Hi, I’m
PRASHANTH B PILLAI
Cyber Security Specialist | Cloud & Enterprise Security Engineer
Hamburg
Summary
Cybersecurity specialist with 15+ years of experience in security architecture, cloud security, SIEM, database security, vulnerability management, and enterprise network security. Proven ability to design and implement security controls, secure cloud architectures, IAM/PAM solutions, and compliance frameworks aligned with NIST, CIS, PCI-DSS, GDPR, and HIPAA. Expert in AWS security services, DevSecOps, automation, and secure engineering, with a strong background in incident response and threat analysis. Adept at leading complex security projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and delivering scalable, secure solutions for enterprise environments.
Overview
16
years of professional experience
13
Certifications
4
Languages
Work History
Mindrift
Cyber Security Analyst – AI Trainer (Freelance)
12.2025 - Current
Job overview
- Conduct adversarial testing on LLMs to identify vulnerabilities including impersonation, privilege escalation, authorization bypass, and information disclosure.
Trellix Software India Pvt. Ltd.
Senior Software Development Engineer – Database Security
03.2024 - 12.2025
Job overview
- Designed and implemented virtual patching, vulnerability detection, and security controls across Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, IBM DB2, SAP HANA, and MongoDB.
- Conducted CVE reverse engineering using IDA Pro, Ghidra, Oradiff, and Beyond Compare to identify exploit paths and strengthen database security posture.
- Developed compliance content aligned with GDPR, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, CIS Benchmarks, improving regulatory coverage.
- Automated build and release pipelines using Jenkins, Groovy, Python, GitHub, reducing deployment time by 30%.
- Built an internal AI chatbot using AWS Bedrock with RAG for engineering troubleshooting.
McAfee Software India Pvt. Ltd.
Senior Technical Support Engineer – Security Products
10.2016 - 02.2024
Job overview
- Provided advanced support for SIEM, Database Activity Monitoring, and Vulnerability Management platforms.
- Led high-severity incident response, resolving performance, visibility, and security issues.
- Conducted source code analysis (C++, Java) to validate defects and collaborate with engineering teams.
- Built reproducible lab environments and authored technical documentation and KB articles.
- Delivered onboarding and refresher training for engineers; recognized as SME for SIEM and database security.
Dell International Services
Enterprise Technical Support Analyst – Network Security
07.2015 - 09.2016
Job overview
- Supported Dell SonicWALL NGFW, IPSec VPN, SSLVPN, NAT, and Port forwarding and firewall rule configurations.
- Integrated firewalls with AD, LDAP, RADIUS, TACACS, SSO for secure authentication.
- Resolved critical network security incidents impacting enterprise connectivity.
Wipro Infotech
Tier-2 PLM Engineer – Network Systems (Ericsson Engagement)
07.2012 - 07.2015
Job overview
- Delivered Tier-2 support for Ericsson SmartEdge routers in carrier-grade networks.
- Troubleshot PPPoE, BRAS, OSPF, BGP, ISIS, MPLS, L2VPN, L3VPN, IPv4, IPv6 & QoS issues.
- Analyzed ASIC card crash logs, core dumps to isolate software/hardware defects, reproduced critical ATM SARC defects for Telefonica Spain and Vodafone Italy.
CSS Corp
Network Engineer – Juniper TAC
07.2010 - 05.2012
Job overview
- Provided global support for Juniper M, T, MX series routers.
- Troubleshot routing protocols (OSPF,BGP,ISIS,RIP), L2/L3VPN, MPLS, Multicast, and hardware failures.
Education
New York University (NYU) Tandon School of EngineeringUSA
Master of Science (M.S.) from Electrical Engineering (Wireless Communications)
01.2008
L.B.S College of Engineering, Kannur UniversityIndia
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) from Electronics & Communication Engineering
01.2005
Skills
Security Platforms: Trellix SIEM, McAfee ESM, McAfee/Trellix Database Security, McAfee Vulnerability Manager
Cloud: AWS, GCP, Azure
Network Security: SonicWALL, Cisco ASA, Cisco Firepower, Cisco ISE, Juniper Routers
Databases: Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, IBM DB2, SAP HANA, MongoDB
Programming: Python, Bash, PowerShell, SQL, C, C#, Groovy
DevOps & IaC: Jenkins, GitHub, Ant, CloudFormation
Tools: IDA Pro, Ghidra, Oradiff, Beyond Compare
Compliance: NIST, CIS, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, IEC 62443
Frameworks: MITRE ATT&CK, OWASP Top 10
Accomplishments
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
- Trellix: Recognized by Senior VP for contributions to DBSec (2022)
- McAfee: Knowledge Crusader of the Quarter (2022)
- McAfee: SME of the Quarter (2019)
- Dell Technologies: Individual Business Performance Award (2017)
- Ericsson: Team Excellence Award
- Juniper Networks: World Class Engineer (3×)
- NYU: Graduate Assistantship Scholarship
Affiliations
- International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) — Certified Candidate (Candidate ID: 2956445)
Certification
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (2024)
Timeline
Cyber Security Analyst – AI Trainer (Freelance)
Mindrift
12.2025 - Current
Senior Software Development Engineer – Database Security
Trellix Software India Pvt. Ltd.
03.2024 - 12.2025
Senior Technical Support Engineer – Security Products
McAfee Software India Pvt. Ltd.
10.2016 - 02.2024
Enterprise Technical Support Analyst – Network Security
Dell International Services
07.2015 - 09.2016
Tier-2 PLM Engineer – Network Systems (Ericsson Engagement)
Wipro Infotech
07.2012 - 07.2015
Network Engineer – Juniper TAC
CSS Corp
07.2010 - 05.2012
L.B.S College of Engineering, Kannur University
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) from Electronics & Communication Engineering
New York University (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering
Master of Science (M.S.) from Electrical Engineering (Wireless Communications)
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Security Architecture & Engineering
- Cloud Security (AWS,GCP, Azure, Microsoft 365)
- SIEM, Database Security, IAM
- DevSecOps, IaC, CI/CD Automation
- Vulnerability Management & Threat Analysis
- Compliance: ISO 27001, NIST, CIS, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR
- Project Leadership & Stakeholder Management
Hobbies
Reading, Cricket, Football, Gym, Driving, Table Tennis, Running