Manoj Balachandran
*****************@*****.*** Home: 804-***-****
OBJECTIVE Highly motivated and experienced IT professional seeking opportunity to use innovative thinking
combined with technical, and business background to provide exceptional cost effective IT solutions in
IA and Security.
SUMMARY 9+ years of hands-on experience as system administrator in the Semiconductor industry; Proven ability to
balance competing demands for resources and adapt to changing priorities; Ability to deliver tasks on-time
and adherence to deadlines; proven ability to apply clear critical thinking in complex and stressful situations;
experience in working collaboratively with diverse teams in high volume production and creating project
charter, process flow diagram, and feedback loop before production release; Accessdata Certified Examiner
in Computer Forensics; Requirements Development, Project Management, Risk Management; US Citizen
and able to obtain Security Clearance
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Information Assurance & Cyber Security Lab Projects
Finishing up a Master’s Degree in Information Assurance with heavy focuses on Cyber Security and Information Assurance
applications with several hands-on lab projects in IA and Cyber Security
Requirement Development for APC System Administration (Advanced Process Control )
Developed requirements by leveraging engineering/manufacturing/other end users; successfully planned, installed, tested,
and implemented APC system in all thin film manufacturing tools within 3 months. This additional capability to collect
process data for trouble shooting process, and tool issues, resulted in huge cycle time improvements and 25% yield increase
on high volume DRAM manufacturing, resulted a savings in >1M.
Leadership & Project Management/Risk Management/Lean Manufacturing
Planning and implementation of various Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) installs, creating and maintaining
schedules, budget and resource allocations; Led a team of IT professionals and successfully designed, planned, installed,
tested, and released the E-Diagnostics system to all manufacturing tools (>500) resulted >1M/yr savings. Conducted periodic
risk assessment, ensure risk assessment policies and procedures cost effectively reduce the risk to an acceptable level. Cost
reduction project resulted in 200K/yr in saving in the CMP sector; received three patents awards.
Systems Administration
System Administration of Windows/Linux Servers; System integration; Evaluate readiness and supportability of complex
systems; Install, configure and maintain multiplatform systems hardware, software and components; Plan, develop, design,
integrate and maintain all computer applications; Plan and coordinate highly complex software and hardware for enterprise
release; Ensure systems conform to architectural objectives; Perform complex system problem identification and resolution;
Integrate security solutions into information systems; Monitor system performance to support capacity planning, backup and
disaster recovery planning.
WORK EXPERIENCES
Films and Metal tools Advanced Process Control Administrator – Qimonda NA, Sandston, VA 02/2008 – 05/2008
Reviewed thin films process systems capabilities, workflow, and developed requirement for APC system installations.
Securely planned, installed, configured, and managed APC on various operating systems, created implementation plans and
procedures. Maintained security and the overall data integrity of the system by implementing encryption on hard drives site
wide and protected the data in motion and data in rest, especially the patented process recipes (Intellectual Property). Keeping
the system compliant per policies to include backup and disaster recovery, perform software upgrades, apply server and
application patches; compliances on configuration control/version control of software. Provided 24x7 on-call off-duty
support for system interruption, keeping the equipment uptime >95%.
CMP Manufacturing Execution Systems – IBM, Hopewell Junction, NY 11/2004 – 07/2007
Function as a liaison for the program managers, user representatives, and developers for the Chemical Mechanical
Planarization (CMP)/Metrology Process tools manufacturing execution systems, defining and analyzing security
requirements. Designing, developing, and implementing security solutions to achieve business objectives. Performing risk
analysis to include, identifying, and periodically evaluating information security controls to mitigate risk to acceptable levels.
Monitoring of malicious activities within the intranet, backup and disaster recovery requirements.
E-Diagnostics Administrator – IBM Contractor, Hopewell Junction, NY 08/2002 – 11/2004
Requirements development of E-Diagnostics system with user feedback. Installed, configured, tested, and managed the server
operating systems and related tool sets and applications to implement e-Diagnostics systems. Perform system integration,
hardware and software installation, configuration and disposition of servers and workstations to support the architecture.
Managed access control to vendors, engineers, operators, and other users using the factory systems. Migrations, SW updates,
system maintenance, patches, anti-virus protection and implementing system security for optimum performance and security,
setup Cisco routers, switches and firewalls. Maintained, installed and tested different applications on Windows
95/98/NT/2000 and Linux based operating systems. Produced technical instructions and documents.
Network Engineering Student Intern – The Chubb Institute, White Plains, NY 09/2001 – 02/2002
Installed, configured, and maintained multiplatform systems hardware, software and components in Windows NT/95/98
Server, Exchange Server 5.5, Configuration of Outlook, and installation & troubleshooting of SW/HW problems,
Maintaining ghosting/imaging for servers; Plan, develop, design, integrate and maintain all computer applications.
TECHNICAL SUMMARY
Security: SSH, SSL, Digital Certificates, Anti-Virus Tools, NMAP, IDS/IPS, Snort, Wireshark, OmniPeek, Nessus
Scanner.
Systems: Windows Client Versions (all), Windows Servers: NT, 2000, 2003 and 2008, Linux
Networking: LANs, WANs, VPNs, Routers, Firewalls, TCP/IP
Software: MS Office, MS Project, Visio, Outlook, Active Directory, VMWare.
KEY SKILLS
DIACAP; Certification and Accreditation (C&A); Network & System Security; Risk Management; Vulnerability Assessment
& Mitigation; Authentication & Access Control; System Monitoring; Regulatory Compliance; System Integration Planning;
Multitier Network Architectures; Bi-lingual: English & Malayalam
EDUCATION
Master of Science in Information Assurance – Capitol College, Laurel, MD Present
CISSP Certification Training – Capitol College, Laurel, MD 2012 (Security + Certification scheduled 17OCT13)
Diploma in Network Engineering & Data COMMS – Chubb Institute of Tech., White Plains, NY 2001
CCNA Training – Sage Group Consulting and Training Center, NJ 2000
BA in Political Science, University of Kerala, India 1986
SPECIAL PROJECTS & VOLUNTEERING
IA and Cyber Security Projects–Capitol College, Laurel, MD 09/2011 – 05/2013
Designed secure perimeter architecture by implementing multiple devices to defend the network in depth to limit the
vulnerability, exposures, threats, internal and external attacks utilizing robust IDS/IPS, border routers, PII controls,
configuration management, and centralized network management.
Security Test Development project was to gain hands on experience with vulnerability assessment and penetration testing in
assessing the overall security of a test system in a lab environment utilized many hacking techniques and tools were used.
Vulnerability analysis and mitigation techniques were exercised.
Examined malicious software detection and malicious software defenses using tripwire and signature based detection
software techniques in virtual environment; Identified Viruses, worms and Trojan horses, logic bombs, and malicious
Common Gateway Interface scripts. Analyzed the anatomy of well-known viruses and worms and Mobile Code issues.
Remotely Accessed Virtual Machine (RAVE) to connect to VM’s; applied various aspects of incident handling life cycle.
Demonstrated the tools (FTK and EnCase) and techniques used in an initial response, determined the best course of action
regarding the search and seizure of digital evidence for Computer Forensics Analysis.
Apply internal security and enumerate the approach of a layered internal protection scheme for the goal to add protection to
achieve the best/optimal protection of trusted network hosts and to the data. Router/Server configuration changes; use of
analysis to rank the solutions by Return on Security Investment, based upon the risk to the environment mitigated by each
control recommended.
Cyber-Patriot Team Coach & 2nd Lieutenant Commander–Civil Air Patrol, St Mary’s County, MD 10/2012 – Present
Coach a team of Civil Air Patrol cadets for the national Cyber-Patriot competition to defend and identify the vulnerabilities
and threats on a simulated image.