Network Security Specialist

Description :

About the Role :

We are seeking a highly skilled Network Security Specialist / Akamai DDoS SME (L2) to support and secure our global infrastructure against large-scale cyberattacks.

This role requires deep technical expertise in DDoS detection and mitigation, Akamai security platforms, and network protection mechanisms across multiple layers (Layer 3 to Layer 7).

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with Akamai WAF, Kona Site Defender, and Guardicore Micro-Segmentation, coupled with strong analytical and incident response skills.

You will be part of the Security Operations team, focusing on proactive monitoring, mitigation, and post-incident analysis to ensure a resilient and secure digital ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities :

- Continuously monitor global network traffic for potential DDoS patterns and anomalies at Layer 3/4 (volumetric attacks) and Layer 7 (application-level attacks).

- Identify and mitigate volumetric attacks such as TCP SYN floods, UDP floods, ICMP floods, NTP/DNS amplification, and reflection-based attacks.

- Implement real-time mitigation measures using Akamai Prolexic or equivalent DDoS mitigation solutions.

- Correlate attack data with logs and metrics to determine attack vectors, sources, and affected systems.

- Manage escalation of DDoS incidents, ensuring rapid containment and service continuity.

- Configure, tune, and maintain Akamai Web Application Firewall (WAF) to defend against OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, bot attacks, and web application exploits.

- Optimize Akamai configurations to reduce false positives and improve detection accuracy.

- Manage and support Akamai Kona Site Defender, Prolexic, and Cloud Security Controls for application protection.

- Implement Akamai Guardicore Microsegmentation to enable Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) within the enterprise.

- Perform change management and policy updates within Akamai Control Center for WAF and DDoS configurations.

- Apply rate limiting, ACLs, IP filtering, and geo-blocking to mitigate malicious traffic patterns.

- Monitor and protect edge infrastructure including firewalls, load balancers, and proxies.

- Work with ISPs and upstream providers to implement blackholing, RTBH, or traffic rerouting during DDoS events.

- Integrate Akamai security data with SIEM tools (Splunk, QRadar, Sentinel) for continuous threat visibility.

- Maintain and document runbooks, SOPs, and playbooks for network security operations.

- Conduct post-incident investigations and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) following security events or attacks.

- Generate incident reports and trend analysis for stakeholders and management review.

- Identify opportunities for process automation, improved detection, and response efficiency.

- Stay updated with emerging DDoS attack trends, vulnerabilities, and Akamai platform enhancements.

- Work with Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Service Edge (SSE), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solutions for holistic network defense.

- Experience with vendors such as Checkpoint, Palo Alto Networks, Zscaler, or equivalent platforms.

- Integrate Zero Trust principles across endpoints, applications, and network segments.

Technical Skills & Expertise:

- Layer 37 detection and mitigation (volumetric, protocol, and application-level).

- Kona Site Defender (KSD), Prolexic, Guardicore, Bot Manager, and Control Center.

- WAF, Bot mitigation, API protection, and microsegmentation.

- TCP/IP, BGP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, CDN routing, load balancing.

- TLS/SSL, IPSec, GRE, VRRP, ICMP, traceroute, Wireshark, and packet capture analysis.

- Splunk, QRadar, Sentinel, Nagios, or SolarWinds.

- Basic scripting skills in Python, Bash, or PowerShell for automation and log analysis.