Niels Aerts
Azure Architect
Experience
Jul 2025 - Present
7 monthsLeuven, Belgium
Azure Architect
Arvesta
- Implemented security controls across Microsoft 365 and Azure.
- Migrated Elastic SIEM to Sentinel with Syslog→CEF pipelines and custom rules.
- Integrated Palo Alto, Nasuni, Cymulate, and Veeam into Sentinel.
- Performed vulnerability scans and remediation planning.
- Supported AD security design and Azure PIM governance.
- Managed endpoint protection and data security across the estate.
- Executed backup and ransomware simulation tests.
- Advised IT and development teams on security best practices.
- Integrated SolarWinds logs into Sentinel for unified monitoring.
- Connected FortiGate devices to Sentinel with proper CEF mappings.
- Deployed Azure Defender for OT, including OT/IoT sensors and analytics.
- Integrated Cloudflare security logs into Sentinel.
- Configured SAP logging and monitoring within Sentinel.
- Set up GCP sinkholes and IAM logging pipelines into Sentinel.
- Built SOCRadar MISP integrations for automated threat intelligence enrichment.
- Developed Logic Apps for automated incident response and orchestration.
Mar 2023 - Jul 2025
2 years 5 monthsBrussels, Belgium
Security Specialist / Red Team
Euroclear
- Crowdstrike
- SIEM implementation
- XDR
- XSOAR workflow automation with Python
- Python scripting
- Dark web forensics
- Ethical hacking
- Firewall
- Proxy
- Splunk
- Rapid7
- SNOW
- Identity Access Management (IAM)
- Acunetix
- NIS2.0
- Incident response
- Endpoint detection
- SOCRadar
- Azure Cloud
- Azure architecture
- Defender for OT implementation from scratch
- Sentinel implementation from scratch
- On-duty call
- SAML
- SSO
- Cloud security
- CI/CD
- Nessus Tenable
Jan 2021 - Dec 2023
3 yearsBrussels, Belgium
Blue Team
Prime Minister of Belgium (The Chancellery)
- Microsoft Sentinel maintenance, management, and implementation
- AISaac
- Microsoft Endpoint Management
- QRadar monitoring
- CrowdStrike device management
- Cloudflare DDoS Protection management
- Nessus
- GDPR
- Python
- QKL
- PowerShell scripting
- F5 firewall
- Web application firewall (WAF)
- Security automation and playbook creation
- White hat hacker tools (Fiddler, Paros, Burp, Sqlmap, Nikto, Nmap, Wireshark) and source code analyzers
- Conducted onsite penetration tests
- Analyzed malware behavior, network infection patterns, and security incidents
- Analyzed cyber incidents worldwide
- Azure AD integrations and management
- Reviewed code for vulnerabilities in Java, C#, JavaScript/jQuery
- DDoS mitigation (24/7)
- Access Policy Manager (APM)
- Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)
- SSL Orchestrator
- Local Traffic Manager (LTM)
- DNS
- Web and API security protections
- Bot defense
- Cloud security
Jan 2021 - Dec 2021
1 yearBrussels, Belgium
Penetration Testing Lead
Appsys ICT Group
- SentinelOne implementation
- Microsoft Defender management
- VOIP security
- Firewall policy creation
- Physical firewall implementation
- VLAN creation
- Network security
- Malware analysis
- Managed Azure machines for security testing
- Penetration testing
- ISO-27001/GDPR compliance
- Onsite security with clients of Appsys ICT Group
Jun 2020 - Apr 2021
11 monthsParis, France
Security Automation Engineer
EDF France
- Developed a CI/CD-integrated test automation system for validating infrastructure as code (Terraform, Ansible).
- Wrote automated QA tests for Zscaler security configurations, phishing filters, and mail routing in MS Exchange.
- Created validation procedures for MISP integration and threat intelligence ingestion.
- Built automation routines for IPS signature testing across firewalled segments.
- Implemented email security testing covering DKIM/DMARC validation failures, malformed MIME handling, and spoofed sender detection.
- Built automation logic within XSOAR playbooks to validate test case completion and auto-generate QA reports.
Summary
I am an experienced cybersecurity consultant with a strong background in ISO 27001 compliance, risk management, and audit coordination. I’ve worked in high-impact, international environments such as Euroclear and the Belgian Federal Government, where I led internal audits, supported ISO/NIS2 implementation, and delivered secure automation processes using tools like XSOAR and Sentinel.
My technical foundation in cloud security, CI/CD, and vulnerability management, combined with my structured and proactive approach, makes me a strong fit for DHL’s information security compliance environment.
Skills
- Mitre&attack Experienced
- Pentera Experienced
- Crowdstrike Expert
- Splunk Skilful
- Elasticsearch Experienced
- Burp Suite Expert
- Acunetix Skilful
- Nmap Expert
- Openvas Experienced
- Rapid7 Metasploit Skilful
- Qualys Skilful
- Pentesting Expert
- Kali Linux Expert
- Ssl Experienced
- Proxy Zscaler Experienced
- F5 Experienced
- Cloudflare Experienced
- Quantum Computing Skilful
- Smart Contracts Expert
- Solidity Expert
- Rust Expert
- Python Experienced
- Kql Experienced
- Powershell Experienced
- Javascript Experienced
- Typescript Skilful
- Sql Database Expert
- Selinux Experienced
- Docker Experienced
- Apache Experienced
- Vmware Experienced
- Fedora Expert
- Centos Expert
- Qubes Skilful
- Tails Experienced
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Experienced
- Ubuntu Experienced
- Debian Experienced
- Microsoft Active Directory Expert
- Ms Iis Server 7 Experienced
- Ms Sql Server 2012 Skilful
- Ms Sql Server 2008 Skilful
- Ms Exchange 2016 Experienced
- Ms Exchange 2013 Skilful
- Ms Exchange 2010 Skilful
- Windows Server 2022 Experienced
- Windows Server 2019 Experienced
- Windows Server 2016 Experienced
- Windows Server 2012 Expert
- Windows Server 2008 Experienced
- Windows 11 Expert
- Windows 10 Expert
- Windows 8 Expert
- Windows 7 Expert
- Ci/cd Experienced
- Api Security Experienced
- Secure Code Expert
- Owasp Expert
- Socradar Expert
- Ai/ml Experienced
- Openai Experienced
- Go Experienced
- Yaml Experienced
- Blockchain Experienced
- Nessus Experienced
- Web3 Wallet Security Expert
- Iso-27001 Experienced
- Nis2.0 Experienced
- Dglv Experienced
- Gdpr Experienced
- F5 Firewall Expert
- Web Application Firewall Expert
- Ddos Expert
- Azure Ci/cd Experienced
- Azure Cloud Experienced
Languages
English
AdvancedDutch
AdvancedGerman
IntermediateSpanish
IntermediateFrench
IntermediateEducation
Oct 2018 - Jun 2021
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Bachelor · Network & Systems · Hasselt, Belgium
Certifications & licenses
AWS Solution Architect
Ai-102
Az-204
Az104
Cisco Endpoint Security
Ethical Hacker Techniques
Penetration Testing Engineer
AWS Advanced Architect
AWS Identity And Access Mangement
Az-304
Cisco Python Engineer
Expert Voip Security 3cx
Google Cybersecurity Expert
Sc-100
Sc-200
Sc-900
Web App Security Testing
Cisco CCNA
Cisco Cybersecurity Threat Management
Fortinet NSE 1
Fortinet NSE 2
Fortinet NSE 3
Certified Ethical Hacker
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