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Based in Nairobi, Kenya

John Ngugi

Network Engineer Cybersecurity Data Engineer Data Scientist Systems Trainer

Results-driven engineer with 8+ years of experience securing critical infrastructure, building scalable data pipelines, and deploying enterprise networks. First Class Honours graduate with an MSc in Information Security.

8+
Years Experience
900+
Users Supported
40%
Incident Time ↓
10+
Certifications
JN
About Me

Engineer. Educator. Problem Solver.

A multidisciplinary technologist bridging network security, data science, and systems engineering.

I'm a Network/Systems Engineer and Cybersecurity Specialist currently serving at Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), where I design and protect enterprise infrastructure for 900+ users across critical aviation systems.

My expertise spans three distinct but deeply connected domains: network security (NGFW deployment, SIEM, threat detection), data engineering (ETL pipelines, cloud data lakes, dashboards), and machine learning (predictive models for network optimization).

Since 2021, I've also served as a Systems Instructor at East Africa School of Aviation, training industry professionals in cybersecurity, Python, SQL, and data analytics.

I hold a First Class Honours BEng in Electrical & Communications Engineering from Moi University and am completing an MSc in Information Security at USIU-Africa.

Current Role
Senior Network / Systems Engineer
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority · Sept 2016 – Present
Also
Systems Instructor / Cybersecurity Trainer
East Africa School of Aviation · Jan 2021 – Present
Education
MBA in Aviation Management
ITAErea School of Business, Madrid
MSc Information Security (Ongoing)
USIU-Africa, Nairobi
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Open to remote & international opportunities
Career

Professional Experience

Network / Systems Engineer
Sept 2016 – Present
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) · Nairobi

Designed and managed secure enterprise network architecture supporting 900+ users across multiple sites. Deployed and managed NGFWs (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Forcepoint), implemented IDS/IPS and SIEM-based monitoring, reducing incident response time by 40%. Built ETL data pipelines, ML models for traffic prediction, and interactive dashboards (Tableau, Power BI). Secured AWS and Azure cloud environments through IAM, encryption, and monitoring.

Palo AltoFortinetSIEMIDS/IPSAWSAzurePythonPostgreSQLPower BITableau
Systems Instructor / Cybersecurity Trainer
Jan 2021 – Present
East Africa School of Aviation

Delivered hands-on training in cybersecurity, penetration testing, firewall configuration, and security architecture. Trained professionals on secure network design (SD-WAN, SD-Access), Python, SQL, data analysis, and machine learning. Conducted SARPS compliance and security awareness programs.

Penetration TestingFirewall ConfigSD-WANPythonData ScienceSARPS
Systems Administrator
Apr 2015 – Aug 2016
Isuzu East Africa · Nairobi

Managed Windows and Linux server environments ensuring high availability. Implemented enterprise security controls (firewalls, antivirus, IDS), reducing incidents by 30%. Developed backup and disaster recovery strategies, providing technical support with 90% user satisfaction.

Windows ServerLinuxIDS/IPSBackup & RecoveryActive Directory
Electrical Engineer
Jan 2015 – Apr 2015
JILK Construction Ltd · Nairobi

Designed, implemented, and supervised electrical and telecommunications installations. Commissioned security and safety systems including fire systems and X-Ray scanners. Created electrical blueprints and ensured regulatory compliance.

Electrical DesignTelecomsSafety SystemsCommissioning
Portfolio

Featured Projects

Real-world engineering, data, and security projects from enterprise environments and personal labs.

Data Engineering
End-to-End ETL Pipeline (API → PostgreSQL)
  • Extracted live cryptocurrency data from CoinGecko REST API
  • Transformed raw JSON using Pandas into analytics-ready datasets
  • Loaded structured data into PostgreSQL for downstream analytics
  • Implemented logging and error handling for pipeline reliability
PythonPandasPostgreSQLREST APIs
View on GitHub
Cloud Pipeline
AWS Cloud Data Pipeline (S3 → Glue → Redshift)
  • Designed cloud-native data pipeline ingesting raw data into Amazon S3
  • Transformed data using AWS Glue with PySpark jobs
  • Loaded processed data into Redshift enabling scalable analytics
  • Enabled large-scale queryable datasets for business reporting
AWS S3AWS GlueRedshiftPySparkPython
View on GitHub
Machine Learning
ML Models for Network Traffic Analysis
  • Built predictive models for network traffic forecasting and optimization
  • Developed classification models for anomaly and threat detection
  • Performed feature engineering, data cleaning, and model evaluation
  • Deployed models to improve KCAA infrastructure decision-making
Scikit-learnTensorFlowPandasNumPyMatplotlib
View on GitHub
Cybersecurity
Enterprise Security Architecture – KCAA
  • Deployed NGFW perimeter defense (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Forcepoint)
  • Implemented SIEM-based monitoring with real-time log analysis
  • Developed incident response playbooks to minimize data exposure
  • Reduced incident response time by 40% via advanced threat tools
Palo AltoFortinetSIEMIDS/IPSDLP
Analytics
Network Performance Dashboards
  • Built interactive Tableau and Power BI dashboards for leadership
  • Designed complex SQL queries across Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL
  • Automated data collection and processing with Python scripts
  • Enabled real-time visibility into infrastructure performance metrics
TableauPower BISQLPythonOracle
Cloud Security
Cloud Security Implementation (AWS & Azure)
  • Hardened cloud environments through IAM, encryption, and access policies
  • Integrated cloud monitoring and alerting for proactive threat detection
  • Automated infrastructure provisioning using Ansible and Terraform
  • Managed containerized workloads with Docker and Kubernetes
AWSAzureAnsibleTerraformDockerKubernetes
Expertise

Technical Skills

Cybersecurity & Network Security
NGFW (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Forcepoint)95%
IDS/IPS & SIEM92%
Penetration Testing & Vuln Assessment88%
Incident Response & Forensics85%
LAN/WAN, SD-WAN, VPN93%
Data Engineering & Analytics
Python (Pandas, NumPy)90%
SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle)92%
ETL Pipelines & Data Warehousing85%
Tableau & Power BI88%
Machine Learning & AI
Scikit-learn & TensorFlow82%
Predictive Modeling & Forecasting80%
Feature Engineering & Evaluation78%
Cloud & Infrastructure
AWS (S3, Glue, Redshift, EC2)85%
Microsoft Azure80%
Docker & Kubernetes78%
Ansible & Terraform75%
Tools & Technologies
VMware ESXiHyper-VProxmox BashPowerShellWireshark NagiosSolarWindsActive Directory Apache SparkHadoopMongoDB SeabornMatplotlibR
Credentials

Certifications

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
EC-Council
CySA+ — Cybersecurity Analyst
CompTIA
Security+
CompTIA
Linux+
CompTIA
(ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity
ISC2 CC
CCNP — Cisco Certified Network Professional
Cisco
CCNA — Cisco Certified Network Associate
Cisco
Professional Data Scientist
IBM
Azure Fundamentals AZ-900
Microsoft
Google IT Support Professional
Google
Oracle Cloud AI Foundations
Oracle
AWS Solutions Architect Essentials
Amazon Web Services
Academic Background

Education

Master of Business Administration — Aviation Management
ITAErea School of Business
Madrid, Spain
2026
Master of Science — Information Security
United States International University – Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
In Progress
Bachelor of Engineering — Electrical & Communications Engineering
Moi University, Eldoret
2014
Impact

Key Achievements

40%
Incident Response Time Reduced
Through implementation of real-time monitoring and advanced threat detection at KCAA
30%
Security Incidents Reduced
At Isuzu East Africa through enterprise firewall, antivirus, and IDS deployments
900+
Enterprise Users Supported
Across multi-site critical aviation infrastructure with high availability
90%
User Satisfaction Rate
Maintained while providing technical support across enterprise environments
8+
Years of Experience
Spanning network engineering, cybersecurity, data science, and systems administration
10+
Certifications Earned
Across cybersecurity, networking, cloud, and data science domains
Let's Connect

Get in Touch

I'm open to consulting engagements, full-time opportunities, and collaborative projects in cybersecurity, data engineering, or network infrastructure. Feel free to reach out.

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