2008 700MHz spectrum auction.
  • Developed software radio technologies for wireless security research.
  • Assisted with internal IT security administration and served as an IT advisor and interim system administrator.

1/05--6/07

Exempla Healthcare

Denver, CO

Senior Information Security Administrator

  • Served as HIPAA security officer for a health care organization consisting of three hospitals and a dozen clinics.
  • Reviewed and approved configuration changes for perimeter security devices. Developed strategic plan for information security risk management to meet regulatory requirements and audit recommendations.
  • Presented security awareness training to new employees and managers.
  • Assisted with troubleshooting of infrastructure systems such as DNS, email, VPN, wireless networks, firewalls, and enterprise authentication.
  • Developed and reviewed information security and privacy policies.
  • Led incident investigation and response, recommending sanctions as necessary.
  • Implemented open source secure email gateway that yielded a 99% spam catch rate with zero false positives.
  • Performed vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, coordinating mitigation efforts with information system owners.
  • Architected proximity user identification and session roaming solution to provide rapid access and automatic logout for computer workstations in high-traffic clinical areas.

10/01--1/05

Alternative Technology, Inc.

Englewood, CO

Senior Security Engineer

  • Provided custom engineering and consulting services, specializing in information security, network infrastructure, thin client technologies, bandwidth management, and Unix systems.
  • Performed information security risk analysis, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and regulatory compliance assessment service with a focus on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy and security rules. Developed remediation strategies in response to assessment results.
  • Taught specialized technical courses addressing the concepts, deployment, and integration of Packeteer PacketShaper, Tarantella Enterprise 3, and Expand Accelerator product lines.
  • Evaluated courseware for Unix system administration, network security, and host security courses.
  • Assisted vendor partner with courseware development.
  • Assisted vendor partner with certification examination development.
  • Performed internal information technology support services, including LAN and WAN administration, bandwidth management, security administration, Linux system administration, email administration, solution architecture, and project management.
  • Designed IP networks and created custom solutions, including a Linux-based hybrid bridge/router/firewall, which implemented load balancing and high availability over disparate Internet links without requiring BGP.
  • Acted as domain expert for all Unix, security, and networking technical support issues requiring escalation. Supported both end users and resellers (VARs).
  • Supported products including Linux, Solaris, AIX, SCO OpenServer, UnixWare, PacketSeeker, PacketShaper, PacketShaper Xpress, WatchGuard Firebox and other firewalls, SonicWALL firewalls, SafeWord PremierAccess, Citrix MetaFrame, ThinPrint, Expand Accelerator, Tarantella Enterprise 3, Tarantella Vision2K (including VisionFS, TermVision, and XVision Eclipse), Sidewinder Firewall, Postfix, BIND (DNS), SSH, Windows 2000, IPsec Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), iptables (Netfilter), Apache, VNC, and various thin client and X terminal devices from vendors such as Wyse, NCD, and Neoware.
  • Developed and documented custom tools and software in Perl, PHP, and shell scripting languages.
  • Edited process documentation (for internal use as well as publication) for comprehensive risk analysis and information security service offerings.
  • Evaluated products from potential vendor partners. Advised senior management regarding technical merits of new products.

3/99--10/01

Ossmann Consulting Inc.

Chicago, IL

Information Technology Consultant

  • Provided HP-UX, Solaris, AIX, Linux, and Tru64 installation, maintenance, upgrade, security, performance tuning, and disaster recovery services.
  • Provided solution architecture, project management, and capacity planning services as well as TCP/IP network design and administration.
  • Performed network vulnerability assessments, reviewed findings with clients, and implemented solutions including policy remediation and selection and implementation of countermeasures such as intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and host security safeguards.
  • Taught Unix system administration classes.
  • Supported products including Sendmail, Postfix, BIND (DNS), SSH, PGP, Legato NetWorker, HP Omniback II, HP-UX, Windows NT, Linux, Solaris, AIX, Apache web server, HP AutoRAID, EMC Symmetrix (with ControlCenter, SDR, VolumeLogix, TimeFinder, and command line tools), Network Appliance NetApp Filers, SAN and NAS environments, Fibre Channel networks, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), ipchains, iptables (Netfilter), SSL, DLT tape libraries, NIS, NFS, LVM, OnlineJFS, Veritas File System, Veritas Volume Manager, MC/ServiceGuard, and iPlanet (Netscape, Sun ONE) web servers.
  • Assisted with support of Tru64, Oracle, MySQL, Citrix MetaFrame, BEA Tuxedo, CheckPoint FireWall-1, Sidewinder Firewall, AltaVista Tunnel, Novell Netware, GroupWise Mail, Microsoft DNS, Exchange, IIS, LDAP services, and SAP.
  • Installed and configured HP OpenView tools, including MeasureWare, PerfView, GlancePlus, ITO (VPO), and NNM. Participated in network monitoring and enterprise event/fault management with these tools as well as BMC Patrol and Big Brother.
  • Designed and implemented high availability (HA) solutions utilizing many of the above technologies plus Brocade Fibre Channel switches, Ethernet LANs, Veritas NetBackup, and Tivoli Storage Manager in HP, IBM, and Sun environments.
  • Developed and documented custom tools and software in C, Perl, Python, Korn Shell (ksh), Bash, and other Bourne-like shells. Created custom web applications with HTML, XML Javascript, Java, and CGI. Debugged customer-developed applications.
  • Facilitated the migration of a large organization from GroupWise mail service to two, distinct platforms by migrating Sendmail Internet SMTP gateway to Postfix in order to handle complex domain name changes, user address changes, automated change of address responses, and mail forwarding rules. Partnered with one other team member to develop Python-based tools which automatically generated Postfix configuration files based on input retrieved from GroupWise user database. Completed this project ahead of schedule and without the loss of any messages.
  • Clients included Baxter Healthcare, SBC Ameritech, 3Com, and Acxiom.

6/98--2/99

Progressive Technologies Group

Fort Collins, CO

Senior Engineer

  • Led teams supporting large scale network backup and recovery processes at multiple Hewlett-Packard sites across the Western states.
  • Provided consultation, architecture, implementation, and capacity planning services for large network infrastructure projects, specializing in data center backups and disaster recovery planning.
  • Trained new HP-UX system administrators, Alexandria backup administrators, and HP Omniback II backup administrators.
  • Provided the highest level of internal technical support for our administrators.
  • Supported products including Sendmail, BIND (DNS), Alexandria Backup Librarian, HP Omniback II, other HP OpenView tools, HP-UX, Solaris, Windows NT, DLT tape libraries (manufactured by HP, StorageTek, and others), INN (Usenet news server), Apache web server, NIS, NFS, Automount, LVM, and OnlineJFS. Was responsible for system administration, availability, and security.
  • Implemented test lab solutions utilizing the above technologies in addition to ADSM (TSM: Tivoli Storage Manager), Veritas NetBackup, and Fibre Channel networks.
  • Assisted with support of Informix, Oracle, and ClearCase.
  • Developed and documented internal tools, including Perl and ksh scripts as well as a custom CGI-based database designed to track network backup performance and provide useful real-time information to both the end users as well as system administrators.

12/97--6/98

Progressive Technologies Group

Fort Collins, CO

Backup Services Interim Operations Manager

  • Co-managed twenty employees in two states.
  • Assisted with contract management and negotiation.
  • Worked closely with HP's vendor management staff.
  • Provided consultation, architecture, implementation, and capacity planning services for large network infrastructure projects, specializing in data center backups and disaster recovery planning.
  • Trained new HP-UX system administrators, Alexandria backup administrators, and HP Omniback II backup administrators.
  • Supported products including Sendmail, BIND (DNS), Alexandria Backup Librarian, HP Omniback II, other HP OpenView tools, HP-UX, Solaris, Windows NT, DLT tape libraries (manufactured by HP, StorageTek, and others), INN (Usenet news server), Apache web server, NIS, NFS, Automount, LVM, and OnlineJFS. Was responsible for system administration, availability, and security.
  • Assisted with support of Informix and ClearCase.
  • Developed and documented internal tools, including Perl and ksh scripts.

8/96--12/97

Progressive Technologies Group

Fort Collins, CO

HP-UX System Administrator

  • Led teams supporting large scale network backup and recovery processes at multiple Hewlett-Packard sites across the Western states.
  • Provided consultation, architecture, implementation, and capacity planning services for large-scale network backup solutions.
  • Supported products including Sendmail, BIND (DNS), Alexandria Backup Librarian, HP Omniback II, other HP OpenView tools, HP-UX, Solaris, Windows NT, DLT tape libraries (manufactured by HP, StorageTek, and others), NFS, and Automount. Was responsible for system administration, availability, and security.
  • Developed and documented internal tools, including Perl and ksh scripts.

2/96--8/96

Net-Plus

Fort Collins, CO

Manager of Internet Services

  • Was the sole operator of a small Internet Service Provider.
  • Performed the installation and administration of Linux servers, Solaris workstations, Windows 95 workstations, Novell Netware servers, Cisco routers, Ascend terminal servers, Livingston (Lucent) PortMaster terminal servers, Apache web server, Sendmail, INN (Usenet news server), DNS, FTP, and RADIUS. Was responsible for system administration, availability, and security.
  • Coordinated the sale, delivery, and implementation of various WAN services including ISDN and Frame Relay.
  • Provided technical support for end users on platforms including Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows 3.11, DOS, Linux, MacOS, and OS/2.
  • Wrote technical support documentation for the above platforms.
  • Performed webmaster duties and provided web development services, including HTML design and Perl CGI scripting.
  • Handled sales and marketing.
  • Modified an Open Source RADIUS authentication server to meet specific business requirements.
  • Developed custom virtual domain mail delivery mechanism based on Sendmail and Procmail.

1/96--12/97

Ossmann Consulting

Fort Collins, CO

Internet Consultant and Java Developer

  • Helped American Management Systems establish Internet recruiting techniques.
  • Developed Java applets for a variety of web sites, including www.pentax.com.
  • Volunteered as a guest speaker for computer classes.
  • Developed an educational Java applet for public use, which continues to be used by music students and teachers around the world: http://www.ossmann.com/bigears/.

9/95--12/95

NS Net

Sacramento, CA

Internet Support Engineer

  • Provided technical support for end users on platforms including Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows 3.11, DOS, Linux, MacOS, OS/2, Solaris, and HP-UX.
  • Assisted with administration and daily operations of HP-UX servers, Livingston (Lucent) PortMaster terminal servers, and Ascend terminal servers.
  • Handled sales of Internet services.
  • Performed consulting services for Internet connectivity and web design.

5/94--5/95

ASUAF Computing Services

Fairbanks, AK

Lab Consultant/Administrator

  • Oversaw the usage of student owned and operated computer labs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
  • Performed installation and administration of NextStep and MacOS systems.
  • Assisted with administration of VAX/VMS systems.
  • Assisted students with computer usage and programming, computer science class projects, Internet research, and web development.

Publications and Presentations
  • Presented WEP: Dead Again at Lockdown security conference (2005).
  • The 5-in-1 Network Cable, Make Magazine, Volume 01 (2005).
  • WEP: Dead Again, SecurityFocus Infocus, http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1814 (2004).
  • Presented Thin Client Security at Rubi Con network security conference (2002).

Education and Certifications

2003

(ISC)2

Dunedin, FL
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

1992-1995

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, AK
  • Completed three years undergraduate work as trombone major

Various product certifications from vendors including Packeteer, WatchGuard, Secure Computing, SAFlink, ThinPrint, Expand Networks, Citrix Systems, Tarantella, and HP.

Interests

computer programming, telescope building, stargazing, boomerang making and throwing, juggling, reading, skiing, ice and inline hockey, backpacking, game playing, mechanical ice sculpture, and composing and performing music of all sorts

Miscellaneous

self-disciplined, creative, fast learner with strong interpersonal, writing, and speaking skills

References

available on request