Matawan, New Jersey
Senior Security & Network Engineer
Nicholas Gaydos
I design and run the security and network infrastructure that 45 organizations depend on — from three-person nonprofits to 150-user manufacturers. Ten years of building defenses that hold up in the real world.
10+
Years in the field
~45
Client environments
6
Industries served
4
Engineers led
01 Profile
Security architecture, built for organizations that can’t afford a security team.
Most of my career has been spent in the gap between enterprise-grade security and what a small or mid-sized business can actually operate. That constraint is the interesting part — designing a stack that’s genuinely defensible, then making it something a four-person team can run across dozens of environments without it falling over.
At The Connection, Inc. I built the company’s managed security offering end to end: endpoint detection and response, SIEM, firewall and VPN architecture, network segmentation, and backup. It started as an internal standard and became a service line that changed what the business could sell.
The other half of the job is translation — turning what’s technically true into something a business owner can make a decision about. Risk assessments, remediation roadmaps, policy, audit prep, and the client conversations that come with all of it.
Network Engineer
network architecture
Healthcare · Manufacturing
Construction · Nonprofit
Members Alliance
02 What I Do
Six things I get called for.
The work tends to fall into these buckets, and they usually arrive tangled together.
Managed Security Architecture
EDR/MDR with SentinelOne and a 24/7 SOC, Blumira SIEM, firewall and VPN design, immutable backup. Designed as one system, not a pile of tools.
Network Engineering
Segmented networks built on VLANs and access control, UniFi firewall and switching estates, site-to-site and remote VPN, physical security integration.
Cloud & Infrastructure
Microsoft 365 and Active Directory administration, Windows Server and Hyper-V, and the migrations that move organizations off aging on-prem estates.
Risk, Policy & Audit Readiness
Risk assessments, remediation planning, security documentation and policy development, and getting organizations ready for the audit before it arrives.
Team Leadership & Escalation
Senior escalation point for a four-person technical team, plus the mentoring, standards, and process work that keeps quality consistent across clients.
Technical → Business Translation
Service positioning, client-facing messaging, and working with marketing and sales to turn engineering capability into something buyable.
03 Experience
Where the time went.
2015 — PRESENT
The Connection, Inc.
Hazlet, NJ
Senior Security and Network Engineer
- Lead a four-person technical team delivering security, network, and systems services to roughly 45 clients across accounting, legal, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and nonprofit — environments from 3 to 150 users.
- Designed the company’s end-to-end managed security stack: UniFi firewalls, VPN and physical security; SentinelOne with ConnectWise SOC for EDR/MDR; Blumira SIEM; Datto backup.
- Turned that stack into a higher-value managed offering that materially expanded revenue beyond traditional MSP services.
- Architect segmented networks using VLANs and related controls; lead risk assessments, remediation planning, security documentation, policy development, and audit readiness.
- Administer Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Windows Server, ConnectWise Automate, and Hyper-V while leading client transitions toward cloud services.
- Serve as senior escalation point and mentor, and translate technical capability into business development strategy, service positioning, and client-facing messaging.
2016 — 2017
Independent
Central NJ
Part-Time IT Consultant — Startups & Small Businesses
- Assessed operational needs for startups and small businesses and recommended practical infrastructure, cloud, and growth solutions.
- Implemented hosted email, HubSpot CRM, Amazon SES, DNS management, website hosting, networking, and core business technology.
- Supported system upgrades, network installations, software deployments, and cloud adoption to improve scalability and cost efficiency.
04 Credentials
Training, certifications, and affiliations.
Computer Networking and Support
Windows System Administration emphasis · Lincoln Technical Institute
Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Engineers (CCFE)
ConnectWise
TestOut Network Pro
Network infrastructure certification
TestOut PC Pro
Systems hardware and support certification
Black Sky Exercise Participant
Imagining, Preventing and Mitigating Terrorist Threats · InfraGard
InfraGard — New Jersey Members Alliance
FBI public-private partnership for critical infrastructure protection
05 Writing & Media
Occasionally in print.
October Is Cyber-Security Month: Two-Factor Authentication and What It’s All About
The Connection, Inc. Celebrates Cybersecurity Awareness Month With Expert Panel at Holmdel’s Bell Works
06 Contact
Let’s talk.
Whether it’s a security question, a networking introduction, or something you’re trying to figure out — I’m reachable. Email is the surest way to reach me.