Network Security Engineer - Telco Virtual Firewalls

Practice / Domain
Cyber Security - Telco Cloud & Network Security
Experience Range
5 - 12 Years
Support Model
24x7 Operations (Telco-grade SLA-driven environment)

Role Summary
The Network Security Engineer is responsible for design, deployment, and operations of Telco-grade Virtual Firewalls (vFW) using Palo Alto technologies within Telco cloud (NFV/SDN) environments.
This role ensures secure traffic segmentation, high availability, and scalable firewall deployments supporting carrier-grade networks, VNF architectures, and multi-tenant Telco environments.

Key Responsibilities
1. Telco Virtual Firewall (Palo Alto) Operations

• Deploy, configure, and manage Palo Alto Virtual Firewalls (VM-Series / CN-Series) in Telco cloud
• Configure:
  • Security policies (App-ID, URL filtering, NAT, segmentation)
  • Threat prevention (IPS, Anti-malware, WildFire)
• Perform log analysis, traffic inspection, and threat detection
• Ensure policy enforcement across Telco network segments and trust zones

• Deploy firewalls as Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) in Telco cloud environments
• Integrate with:

• NFV orchestrators / SDN controllers
• Telco cloud platforms (OpenStack / Kubernetes)

• Configure and manage:
  • Routing protocols (BGP, static routing)
  • VPNs (IPSec, site-to-site connectivity)
• Perform deep packet inspection (DPI) and traffic flow analysis
• Secure north-south and east-west traffic flows in Telco networks

• Implement HA (active-active / active-passive) setups for virtual firewalls
• Support:
  • Geo-redundant deployments
  • Fault-tolerant designs aligned to Telco standards
• Ensure no service impact from VNF/node/site failures

• Monitor firewall health, logs, and alerts
• Perform L2/L3 troubleshooting for high-severity incidents
• Execute change, incident, and problem management (ITIL aligned)
• Collaborate with NOC, SOC, and Telco operations teams

• Ensure firewall configurations meet:
  • Telco security standards (ETSI / NFV guidelines)
  • Enterprise compliance requirements
• Support audits with logs, reports, and evidence
• Perform policy optimization, cleanup, and compliance validation

• Hands-on experience with:
  • Palo Alto Virtual Firewalls (VM-Series / CN-Series)
  • Panorama for centralized firewall management
• Strong knowledge of:
  • NGFW features (App-ID, User-ID, Content-ID, IPS)
  • Firewall policy design and segmentation

• Experience in:
  • Telco cloud / NFV environments
  • Virtual firewall deployments at scale
• Understanding of:
  • VNF lifecycle and orchestration
  • SDN-based network security

• Strong understanding of:
  • TCP/IP, BGP, routing, NAT
  • Network segmentation and Zero Trust
• Experience with:
  • VPNs (IPSec, SSL VPN)
  • Traffic analysis and debugging

• Experience with:
  • Multi-vendor Telco firewalls
  • Kubernetes / container security (CN-Series)
• Automation:
  • Python / Ansible / REST APIs
• Exposure to:
  • 5G / LTE network security
  • Cloud-native security controls

• Palo Alto:
  • PCNSE / PCNSA
• Network / Telco:
  • CCNP / CCIE (Security or Service Provider)
• Cloud / Telco:
  • NFV / Telco cloud certifications (optional)

• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills
• Ability to operate in high pressure, carrier-grade environments
• Effective collaboration across global teams (NOC, SOC, Engineering)
• Strong communication for client and stakeholder engagement

• High availability of Telco firewall services (carrier-grade SLAs)
• Secure segmentation and traffic isolation across VNFs
• Reduction in security incidents and faster RCA
• Improved policy compliance and audit readiness