Daniel Aherne

Daniel Aherne

From help desk to penetration testing. IT built on infrastructure I've actually run, not just studied.

Open to work
Hybrid, remote or on-site · County Kerry, Ireland
Daniel Aherne

Two years ago I was troubleshooting an iMac on a work placement.

Since then I've supported a live enterprise environment, helped prep an ISO 27001 audit, run fibre optic installs across active sites, taught the next intake at Kerry College, and built a full CompTIA stack along the way, from A+ through PenTest+.

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Users supported across a live enterprise environment
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Active certifications, from CompTIA A+ to site-safety credentials
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Years volunteering technical support in my community

Proof of work

A few things I've actually built, run and fixed, across the whole IT stack.

Liebherr Container Cranes
IT Support Technician Intern
Helpdesk and asset management at enterprise scale
Resolved helpdesk tickets and managed assets for a 900+ user organisation via Jira ITSM and ITAM: imaging, patching, deployment, edge network troubleshooting and remote desktop support across the fleet. Ground-level IT experience that most security roles skip past.
Liebherr Container Cranes
IT Support Technician Intern
ISO 27001 audit prep and Active Directory at scale
Assisted ISO 27001 security audit preparation and managed Active Directory access across a 900+ user enterprise environment: direct exposure to how information security frameworks actually get implemented, not just documented.
Kerry College
IT Specialist Instructor
A fibre splicing workshop, built from scratch
Designed and ran a specialist fibre optic splicing workshop for IT Support Technician students, covering industry-standard cable termination and testing on professional-grade tooling, backed by a City & Guilds Fibre Optic Technician certification.

Experience

Information Technology Instructor
Kerry College · Part-time
Mar 2026 – Present · 6 mos · Tralee, Co. Kerry · On-site

Invited to instruct on Kerry College's IT Support Technician programme after completing it myself and gaining enterprise IT experience supporting 900+ users at Liebherr Container Cranes.

  • Designed and delivered a specialist fibre optic splicing workshop, guiding students through industry-standard cable termination and testing using professional-grade tooling, backed by a City & Guilds Fibre Optic Technician certification.
  • Led CompTIA Security+ certification preparation and supported Microsoft MS-900 exam readiness, drawing on personal certification experience to coach students toward exam success.
  • Delivered technical modules covering network fundamentals, Active Directory access controls, Windows OS support, threat management and virtualisation.
IT Support Technician (Internship)
Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd.
Jun 2024 – Sep 2024 · 4 mos · Killarney, Co. Kerry · On-site

Hands-on enterprise IT internship at one of the world's leading crane manufacturers, supporting a workforce of 900+ users across helpdesk operations, network infrastructure and security compliance.

  • Resolved helpdesk tickets via Jira ITSM, handled asset management through Jira ITAM, and supported imaging, configuration, software patching and device deployment organisation-wide.
  • Managed Active Directory user and access management across a large-scale enterprise environment.
  • Provided remote desktop support to end users and troubleshot edge network connectivity issues.
  • Assisted with ISO 27001 security audit preparation, gaining direct exposure to enterprise information security frameworks and compliance processes.
IT & Administrative Intern (Internship)
Kerry Deaf Resource Centre (KDRC)
Feb 2019 · 1 mo · Tralee, Co. Kerry · On-site

Work placement completed as part of the Leaving Certificate, gaining early professional experience in an office environment.

  • Developed and documented a company training manual, uploaded to the internal system for future staff reference.
  • Provided technical support, resolving a hardware issue on an iMac by working directly with management to identify and implement a solution.
  • Collaborated with staff to support communication and engagement with deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

Certifications

From support fundamentals to offensive security, plus the site-safety credentials that come with working fibre installs.

Dec 2023 – Apr 2028
Feb 2024 – Apr 2028
Mar 2024
May 2024
Jun 2024 – Apr 2028
Aug 2026
Apr 2025 – Apr 2028
Apr 2025 – Apr 2028
Kerry College
Working at Heights
Oct 2025
Kerry College
Manual Handling
Oct 2025
Kerry College
First Aid Response (FAR)
Oct 2025
Kerry College
CSCS Safe Pass
Oct 2025
Kerry College
Confined Spaces
Oct 2025
Kerry College
Location of Underground Services (LUGS)
Oct 2025
Kerry College
Health & Safety at Roadworks
Oct 2025
Kerry College
IPAF Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP)
Oct 2025
Kerry College
Lorry Mounted Cranes (HIAB) Training
Oct 2025
Kerry College
Pole Top Rescue
Oct 2025

Education

Professional Certification, Fiber Optics
Kerry College
Oct 2025 – Apr 2026

Completed an intensive six-month City & Guilds Fibre Optic Technician programme, combining fibre optic installation expertise with a full set of industry site-safety certifications few IT professionals hold (listed in full under Certifications).

  • City & Guilds Fibre Optic Installation Certification
  • Working at Heights, Manual Handling and First Aid Response (FAR)
  • CSCS Safe Pass, Confined Spaces, Location of Underground Services (LUGS), Health & Safety at Roadworks
  • IPAF Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP), Lorry Mounted Cranes (HIAB) Training and Pole Top Rescue
IT Support Technician Programme
Kerry College
Aug 2023 – Jun 2024 · 10 months

Completed industry-recognised certifications and practical training in IT support, networking, cybersecurity and cloud technologies: CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900) and Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900).

  • PC hardware installation, maintenance and troubleshooting, Windows OS deployment and support
  • Network fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, LAN) and Active Directory user/device management
  • Microsoft 365 administration, helpdesk ticketing, remote desktop tools, virtualisation and backup/recovery

Volunteering

Information Technology Technical Support
Kerry Deaf Resource Centre (KDRC)
Apr 2018 – Present · 8 yrs 5 mos · Social Services

Voluntary IT support for the centre, assisting with technical queries and troubleshooting: computer setup, software and connectivity issues, and general technical assistance to support day-to-day operations.

Fundraiser
Kerry Deaf Resource Centre (KDRC)
Sep 2014 – Present · 12 yrs · Social Services

Assist with organised fundraising initiatives, including planned charity bucket collections, helping raise awareness and funding for services that support members of the deaf community.