2013 – 2015
Palo Alto Networks
Next-generation firewalls, through the reseller channel and the classroom.
A focused relationship centered on next-generation firewall technology, carried through the reseller and integrator channel. This is a past engagement; Palo Alto is not among the platforms taught today, but the work was real and certified.
Channel consulting and training, 2013 to 2015
At TDec Network Group, Palo Alto joined a multi-vendor consulting and training practice spanning systems engineering, solutions architecture, application enablement, implementation, audits, and troubleshooting. The relationship continued through Cipher Security in 2015 for pre-sales and post-sales work. The technical focus was next-generation firewalls and the Panorama management platform, the core of Palo Alto's enterprise security offering at the time.
PAN-OS instruction
This period included formal training delivery: a PAN-OS 6.0 bootcamp, an early instance of the same practitioner-led teaching that continues today. Combined with the certifications earned in 2014, this established genuine depth in the platform, even as the career's focus later concentrated on other technologies.
What it certified
Palo Alto Certified Network Security Engineer (CNSE 5.1), 2014. Palo Alto Networks Accredited Configuration Engineer (ACE), 2014. Palo Alto Networks Accredited Sales Expert (ASE), 2014. Note: these certifications are historical and are not maintained as current.
The company was founded in 2005. This page covers only the years worked with it.