Varun Chandak

DevOps and Cloud Security Professional

About Me

Experienced DevOps and Cloud Engineer professional with strong appetite for automation and security, with a focus on leveraging the cloud’s capabilities such as high availability and scalability. Capable of defining multi-cloud security architectural direction and guiding principles to align with the organization’s strategy and long term vision. Dynamic, results-oriented individual with a strong track record of performance providing technical, strategic and operational leadership in uniquely challenging situations. Offering 9+ years of experience in uniquely complex environments ranging from Linux servers setup to solutioning and architecting multi-tier cloud infrastructure.

I am most skilled in: AWS and Cloud Security and goofing around.

Skills

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
    • IAM, SSO
    • EC2, ALB, VPC
    • API Gateway, Lambda
    • ECS, ECR
    • S3, Glacier
    • Route53
    • RDS, DynamoDB, OpenSearch, Athena
    • Config, Security Hub, GuardDuty, WAF
    • CloudFront
    • CloudFormation
    • KMS
    • CloudWatch
    • CloudTrail, Organizations, Control Tower
    • Backup
    • CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CodePipeline
    • SES, SNS
    • Cost Explorer, Budgets
  • Google Compute Platform (GCP):
    • Cloud Armor
    • Cloud CDN
    • Cloud DNS
    • Load Balancing
    • Cloud Network
    • VPC
    • Stackdriver
    • Cloud Functions
    • App Engine
    • Compute Engine
    • IAM
    • Security Command Center
    • Cloud SQL
  • Microsoft Azure
    • Azure Sentinel
    • Azure Active Directory
    • Defender for Cloud
    • Defender for Cloud Apps
    • Defender for Endpoints
    • Log Analytics Workspace
  • Technical:
    • Shell Scripting
    • Terraform
    • GitHub and GitHub Actions
    • Jenkins
    • Google Workspace (GSuite) Management and Security
    • JIRA
    • Confluence
    • Slack
    • Linux, Windows, macOS
    • JAMF MDM Solution
    • Cloud Custodian
    • SOC 2
    • ISO 27001

Projects

Google Cloud Foundation Landing Zone

https://github.com/cldcvr/gcifi-lz
  • Provides a series of reference templates for Terraform stages and environments which reflect Google Cloud’s best practices
  • Templates are used to quickly build a repeatable enterprise-ready foundation in Google Cloud
  • Enables users to focus on deploying the applications on this pre-configured secure environment

Video Rendering Farm

  • Leveraged elastic compute power of AWS by launching a fleet of 50+ c4.8xlarge EC2 instances
  • Used proprietary software with in-depth integration with Linux
  • Using shared storage for rendering output
  • Tools: Thinkbox Deadline, Aspera, Maya
  • Technologies: Shell Scripting, AWS

Streaming Service on AWS

https://github.com/HOOQTV
  • This is for Asia’s leading video streaming service
  • Multiple monolithic services containerized on AWS
  • Terraform was used extensively for entire AWS infrastructure
  • Jenkins is used to create docker images and deploy on registry.
  • Automated deployments using Slack and Jenkins integration.
  • Periodic cost optimizations and resizing activity with minimal downtime.
  • Periodic security audits to fix and mitigate any security loopholes.
  • Periodic OS patching to fix and mitigate any vulnerabilities.
  • Monitoring APIs and services via NewRelic and RunScope
  • Tools: Jenkins, Slack, RunScope, NewRelic
  • Technologies: Shell Scripting, Python, AWS, NodeJS.

Migration from On Premises to Google Cloud

https://www.indiainfoline.com
  • This is for an Indian diversified financial services company headquartered in Mumbai.
  • The goal was to migrate core infrastructure and multiple websites from on-premise DC to Google Cloud.
  • Migrated core infrastructure and multiple websites from on-premise data-centers to Google Cloud, which included services such as Apache, MySQL, Solr
  • Successfully set up Windows Server Failover Clustering as a part of migration
  • Periodic cost optimizations and resizing activity with minimal downtime.
  • Periodic security audits to fix and mitigate any security loopholes.
  • Periodic OS patching to fix and mitigate any vulnerabilities.
  • Tools: Ansible, Shell Scripting
  • Technologies: Google Cloud

In-house Projects and Automation

  • Successfully integrated Google Workspace with in-house tools such as AWS, Azure AD, Slack, Jira, Confluence for automatic access control and auto-provisioning of IAM users
  • Leveraging Cloud Identity and Google Workspace, various applications that follow zero-trust principle and SAML 2.0 protocols have been set up so that access control is tied to the individual.
  • Taken initiative to drive automatic access to internal tooling when a user is onboarded in the identity provider.
  • Taken ownership to ensure org wide security best practices for tooling and public clouds.

Active participation in compliance and audits

  • Taken initiative to ensure the organization is compliant in various audits taken place, such as ISO 27001, SOC2 and HITRUST
  • Taken part in maintaining risk register and developing policies and processes by coordinating with HR and IT Teams

Installation of ConnectXF

https://skyconnect.mithi.com/
  • Setup multiple Linux machines and install Mithi’s product (ConnectXF) on client machines as well as in-house mail servers
  • Ensured the Linux machines are hardened and secured using industry best practices

Experience

CloudCover

Lead DevSecOps Engineer

Aug 2021 - Present

cldcvr.com
  • Responsible for detection and remediation of cloud security risks and gaps in a centralized fashion across AWS, GCP and Azure
  • Managing a team of 6 person, defining the KRA/KPI and providing guidance and career growth of the team members, resulting in 30% promotion
  • Leading a cross-cultured team of 5 person to implement policies and procedures across organizations’ auditing and compliance assessments
  • Responsible for SaaS migrations and best practices by coordinating with multiple business partners and stakeholders across different time zones
  • Implement new technologies for cloud platforms, software configuration and deployment, and security.
  • Designed and built reliable, scalable and high performing enterprise systems
  • Discovering restrictions in the infrastructure and software environment that reduce the effectiveness of the process.
  • Develop a roadmap for the modernisation of the architecture for customers along with planning and implementation.
  • Understand the requirements for CI/CD to design a comprehensive solution for clients, Product Managers, IT team, Operations team and other business requirement owners.
  • Explore and implement new technologies for cloud platforms, software configuration and deployment, and security.
  • Find innovative ways to speed up or synchronize processes, making them more seamless, and automating them for eternity.
  • Experience in the development of a roadmap for the evolution of the architecture for customers, planning, and integration of legacy environments into a transformed environment.

CloudCover

Senior DevOps Engineer

Feb 2018 - Aug 2021

cldcvr.com
  • Developed extreme automation on AWS/GCP/Azure, not limited to security.
  • Automations focussed heavily on different cloud environments using respective CLI/SDK/API.
  • Responsible for designing and implementing extremely scalable, resilient and high performing cloud infrastructure.
  • Understand the requirements for CI/CD to design a complete solution for clients and corresponding stakeholders.
  • Collaborate with different teams and other contributors to ensure compliance and risk management.
  • Implementing security best practices on AWS and GCP, adhering to the shared responsibility model of public clouds, along with auditing and security assessments.
  • Designed and architect solutions for clients to solve business problems in a cloud environment.
  • Architecting solutions on cloud and implementing secure, automated, scalable and highly available infrastructure as a hybrid cloud implementation.
  • Creating parameterized infrastructure as code for clients for easier deployment and scaling of infrastructure resulting in the redeployment of any environment with rapid turnaround time using Terraform or CloudFormation
  • Hands-on experience on on-premises to cloud migration.
  • Implementing and managing monitoring, logging and alerting solutions using AWS CloudWatch, Stackdriver, and Elastic Stack to resolve issues swiftly and create RCA for the same.
  • Implementing self healing environments by leveraging native cloud services such as CloudWatch Alarms, autoscaling groups and custom scripts.
  • Performing Auditing and Security Assessments, not limited to AWS or GCP.
  • Design and architect solutions for clients to solve business problems in a cloud environment.
  • Performing various proof of concepts scenarios for distinct client requirements.
  • Performing high level cost optimization activities on cloud to reduce expenditure by substantial difference.
  • Migrating from on-premises/private cloud to AWS/GCP cloud, coordinating with various teams to ensure minimal to zero downtime.
  • Creation of project documentation, presentations, blogs.
  • Interactive Messaging and ChatOps using Slack.

CloudCover

DevOps Engineer

Feb 2017 - Feb 2018

cldcvr.com
  • Application Monitoring using tools such as Nagios, NewRelic, RunScope.
  • Assisting customers on migrating their application from premises to cloud with unique solutions.
  • Automated deployments using CI/CD tools such as Jenkins.
  • Coordinating with different teams on multiple clouds and automation projects.
  • Cost Optimization using various open source tools.
  • Create reusable IaC using Terraform and CloudFormation.
  • Deploy, monitor and secure cloud infrastructure in multiple environments.
  • Managing AWS and GCP resources such as RDS, EC2.
  • Responsible for designing and implementing noteworthy solutions as per client’s requirements.
  • Source code management using Github
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Write bash scripts to automate repetitive day to day tasks, reducing manual effort.

CloudCover

SysOps Engineer

Feb 2016 - Feb 2017

cldcvr.com
  • Handling multiple instances, volumes and snapshots within a single AWS Console.
  • Hands on experience on different monitoring tools such as PRTG, Nagios.
  • Interact effectively with members of the various technical teams within the organization.
  • Monitoring, Managing and Troubleshooting the Network Infrastructure.
  • Servers migration from on-premises to Amazon Web Services (AWS).
  • Use AWS CLI and shell scripts to automate repetitive tasks.
  • Working with AWS CLI and shell scripts to automate repetitive tasks, thereby reducing manual effort
  • Working with customers on implementing and resolving cloud solutions and issues.

Mithi Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Systems Engineer

Apr 2014 - Jan 2016

https://www.mithi.com/
  • Addressing the performance bottleneck and ensuring maximum network and Server uptime.
  • Building and delivering stable, serviceable solutions in an independent fashion in regards with the company’s requirements.
  • Employing new technologies to solve difficult problems and issues using a given set of skills.
  • Handling multiple instances, volumes and snapshots within a single AWS Console.
  • Hands on experience on different monitoring tools such as PRTG, Nagios.
  • Interact effectively with members of the various technical teams within the organization.
  • Managing capacity of storage and NAS, such as FreeNAS, NexentaStor and related activities such as Disk Mirroring, scheduling jobs, etc.
  • Servers migration from hardware to cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
  • Servers migration from on-premises to AWS.
  • Setup ConnectXF (Mithi Skyconnect) on Linux platform.

Mithi Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Linux Support Engineer

May 2013 - May 2014

https://www.mithi.com/
  • Configuring servers for Mithi Hosted Email services and Addressing the performance bottleneck and ensuring maximum Network and Server uptime.
  • Delivering Monthly Technical Face-to-Face Training Sessions for clients In-Premise.
  • Monitoring, Managing and Troubleshooting the Network Infrastructure.
  • Preparing the remote client-site in a typical Distributed Multi-Server Email system.
  • Remote Installation, Deployment, Reconfiguration of product ConnectXF (Mithi Skyconnect) on Linux platform, configuring, monitoring and testing of Email Servers for a spectrum of clients.

Certifications

  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
  • AWS Certified Developer - Associate
  • AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
  • AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional
  • AWS Certified Security - Specialty
  • AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty
  • Google Certified Associate Cloud Engineer
  • Google Certified Professional Cloud Security Engineer
  • Google Certified Professional Google Workspace Administrator
  • Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900)

Education

B. Tech. in Information Technology

Poornima Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

2007 - 2011

A Little More About Me

Alongside my interests in technology and cloud engineering some of my other interests and hobbies are:

  • Bike Rides
  • Gaming
  • Working out
  • Table Tennis
  • Board Games and Cards
  • occasional blogging