Aviatrix wants to elevate the work of cloud networking heroes who labor to keep networks secure, effective, and performant. We’re proud to highlight people who have taught themselves the necessary skills, designed and managed successful networks, and have the expertise to share.
Our next hero spotlight is Mario Rodríguez Hernández, Multicloud Architect See our previous hero spotlights here.
Background: Self-Taught and Fascinated by Computers
Mario’s journey in computing began around the age of 10, when he started programming in BASIC on his Amstrad CPC 464. “From that moment, I developed a deep interest in computers, programming, networking, and everything in between—an interest that led me to pursue a degree in Computer Science,” he said. “One of the most fascinating subjects during my studies was Computer Networks, where I learned to configure DNS, routers, FTP servers, and web servers.”
After graduating, he began working as a Systems and Network Administrator across several companies, eventually progressing into project and team management roles. About five years ago, he became increasingly interested in cloud technologies and began retraining—mostly self-taught—with the goal of transitioning into a Cloud Solutions Architect role.
“With 20 years of experience in on-premises networks and systems, applying those concepts to the cloud felt like a natural evolution—especially in today's world, where seamless communication is critical in hybrid and multicloud architectures,” he said.
The Evolution of Networking and the Next Ten Years
Mario has watched networking go through drastic changes over his career. “I still remember one of my first networking challenges: connecting the branches of a retail company using 64kbps ISDN lines! It sounds unimaginable today, but back in the early 2000s, that was the standard for handling data transfers, email, and early web access,” he said.
Since then, he’s seen the transition to ADSL, MPLS networks, fiber optics, and the rise of technologies like QoS and VLANs. “Over the past decade, the advancement of both wired and wireless communications has enabled high-bandwidth services to thrive—though latency and user density remain key challenges,” he said.
Change will only continue. “From then until now, and certainly moving forward, effective bandwidth management, quality of service, and cost control remain foundational elements of good network design,” Mario said. “Looking ahead, I believe cloud networking will become even more abstracted, software-defined, and policy-driven—prioritizing automation, observability, and security at every layer."
Security and the New Paradigm
With the rise of cloud networking, security conversations have shifted. “Cloud has redefined the entire security and networking paradigm,” Mario said. “We’ve moved from a world with two basic zones—inside the perimeter and outside—to an environment where exposure is constant and built-in, requiring a zero trust model by default.”
He gave some advice to fellow networking professionals. “Implementing conditional access policies, DDoS mitigation, and protection against both known and unknown attack vectors has become essential,” he said. “These realities make it critical to design solutions with security as a foundation, not just as a layer added later.”
Mario also counseled a complete mindset shift. “Every component we deploy—services, interconnections, data storage, and access—must be built with security in mind and constantly monitored. Cloud security is no longer a secondary concern; it's embedded in every architectural decision.”
Controlling Costs Proactively
Mario also offered advice for another difficult area of networking: controlling costs. “Controlling cloud costs requires proactive planning,” he said. He named some key areas of focus:
Minimize inter-region and inter-cloud data transfers, as these are often billed at premium rates.
Avoid overprovisioning—don’t deploy redundant firewalls, VPN gateways, or load balancers unless truly necessary. Right-size your resources based on real demand.
Evaluate the cost-efficiency of native networking services (e.g., transit gateways, NAT gateways, VPNs), which can become expensive at scale.
Ensure full visibility into network traffic and usage patterns. This helps identify misconfigurations, inefficiencies, and underutilized components that inflate costs unnecessarily.
“Monitoring, automation, and continuous optimization are your best allies for keeping cloud networking costs under control,” Mario said.
The Network is the Cloud: A New Backbone
“To me, ‘The Network is the Cloud’ means that the network is no longer just the physical layer connecting systems—it's now the backbone that enables the cloud to function in all its forms,” Mario explained.
He explained the scale of this shift. “In traditional on-premises environments, the network was important, yes—but primarily focused on internal connectivity,” he explained. “In today’s cloud, hybrid, and multicloud architectures, the network is mission-critical. It directly impacts performance, availability, security, and scalability. Without a solid, well-architected network, the cloud simply can't fulfill its promises.”
This shift has changed the nature of Mario’s work. “As a cloud architect, I see every day how decisions around latency, bandwidth, segmentation, inter-cloud connectivity, and remote access deeply influence user experience and service efficiency. Everything is connected—and that interconnection is the network.”
Every networking professional needs to think differently in this world. “‘The Network is the Cloud’ also represents a mindset shift: from static, hardware-bound infrastructure to dynamic, secure-by-design, policy-driven architectures—where Zero Trust is no longer optional but a baseline expectation,” Mario said.
Outside of Work
Mario uses his time outside of work intentionally. “One of my biggest hobbies is learning new things,” he said. “I’m constantly studying and working toward new technical certifications—I currently hold over 60 active ones.”
To disconnect, he enjoys reading science fiction, fantasy, and horror books. “I also love playing both classical and electric guitar,” he said. “And when I need to relieve stress, I go for a run or play padel with friends.”
Curious about other cloud networking heroes like Mario?
We’ll keep highlighting networking professionals on this blog.
Learn more about the Cloud Networking Heroes program and apply on The Cloud Network Community.
