Nicholas Lear

Experience

Overnight Service Desk Analyst - AIROS (Formerly Kodiak Systems)

2022 – Present

Resolve software/hardware/network issues ensuring minimal downtime and secure operations for clients.
Configure user permissions and manage access controls, supporting the organizations' security/compliance.
Thoroughly document incidents and resolutions in ticketing systems, maintaining accurate records for future reference.
Recognized for efficient troubleshooting, clear documentation, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Projects

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC):

Tech Stack: Linux (Rocky/RHEL), Ansible, Nginx, MediaWiki, VPC Networking, Firewall (UFW/IPTables), SSH Hardening (key-based authentication), HTML/CSS, Certbot

Ansible Control Node
Hosting playbooks and inventory files, generally behaving as the control center managing the other systems listed here. (some example files available on my GitHub linked at top of the page)
Nginx Reverse Proxy Web Server
Filtering/redirecting traffic to the appropriate hosts. Hosts are not accessible except via this proxy.
Handles HTTP to HTTPS redirection and automated certificate renewal with systemd timers and services.
MediaWiki Server
Documenting everything I'm working on and learning within the VPC and made publicly available for anyone to use.
(Wiki linked at top of the page)
OwnCloud Cloud Storage Server
File storage and offsite backup of some of my local devices, only accessible from within the VPC, +99% up-time over 6 years.
This website you're viewing right now!:D
Taught myself just enough HTML and CSS to be dangerous and get this page created.

Tor Relay Node Deployment:

Tech Stack: Linux (Rocky/RHEL), Tor, Firewall (UFW/IPTables),SSH Hardening (key-based authentication)

Deployed and maintained multiple Tor Bridge Nodes, configuring network security, bandwidth limits/throttling, and hardening following best security practices in compliance with Tor Project guidelines.

Certifications

CompTIA Linux+
Valid through '26

CompTIA A+
Valid through '26

CompTIA Security+
Previously obtained

CompTIA Network+
Previously obtained

Education

A.A.S., Computer Information Technologies -- Security - Northampton Community College

Skills

Technical Skills:

Linux: RHEL/Debian and derivatives
System Administration: User/Group permissions, package management, cron, Bash/Python scripting
Networking: TCP/IP, DNS, routing, firewalls, cloud networking
Familiar with tools like Ansible, Cockpit, Rsync, Git, SSH, ServiceNow, FreshService, Apache, Nginx, MariaDB/MySQL, MediaWiki, ownCloud

Soft Skills:

Clear, concise communication with coworkers and supervisors
Continual learner, driven by self-improvement and love of technology
Excels at working efficiently, particularly when performing routine/regular tasks
Happy to work individually as well as in teams