Available for new opportunities

Steele Shaffer

// Endpoint Management Technician  |  IT Systems & Security Operations

Building cleaner, safer, and more manageable endpoint environments through automation, documentation, and practical security work. Turning messy infrastructure into something you can actually understand and defend.

Endpoint Management Vulnerability Remediation Active Directory / GPO PDQ Deploy & Inventory Arctic Wolf Windows Systems WSUS / Patch Management Security Operations

IT Professional. Problem Solver. Systems Thinker.

I'm an IT professional with a focus on endpoint management, vulnerability remediation, and operational systems support. My day-to-day work lives in Windows endpoint environments — deploying software, chasing down CVEs, troubleshooting policy behavior, and keep detailed deocumentation.

I got into this field because I genuinely like understanding how systems work under the hood. Not just the surface-level "it works" — but why it works, what breaks it, and how to make it less likely to break again. That curiosity drives a lot of what I do.

One of the things I care most about is bringing structure to disorganized environments. Whether that's cleaning up 100+ legacy GPOs, building an IP audit across thousands of devices, or writing documentation that actually explains something — I find real satisfaction in turning chaos into something manageable.

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences & Technology from Penn State, and I'm actively working toward Microsoft certifications to formalize and advance the skills I've been building in the field.

// Current Focus

Endpoint security operations, vulnerability management, Microsoft ecosystem administration (AD, GPO, Intune direction), and building cleaner internal processes. Studying toward MD-102 Endpoint Administrator.

1,400+
Endpoints Supported
100+
GPOs Analyzed
6.0
Risk Score Achieved
B.S.
IST — Penn State

// Environment

Healthcare IT — multi-site Windows environment, mixed hardware fleet, enterprise tooling stack including PDQ, Arctic Wolf, Meraki, WSUS, and Microsoft 365.

// Approach

Document first. Test before deploying. Build processes that others can follow. Communicate clearly about what changed and why.

What I Work With

🖥️
Endpoint & Systems Management
Windows 10/11 Endpoint Lifecycle Patch Management PDQ Deploy PDQ Inventory Meraki Systems Manager Software Deployment Remote Support
🔐
Security & Vulnerability Management
Arctic Wolf Vulnerability Remediation Risk Reduction Agent Deployment Security Monitoring CVE Research Endpoint Hardening Incident Review
🏗️
Microsoft & Infrastructure
Active Directory Group Policy GPO Cleanup WSUS DNS Troubleshooting DHCP / IP Documentation Microsoft 365 Teams / SharePoint
📋
Documentation & Process
Technical Documentation Infrastructure Diagrams Asset Tracking Process Improvement Troubleshooting Notes Change Planning SOPs
⚙️
Development & Scripting
PowerShell Java JavaScript SQL / MySQL CSV Parsing Internal Tools Automation Concepts

Projects & Highlights

PROJECT / 01
Vulnerability Management & Risk Reduction

Led remediation efforts across a large healthcare endpoint environment — improving scanning coverage, organizing risk data, identifying remediation paths, and reducing environmental risk through targeted patching and software cleanup.

  • Improved endpoint visibility and scanning coverage across the environment
  • Reduced average risk score from ~8.1 to ~6.0 through systematic remediation
  • Researched and remediated outdated software, known CVEs, and EOL applications
  • Worked directly with Arctic Wolf risk data and endpoint findings
Arctic Wolf CVE Research Patch Management Risk Reduction
PROJECT / 02
Arctic Wolf Agent Upgrade & Deployment

Worked through a complex agent upgrade involving legacy Group Policy software deployment behavior, MSI upgrade issues, event log analysis, and controlled redeployment testing across a production endpoint environment.

  • Investigated MSI Installer events and GPO application behavior in depth
  • Tested deployment with controlled security filtering to isolate behavior
  • Identified instability when mixing legacy and updated GPSI upgrade rules
  • Guided team toward a cleaner fresh-GPO deployment approach
Group Policy MSI Deployment Event Log Analysis Arctic Wolf
PROJECT / 03
Group Policy Cleanup & AD Structure Planning

Analyzed a legacy Group Policy environment with 100+ GPOs and helped plan a cleaner OU/GPO structure for better policy control, inheritance management, and long-term maintainability.

  • Reviewed legacy GPOs and RSOP / GPResult output across the environment
  • Identified risky, redundant, or outdated policy configurations
  • Proposed improved OU structure to reduce inheritance complexity
  • Built pilot-first testing plan to de-risk cleanup rollout
Active Directory Group Policy GPResult / RSOP OU Design
PROJECT / 04
Windows Update & Patch Management Workflow

Improved Windows update execution and visibility using PDQ Deploy, PSWindowsUpdate, WSUS, and Delivery Optimization — and documented the full process clearly so the team actually understood what was happening and when.

  • Investigated WSUS discovery vs. Delivery Optimization download behavior
  • Explained timing delays caused by GPO deferrals and WSUS sync windows
  • Used PDQ to trigger controlled, repeatable update workflows
  • Produced clear internal documentation covering the full update process
WSUS PDQ Deploy PSWindowsUpdate Patch Management
PROJECT / 05
Infrastructure Documentation & Network Visibility

Created and maintained comprehensive technical documentation covering network devices, IP assignments, VLANs, physical hardware, rack layouts, and site buildouts — filling visibility gaps that had real operational impact.

  • Audited IPs across many VLANs and thousands of documented devices
  • Updated rack/tower diagrams and physical asset information
  • Supported infrastructure planning for new-location buildouts
  • Improved visibility into both physical and logical infrastructure layers
Network Documentation VLAN / IP Audit Asset Management Meraki
PROJECT / 06
Risk Visualizer Tool (Java)

Built a Java-based internal tool to parse Arctic Wolf vulnerability CSV exports, organize and sort risk data, attach local notes, track remediation status, and export updated data — making raw vulnerability exports actually usable.

  • Java-based CSV parsing for vulnerability export data
  • Sorting and grouping of findings by severity, status, and category
  • Local note and status tracking for remediation workflow
  • CSV export for reporting and handoff
Java CSV Parsing Arctic Wolf Internal Tooling

Where I've Done the Work

Endpoint Management Technician
Current
Healthcare IT Environment  ·  Pennsylvania

Supporting endpoint management across a healthcare organization with 1,400–1,500 Windows endpoints across multiple sites. The work involves everything from day-to-day device support to longer-term infrastructure, security, and documentation projects.

I take ownership of technical problems and follow them through to resolution — not just the ticket, but the process gap behind it. A lot of my most meaningful contributions have come from identifying something that was unclear, undocumented, or broken, and building something better in its place.

  • Endpoint lifecycle management across Windows fleet
  • Software deployment via PDQ Deploy & Inventory
  • Vulnerability remediation with Arctic Wolf integration
  • Active Directory & Group Policy administration
  • WSUS / patch management workflow support
  • DNS, DHCP, and network troubleshooting
  • Infrastructure & network documentation
  • Multi-site user and system support
  • Meraki Systems Manager administration
  • Internal process improvement & SOPs
B.S. Information Sciences & Technology
Penn State
Pennsylvania State University  ·  Pennsylvania

Studied information systems, technology integration, and the technical and organizational foundations of IT. Built foundations in Java, SQL, systems thinking, and technical communication that carry directly into current work.

Always Learning

🎯
MD-102: Endpoint Administrator
Microsoft Certified — Active Study Target
In Progress
🔒
SC-300: Identity & Access Administrator
Microsoft Certified — Planned Next
Up Next
🛡️
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA — Future Consideration
Planned
🌐
CompTIA Network+
CompTIA — Future Consideration
Planned
☁️
CompTIA Cloud+
CompTIA — Future Consideration
Planned
📊
PMP
Project Management Professional — Long-Term
Long-Term
Career trajectory: I'm building toward a stronger foundation in Microsoft endpoint administration, identity management, and security operations. The goal is to go deeper in the systems and security space — not just know the tools, but understand the architecture behind them. Every project I work on is part of that path.

Professional Summary

// Summary

IT professional with hands-on experience in endpoint management, vulnerability remediation, and infrastructure support within a healthcare Windows environment. Focused on building clean, documented, and repeatable processes around the tools and systems that organizations depend on. Strong working knowledge of Active Directory, Group Policy, PDQ, WSUS, Arctic Wolf, and Microsoft 365 — with a growing focus on endpoint security and Microsoft certification paths.

// Core Competencies

Endpoint Management Vulnerability Remediation Active Directory Group Policy PDQ Deploy / Inventory Arctic Wolf WSUS Patch Management Infrastructure Documentation Process Improvement Meraki Microsoft 365 PowerShell DNS / DHCP

// Work Highlights

Endpoint Management Technician — Healthcare IT Environment, Pennsylvania

Managed and supported 1,400–1,500 Windows endpoints across a multi-site healthcare organization. Key contributions included vulnerability management and risk reduction using Arctic Wolf, Group Policy cleanup and Active Directory structure planning, patch management workflow improvement with PDQ and WSUS, and comprehensive infrastructure documentation covering VLANs, IP assignments, physical hardware, and site layouts.

// Education

Bachelor of Science, Information Sciences & Technology
Pennsylvania State University

// Tools & Technologies

  • PDQ Deploy & Inventory
  • Arctic Wolf
  • Meraki Systems Manager
  • Active Directory / ADUC
  • Group Policy (GPMC)
  • WSUS
  • Microsoft 365 Admin
  • PowerShell
  • PSWindowsUpdate
  • Java
  • SQL / MySQL
  • Teams / SharePoint
  • Visio / Diagrams

// Location

Pennsylvania
York–Lancaster Area

// Interests

  • Endpoint Security
  • Microsoft Infrastructure
  • Automation & Scripting
  • Internal Tooling
  • IT Process Design

// Want the full document?

Download Resume (PDF)

Let's Connect

Interested in working together?

Whether you're looking to talk IT, endpoint management, cybersecurity, or just want to connect with someone who takes this stuff seriously — feel free to reach out. I'm open to new opportunities, conversations, and collaboration.

⚡ Outside the Terminal

I enjoy pulling on technical threads until I actually understand how something works — not just that it works. That's as true in my free time as it is at work.

When I'm not deep in GPO analysis or vulnerability data, I'm thinking about cybersecurity trends, exploring automation ideas, or building small side projects. I have entrepreneurial interests too — trading cards, web projects, and whatever else looks like an interesting problem to solve.

I'm a Pennsylvania guy who takes his work seriously, communicates clearly, and actually cares whether the environment he leaves behind is better than the one he found.