Hi, I'm Rafael Garcia
Network Development Engineer

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About

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11+ years operating mission-critical network infrastructure across classified military communications, enterprise environments, and deep space operations at NASA JPL. I've managed routing and cryptographic systems under conditions where downtime wasn't an option, and automated my way out of every manual process I've encountered.

I build and operate Linux-based infrastructure, write production Python and Bash automation, and run real monitoring pipelines on hardware I own. I lead technical teams, mentor engineers, and communicate complex network problems clearly to stakeholders. Currently running a home lab fleet with live network intrusion detection, edge inference on RISC-V, and full observability via Prometheus and Grafana.

Routing Protocols Linux / Unix Python Automation Network Monitoring High Availability Leadership

Experience

Network Security Engineer

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory · 2022 - 2025

Maintained and secured network infrastructure supporting deep space missions with 99.999% uptime requirements. Wrote Python automation to scan firewall policies for compliance drift, validate network configurations, and audit security posture across a large Linux environment. Led the lab's AI pilot program and authored network security documentation for international partnerships.

Security Specialist

Gavin de Becker & Associates · 2015 - 2019

Threat assessment and executive protection at an elite firm with less than 1% acceptance rate. Analyzed risks across physical, digital, and social engineering vectors. Earned 7 commendations and developed expertise in adversarial thinking that translates directly to cybersecurity.

Senior Communications Chief

U.S. Marine Corps · 2012 - 2020

Managed classified communications networks and cryptographic systems across global deployments, including routing configuration, troubleshooting, and maintaining connectivity in high-stakes operational environments. Served as Foreign Security Advisor coordinating with international partners. Built and led technical teams where network failure meant mission failure.

Projects

Network Operations Lab

Multi-node Linux infrastructure with microsegmented network zones, centralized Loki logging, Prometheus metrics, and automated alerting. PA-220 firewall, managed switching, and Tailscale overlay across a distributed fleet.

Linux Infrastructure Monitoring Zero Trust
Live Site

GuardQuote

Full-stack ML application with secure authentication, role-based access, and application performance monitoring. Built and hosted on my own infrastructure.

Machine Learning Full Stack Security
Live Demo

SentinelNet NIDS

Production network intrusion detection system. Python feeder on RISC-V edge hardware captures live flows via SPAN mirror and classifies them through a K3s inference cluster. 1M+ predictions on real traffic with Prometheus and Grafana alerting.

Python Network Monitoring Kubernetes
GitHub

What I Bring

Operational Experience

I've kept networks running for deep space missions with 99.999% uptime requirements and managed communications infrastructure in austere military environments. I mentor engineers, write clear operational procedures, and stay calm in an on-call incident at 2am.

Automation First

I automate everything I touch. Production Python and Bash for firewall audits, configuration validation, network monitoring pipelines, and deployment workflows. Everything on this page runs on infrastructure I built, maintain, and monitor myself.

Accomplishments

View All on Credly

Contact

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