Cloud Security Architect and Incident Response Leader

George Nkwonta

405-***-**** ************@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/george-nkwonta-504999185 US Citizen

Summary

Cyber Security expert with extensive experience in incident response, threat detection, and risk analysis. Adept at managing security programs and executing baseline assessments and risk management plans using industry-standard frameworks. Skilled in translating complex technical insights into actionable strategies for both technical teams and business leaders.

Core Skills

•Cloud Security & Platforms: Azure, GCP, Defender for Cloud, Azure Security Center, Microsoft Sentinel, Defender XDR

•Infrastructure & Automation: Terraform, ARM, CloudFormation, Ansible, CI/CD Integration, Python, PowerShell

•Security Operations: Incident Response, Threat Detection, SOAR Automation, Vulnerability Management, SIEM

•Governance & Compliance: NIST, CIS Benchmarks, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR

•Identity & Access Management: Entra ID (Azure AD), Conditional Access, MFA, RBAC, Privileged Access Controls

•Network & Endpoint Defense: Firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPN, Web Proxy, Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Identity

•Container & DevSecOps: Docker, Kubernetes Security, Secure CI/CD, Cloud-native App Hardening

Work Experience

Microsoft May 2020 – March 2025

Cloud Solution Architect Las Colinas, TX

• Designed and implemented cloud security architectures integrating Azure, Defender for Cloud, and Sentinel; reduced incident response time by 40%.

• Automated cloud incident remediation using SOAR playbooks, Azure Logic Apps, and Sentinel analytics rules, cutting manual response time by 60%.

• Built 20+ custom KQL threat-hunting queries and anomaly detection dashboards to enhance detection accuracy and reduce false positives by 35%.

• Integrated telemetry across Defender for Cloud, Purview, and XDR for unified cloud visibility and risk-based prioritization.

• Enforced Zero Trust principles through Conditional Access, MFA, and least-privilege access models in Entra ID and Azure AD RBAC.

• Conducted risk assessments, forensic investigations, and compliance audits aligned with NIST, ISO 27001, and CIS frameworks.

Microsoft May 2019 - May 2020

Customer Engineer Secure Infrastructure (Azure IaaS & Cybersecurity) Las Colinas, TX

•Delivered cloud security workshops and technical engagements for Fortune 500 clients to improve secure cloud adoption and compliance posture.

• Performed cloud security risk assessments and hardened hybrid IaaS configurations, reducing vulnerabilities by 30%.

•Collaborated with DevOps teams to integrate cloud security controls into CI/CD pipelines using IaC templates (ARM, Terraform).

•Led STRIDE-based threat modeling and incident simulations to strengthen enterprise resilience.

Convergys (Microsoft Contractor)

Senior Escalation Engineer High Availability

•Provided Level III escalation support for Windows Failover Clustering and virtualization, maintaining 99.999% uptime for global enterprise clients through expert troubleshooting and systems engineering.

•Conducted root cause analysis for critical failures, reducing repeat incidents by 30% through proactive fixes and knowledge sharing, demonstrating strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

•Mentored junior engineers and improved troubleshooting efficiency through documentation and training, enhancing team communication and operational consistency.

•Led performance tuning and availability reviews for clustered environments.

•Documented escalation workflows and technical fixes to enhance cross-team collaboration

Education

University of Dallas

Dec 2022

M.S., Cybersecurity

University of Central Oklahoma

Dec 2010

B.B.A., Management Information Systems

Certificates

•Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect

•Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

•Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate

•Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator

•Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)

•Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH):EC-Council

Dec 2011 - Apr 2019

Richardson, TX

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