Denis A. RicardPractical Security, Networks & Automation
I'm Denis A. Ricard – an IT and network professional pivoting into Security Engineering and DevOps-style infrastructure work. For the last 25+ years I've been on the ground deploying, fixing, and upgrading real systems for real businesses, and I've backed that experience with a Cybersecurity Specialist Diploma (completed with a 4.0 GPA) and certifications like CompTIA; A+, Network+, and CompTIA IT Operations Specialist (CIOS), Cisco's CCNA (renewing), with Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+ still on the way.
This site is where I bring all of that together and showcase what I actually build and ship:
- Security-focused infrastructure: firewalls, routing, switching, Windows Server, and Linux, all treated with a security-first mindset.
- DevOps-style automation: using PowerShell and Python to cut down manual work and make changes repeatable and safer.
- Real projects and accomplishments: from home lab environments and secure remote access setups to email infrastructure and security tooling.
You'll find an Articles section where I'll post write-ups, blogs, and breakdowns of my projects — and, over time, short videos and walkthroughs to show what I can do and what I've already done in practice, not just on paper.
I'm not here to sell buzzwords. My focus is straightforward: design and support networks and systems that are secure, understandable, and maintainable — whether you're a small team or part of a larger environment that needs things to "just work" without becoming a disaster behind the scenes.
DevOps Automation
CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code
Network & Systems Administration
Enterprise networking and server infrastructure
Security Engineering & Hardening
Zero-trust security design and implementation