My name is Mark Rutten, I am a seasoned freelance Linux Systems Engineer and open-source enthusiast with 28 years of hands-on experience in managing and optimizing Linux environments on-prem as well as in Google cloud.
My expertise spans both Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Debian-based distributions, making me proficient in a wide range of Linux systems.
I have worked as a sysadmin, Oracle database administrator, DevSecOps and Google Cloud Architect, at multiple MSP's and as a freelancer in my own company for over a decade. The broad knowledge I have gathered in IT, led to the decision to pursue my passion professionally, which is finding creative solutions to problems, otherwise known as hacking.
I'm currently expanding my knowledge by following the penetration tester career path at HtB. This supplements my skillset with that of a potential attacker perspective.
A detailed specification of my skillset can be found here.
An overview of my career in chronological order can be found here.
Throughout my career, I have demonstrated my ability to build and manage secure and efficient Linux-based systems, on-premise and in the cloud. Some of my notable accomplishments include:
I have a proven track record of designing and implementing secure Google Cloud environments from the ground up, following Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles. My comprehensive knowledge of GCP services enables me to architect solutions on GCP that are both resilient and cost-effective.
I am a member of the Google Cloud Insider Group. This is an invite-only community created by the Google Cloud Platform team, as a platform for professionals to provide feedback and find answers to GCP related questions.
I am well-versed in the use of Terraform and Ansible to automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration management. This automation not only improves efficiency but also reduces the risk of human error in complex environments.
My experience with Docker and Kubernetes enables me to containerize applications and manage them at scale, ensuring high availability and flexibility in deployment.
I have successfully set up CI/CD pipelines using Git, GitHub Actions, Cloud Build and webhooks, streamlining the software development lifecycle and enabling rapid delivery of quality code.
My career started as an Oracle Database administrator, a role I actively pursued for 12 years. For me, it was also the stepping stone to Unix and Linux, the latter, which in turn, fueled my passion for open source. To this day, I remain interested in databases, specifically the open source variants like MariaDB and PostgreSQL.
My career has taken me from Database administrator to Unix / Linux administrator to DevSecOps. This provided me with a broad skillset across many fields in the IT landscape. This has pushed me towards Cyber Security, an area in which broad IT-knowledge is mandatory. Pentesting / Red Teaming became the field I am now actively pursuing, and at the moment of writing I have not yet decided on a specialization.
My passion for learning extends beyond my professional life. I constantly seek opportunities for self-improvement through ongoing learning. I am dedicated to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and sharing my knowledge with communities.
Beyond technology my interests lie in the area of consciousness and bio hacking, to which I dedicate a major portion of my free time.
With a career spanning nearly three decades, I bring a wealth of experience and expertise in Linux systems, cloud architecture, DevOps and Cybersecurity.
My ability to build secure, efficient, and scalable systems has made me a valuable asset to organizations seeking to optimize their IT infrastructure. I am committed to driving innovation, automation, and excellence in all aspects of my work, and I look forward to applying my skills to new challenges and opportunities in the ever-evolving world of technology.
Thank you for considering me for your Linux and Google Cloud infrastructure needs. I am excited to bring my knowledge and experience to your organization.