Bongani Mkwananzi

Experienced CyberSecurity, Network, and VoIP Engineer with over a decade of experience managing high-profile technical projects and leading engineering teams. Owner of Sekurisol, with expertise in PBX management, BGP peering, virtualization, and large-scale telecommunications deployments. Proficient in the design, configuration, and maintenance of network devices and firewalls, including Fortigate, Untangle, Cisco ASA, Firepower, pfSense, Opsense, Juniper, and Mikrotik.

Technologies worked on include proxies (Squid, Untangle), Asterisk PBX systems, and virtualization platforms such as Hyper-V, Proxmox, Xenserver, VirtualBox, KVM, and VMware, as well as containerization technologies like LXC and Docker. Adept at deploying Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) such as Zeek/Bro, Suricata, Snort, and Fail2Ban. Skilled in VSAT technology (KU-band) and systems monitoring tools such as Nagios, Librenms, CheckMK, Opsview, Netflow, and Openflow.

Extensive experience in network cabling, troubleshooting, wireless network support, disk-to-disk backup configuration, and documentation (e.g., "How-To" guides). Strong focus on customer liaison and support for seamless project execution.

Certified in EC-Council CISO (Certified Chief Information Security Officer), Cisco CyberOps, CCNA Routing & Switching, CCNA Security, Fortigate NSE4, Mikrotik MTCNA, MTCTCE, with additional qualifications from the University of Johannesburg in Cyber Security and UNISA in Customer Service Management.

• CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate - R/S
• Certified Chief Information Security Officer v1
• CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate - Security
• CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate - CyberOps
• Certificate in Cyber Security - University of Johannesburg
• NQ6 - Customer Service - UNISA
• MTCNA
• Fortigate NSE4 - Fortigate Network Security Professional

• Led the successful telecommunications migration for the City of Ekurhuleni, transitioning the city’s internet services from BCX to Voima Telecoms, establishing Voima as the primary ISP for all municipal services. This complex transition improved network performance and reliability across the city's critical services.
• Spearheaded the peering of the City of Ekurhuleni’s /24 public network block, significantly enhancing internet resilience and optimizing routing, leading to improved uptime and connectivity for municipal operations.
• Deployed and managed over 7,000 Yealink phones for key emergency services, including the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), ambulance services, clinics, and fire departments. This project ensured seamless communication for all emergency responders, boosting operational efficiency and public safety.
• Installed a state-of-the-art smart boardroom for the Africa Development Bank in 2019, upgrading their teleconferencing capabilities. The new setup allowed for enhanced virtual collaboration across multiple regions.
• Completed the installation of a cutting-edge conference room for Bushbuckridge Local District Municipality, significantly optimizing communication infrastructure for local government operations, improving decision-making processes and productivity.
• Integrated pfSense firewalls and Suricata IDS/IPS solutions across various client networks, enhancing their security posture by providing real-time threat detection and prevention through SELKS. This solution mitigated potential cyber risks while ensuring network availability and performance.
• Authored comprehensive process documentation and user-friendly "How-To" guides for Chronologic Solutions, Broadlink, and Hauwie Connect. These clear, concise documents streamlined customer interactions and technical procedures, leading to higher user satisfaction and operational efficiency.
• Awarded for exemplary service at Goodfellas for safely transporting over 1,500 customers and maintaining a flawless customer safety record.
• Supervised a team of 12 staff members, providing leadership, guidance, and fostering a productive work environment to ensure successful project delivery.
• Resolved a critical security breach by securing Voimar’s firewall and optimizing their VoIP configurations, safeguarding essential communications infrastructure.
• Upgraded and deployed a high-availability Proxmox infrastructure at Hauwie Connect, significantly increasing network reliability and reducing downtime for critical services.
• Troubleshot and resolved an emergency IPSec VPN issue for FMB Banks across Malawi, Botswana, and Zambia. This urgent intervention restored ATM operations across all three countries, minimizing downtime and financial loss.
• Led the installation of a smart conference room for the Africa Development Bank (AFDB), collaborating with international teams from Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and local contractors to deliver a fully integrated and technologically advanced meeting solution.
• Deployed multiple firewalls across numerous organizations, strengthening cybersecurity infrastructures and ensuring robust protection against cyber threats.
• Featured in the April 2019 Metrofibre Networx newsletter, receiving acknowledgment for outstanding customer service and technical support.
• Installed and handed over the Bushbuckridge video conference room, enhancing the municipality's remote communication capabilities and efficiency.
• Rescued numerous customer relationships by conducting onsite customer retention efforts and maintaining proactive communication, ensuring long-term partnerships and satisfaction.

Community Service and social cohesion initiatives involving skills development

• Community Service and Skills Development Initiatives
• Cultural preservation
• Human rights advocacy

I have played a role as the ZimCommunitySA spokesperson as well as Africa Diaspora Forum as Media and Publicity Executive Secretary. These roles have helped a lot of Zimbabweans and migrants on their human rights and access to documentation in South Africa