Qualys Experts in Germany

• Situation: Increasing demand for privacy-compliant AI solutions for clients in the KRITIS and mid-market sector that need to analyze sensitive media content (audio, video, documents) without sending data to public cloud LLMs.

• Task: Design, deployment, and secure operation of a fully self-hosted AI infrastructure including a custom-built digital management platform for automated media analysis.

• Action: Architected and implemented a multi-tier platform on hardened Proxmox infrastructure with frontend (Nuxt 3, Vue 3, TypeScript, Tailwind 4), backend (Laravel 13, PHP 8.4, Sanctum), data storage (PostgreSQL 16, MongoDB 7), caching/queuing (Redis 7, Laravel Queue), AI workers (Python 3.11, Whisper, DeepFace, Librosa), scheduling (Laravel Scheduler/Cron), and local LLMs (Gemma, DeepSeek, Qwen, Mistral, LLaMA, Phi) via OpenWebUI with segmented network access, API hardening, and audit logging following BSI recommendations.

• Result: Fully GDPR-compliant, on-premises AI platform with zero data leakage to third parties.

• Task: Overall responsibility as an external Head of Cyber Security / CISO-as-a-Service for the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of ISMS according to ISO 27001, BSI IT-Grundschutz, and NIS2.

• Action: Built and managed Cyber Defense Centers (CDC) with SOC operations, integrated SIEM solutions (Splunk, Graylog), established risk-based vulnerability management (Qualys, Nessus, OpenVAS), and conducted regular infrastructure, application, and physical penetration tests.

• Result: Audit-ready ISMS for multiple clients and a 60% reduction in critical vulnerabilities within 90 days.

• Task: Design and execution of NIS2 assessments and operational roll-out plans for KRITIS operators.

• Action: Developed an online assessment tool for automated identification of individual weakness profiles, implemented ISMS optimizations, penetration testing, awareness programs, GRC suite deployment, and delivered C-level presentations.

• Result: Accelerated the consulting process by 50% and successfully prepared multiple clients for NIS2 compliance.

• Task: Incident commander for crisis response, forensics, and business recovery in ransomware attacks and APT campaigns.

• Action: Coordinated with state and federal police (LKA, BKA), performed forensic analysis (OSForensics, Wireshark, Kali Linux), executed disaster recovery and BCM strategies, and developed BTC extortion response strategies.

• Result: 100% recovery rate within defined RTO windows and sustainable post-incident security architectures.

• Action: Planned, built, and operated a hardened multi-VM infrastructure (Proxmox, 15+ VMs) with web and mail servers, Graylog, OPNsense firewalls, CRM/ERP and LLM instances, network segmentation, DDoS mitigation, automated patch management, and backup strategies.

• Result: >99.5% uptime over 20+ years and zero compromises.

• Action: Designed coordinated phishing campaigns with five levels of difficulty, developed e-trainings and webinars in a PDCA cycle, and led red and blue teams.

• Result: Phishing click rate reduced from 35% to under 5% within three campaign cycles.

I implemented a Zero-Trust architecture for robust, military-grade maritime container mini data centers based on VMware & Tanzu to support containerized GIS workloads for ground forces. The main focus was on securing communications, workload protection, and data access in contested electronic battle environments affected by jamming, interception, signal manipulation, and constantly changing operational conditions. I designed and architected use cases so that every element of workload, identity, and system could continue to operate independently and securely even in degraded or disrupted scenarios. In parallel, I defined the enterprise and solution security architecture with LeanIX, Bizzdesign, and HOPEX as enterprise architecture, repository, and governance platforms to maintain architecture inventory, relationships, traceability, target pictures, and security governance in complex environments. For the architectural designs, I used Sparx Enterprise Architect to describe formal architecture views, interfaces, trust boundaries, and system architecture in both IT and OT environments. IriusRisk was used for threat modeling of the solution to identify architecture-driven risks, derive security requirements, and detect countermeasures and design gaps directly from the solution models. Risk and compliance management was supported with Archer. Architecture decisions, control gaps, and operational risks were translated into controlled governance and auditable compliance measures. For documentation, collaboration, and visual design, I used Confluence to maintain Architecture Decision Records, Security Blueprints, and workflows. I used Lucidchart and draw.io to create design artifacts tailored to stakeholders. I also defined OT security concepts with support from electrical and mechanical engineers in the areas of oil, vehicle onboard systems, rail, power plants, pharma, gas turbines, and nuclear technology. I created the end-to-end OT security strategy, starting with global policy, developed into standards and procedures, and finally aligned with Bell-LaPadula, Purdue Model, SABSA, TOGAF ADM, CENELEC 50701, IEC 62443, and NIST standards. In addition, I worked with engineering team leads to identify critical KBP assets and place them under protective measures that segmented SCADA, PLC, and HMI assets. I drove collaboration between Security, IT, and OT teams to create standardized workflows and use cases for the OT security solution catalog, while integrating Defense-in-Depth and Zero-Trust principles into operational environments. A key part of my work was integrating multidisciplinary engineering, security, and operations stakeholders into a unified security blueprinting strategy and ensuring that architecture, threat modeling, governance, and documentation were technically strong and operationally practical.

• Led the subproject for implementing Vulnerability Response as part of DORA
• Documented the current processes in compliance, risk & security
• Created the functional design for introducing application, infrastructure, and cloud vulnerabilities
• Agile management of the integration service provider, the technical department, and the company's cross-functional teams
• Integrated the V scanners Tenable, Qualys and Defender, as well as NVD and CISA/KEV
• Integrated GitLab Ultimate for importing and processing SBOMs
• Developed automation rules to match scan results with CIs in the CMDB, assign vulnerabilities and remediation tasks, handle approvals (false positives, exceptions) and closures
• Calculated multiple risk scores and priorities
• Defined dashboards and reports (Workspaces, Performance Analytics)
• Aligned the new processes, especially to improve the CMDB data quality (according to CSDM)

• Conducting cybersecurity readiness checks based on an in-house assessment methodology
• Analyzing the external attack surface using the Graydaxe EASM platform
• Assessing maturity levels and deriving prioritized recommendations for action

Overall responsibility for managing a clinical digitization project in a regulated hospital environment.

Design and implementation of a patient call and management system (PASO) for the orthopedics department of a large hospital.

• Project management, planning, and control
• Process analysis and optimization, and managing implementation and rollout
• Coordination with clinical departments, IT, and external service providers
• Ensuring integration into existing IT and process landscapes

Project scope: 310 person-days, team size: 21 members.

• Maintained a SaaS billing platform on AWS as part of the Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team.
• Played a key role in an AWS cloud migration project, implementing Terraform (IaC), creating CI/CD processes and pipelines, hardening images, upgrading tool versions, and developing scripts.
• Wrote documentation.

AWS Cloud migration:

• Design and implement CI/CD for deploying AWS resources using GitLab CI, Terraform, and GitOps.
• Create and configure DevOps toolchain including Jenkins, Harbor, and Vault.
• Deploy billing application, microservices, and supporting infrastructure services to Nomad clusters.
• Re-designed TLS/mTLS certificate management using Vault and Lambda.

Security (Infrastructure Hardening & Patch Management & Vulnerability Scanning):

• Managed multiple AWS accounts for Consul/Nomad/Traefik clusters (10–20 EC2 instances/account, ASG) and DevOps toolchain accounts (Harbor, Jenkins, Vault).
• Created hardened AMIs via Packer based on CIS benchmarks for Nomad, Jenkins, Harbor, and Vault; deployed using Terraform.
• Integrated Trivy via Harbor plugin for container image scanning.
• Implemented strict AWS VPC security group rules.
• Developed and maintained patching process across environments using Qualys and Wiz.
• Deployed Qualys Cloud Agent to all EC2 instances, tracked CVEs and tested patches in lower environments before rollout.
• Automated patch deployment across all AWS accounts using Terraform and GitLab CI and verified patch compliance via Qualys/Wiz dashboards.

• Baseline compliance verification against MAS audit findings
• Building technical architecture concept for 30 technologies to build hardening standard artifacts
• Identifying and building automation possibilities for given technologies based on CIS
• Building the standard baseline configuration based on internal security standard
• Responsible for building Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) architecture artifacts based on Azure cloud platform
• Responsible for RFQ and RFP for different CNAPP solutions (Qualys Total Cloud, CrowdStrike, Azure Security Center)
• Supporting compliance verification and validation via automated scripts for a sample population of IT devices and instances
• Responsible for complete vulnerability management lifecycle using Nexpose, remediation, reporting and integration of results with Splunk, HPSM and Tableau
• Audit support for MAS

• Evaluating and assessing the current state
• Preparing and conducting security audits
• Vulnerability characterization and risk analysis
• Assessing, coordinating and transforming identified vulnerabilities into target states
• Coordinating stakeholder interests
• Developing and implementing IT security strategy for OT and IoT (continuous risk assessment and risk management, awareness, multi-layered security solutions, regular security audits, access restrictions)
• Organizational and technical documentation, presentations and workshops
• Skills: Qualys, Splunk, Nessus, QRadar, National Vulnerability Database (NVD / NIST), Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP), OT, CERT/CC, BSI IT-Grundschutz catalogs, ISO 27001, MITRE ATT&CK, Center for Internet Security (CIS), GitHub, Active Directory, PowerShell, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Microsoft Azure and Office365 App Security, ITSM

• Set up and updated virtual machines for railway operations infrastructure.
• Used VMWare vSphere 6–8, Veeam Backup, Microsoft Active Directory, DNS, NPS, and WSUS.
• Used RedHat Satellite Server, rSyslog Server, Icinga2, Postfix, Tacacs, Ansible, and Ansible Automation Platform.
• Operated HPE rack servers and HPE Synergy blade servers with Meinberg NTP Server, Brocade FC, and Cisco Nexus 9000.

• Planning, documentation, installation, and configuration for customer projects
• Fortinet Firewall, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager
• Cisco FMC (Firewall Management Control)
• WLAN survey and report creation with the Ekahau tool
• Cisco Meraki
• Alcatel Switches
• Cisco Switches, Cisco Nexus Switches
• Project management with customers, SLA contracts

• Developed Red Team infrastructure for real-world attack simulations using Sliver C2 and custom tools
• Executed advanced Red Team operations, integrating AI/LLM security research for prompt injection attacks
• Conducted comprehensive breach assessment attacks and vulnerability assessments across enterprise infrastructure
• Performed root cause analysis and purple team exercises, generating executive-level reports
• Lead LLM red teaming initiatives to improve AI model security for GPT-4, Mistral, and internal GenAI models

• Conducting and evaluating workshops
• Advising on the selection of service providers
• Assessing and advising on the technical requirements for the following areas: M365/O365 client services, service desk, onsite support
• Evaluating service providers' presentations
• Reviewing cost estimates

• Operational management of the company: building teams and infrastructure, developing products, analysis and implementation of IT security measures

• Project assignments in the IT security environment focusing on establishing blue teaming activities (defensive processes and technologies) to defend against cyber attacks

• Conducting red teaming processes, including penetration tests and security analyses for companies

• Consulting on setting up Security Operation Centers and implementing SIEM systems, and building Computer Incident Response Teams (CSIRT)

• Auditor for ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, § 8a, ISO 27019, § 11 1a EnWG, TISAX

• Advising companies in critical infrastructures on information security and compliance with the IT Security Act

• Building SIEM/SOC processes and SOC analyst work (Splunk, ELK-Stack)

• Integrating data into monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana)

• Consulting on BSI IT baseline protection, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, BCM, ITIL and risk management

• Security assessments and penetration testing of IT and network architectures

• Converting WinXP/Win7 clients to Win10/11 with special soft & hardware (some 20-year-old systems with custom software and GBIP and KUSB interfaces, 32- and 64-bit systems)
• Researching special measurement system drivers from National Instruments, Keithley, Förster, MPhysik, etc.
• Minor source code adjustments (DLL integrations) in the software with support from the developer
• CMDB maintenance, use case creation, and documentation
• Registry changes for kiosk mode, auto logins, NetJoin, etc.
• Group policy adjustments and various admin tasks in Active Directory
• Azure AD support (group creation, 2FA/MFA, SaaS, self-service, access permissions, SharePoint)
• Installation and maintenance/documentation of anti-virus software, Cisco AnyConnect, Qualys, and Ivanti agent
• Ivanti ticket system/deployment (Endpoint Manager software deployment, patches, etc.)