Richard Ralston

I design and implement AI-driven cybersecurity frameworks that cut incident response times by 40%, combining automation and machine learning with tools like Splunk and Python. I automate security operations and integrate cloud controls across AWS and Azure, ensuring GDPR and HIPAA compliance and improving audit-prep efficiency by 30%. I also lead the creation of content strategies, compliance guides, and hands-on tutorials that help organizations address threats proactively, and I partner with AWS and Microsoft Azure to deliver scalable solutions—contributing to a 25% increase in client adoption.

I position this work as secure platform engineering with measurable outcomes. I secured 300+ servers in PaaS environments and designed hardening strategies with automated operations in PowerCLI and Python, cutting manual effort by 50%. I authored the documentation, playbooks, and upgrade guides that let internal teams and vendors execute upgrades independently, ensuring repeatability and audit readiness. I led the compliance push that achieved the team’s first Authority to Operate (ATO) in full compliance and strengthened governance across the estate. To support reliability and compliance at scale, I built and maintained scripts for SSL certificate tracking and renewal, deployed and monitored AIDE for intrusion detection, and created NFS validation/remediation routines covering 170 TB of data. I ran structured risk assessments and change management that reduced vulnerabilities by 20% while maintaining 99.9% uptime. I also delivered a SharePoint self-service portal and workflow improvements that shortened provisioning times by 40% and improved cross-team collaboration, and I regularly briefed leadership on compliance progress, resource utilization, and risk remediation to keep technical execution aligned with business priorities.

Coordinated multi-team upgrade programs across DBA, OS, and application groups to resolve dependencies without disrupting production. Planned and sequenced major platform moves—Oracle 10→11→12, RHEL 5→6→7, Windows Server, and MS SQL Server—progressing through sandbox, dev, QA, and production with clear exit criteria. Outage windows were scheduled and prepared up to a month in advance to balance timelines with business continuity and compliance. Daily standups and planning sessions kept risks visible and resources aligned across stakeholders. To streamline execution, a SharePoint-based coordination portal centralized environment requests, testing updates, and project communication. Security upgrades and firewall implementations were supported through the same structured planning and cross-team collaboration model.