Senior Service Reliability & Change Manager

Syed Raza

Bartlett, IL +1-314-***-**** *************@*****.*** linkedin.com/in/zakiraza U.S. Citizen PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Results-driven Senior Security Engineer with 20+ years of progressive experience designing, implementing, and maintaining technical security controls across infrastructure, cloud, SaaS, and endpoint platforms. Proven expertise in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Intune, Active Directory, network and perimeter security, identity & access management, and security automation. Skilled in baseline security configuration, cloud and SaaS security governance, security operations and tool administration, vulnerability remediation, and risk and compliance collaboration. Adept at evaluating emerging security technologies, supporting audits and risk assessments, and communicating technical security concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. CORE COMPETENCIES

• Security Engineering & Architecture: Security Controls Design Defense-in-Depth Zero Trust Least Privilege Security Baselines Secure-by-Design Threat Modeling

• Baseline Security Configuration (BSC): CIS/STIG-aligned Hardening Compliance Assessment Gap Remediation Control Selection & Implementation Guidance Exception Management Compliance Reporting

• Cloud & SaaS Security: Microsoft Azure AWS Microsoft 365 / SaaS Cloud Security Governance Conditional Access

Security Monitoring SaaS Onboarding & Assessment

• Identity & Access Management: Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) Azure AD Connect SSO MFA PIM RBAC Federation Provisioning / Deprovisioning

• Endpoint & Threat Protection: Microsoft Intune Microsoft Defender XDR Microsoft 365 Defender Microsoft Purview Check Point Harmony Endpoint Compliance Patch & Vulnerability Management

• Security Operations & Tooling: Qualys VMDR ManageEngine OpManager Endpoint Central Halo Security Mimecast SOC Collaboration Incident Response Threat Detection & Remediation

• Networking & Perimeter Security: Cisco ASA Check Point VPN (IPSec/SSL) Firewalls ACLs NAT DNS/DHCP Routing & Switching

• Automation, Scripting & IaC: PowerShell Python Bash Terraform ARM Templates Azure DevOps CI/CD Ansible Git

• Risk, Governance & Compliance: ITIL v3/v4 Change Management Audit & Risk Assessment Support Regulatory Compliance Security Documentation Cross-functional Collaboration TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Operating Systems: Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, Red Hat Linux, Ubuntu, Windows 10/11

• Security & IAM Platforms: Microsoft Entra ID, Azure AD Connect, Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Purview, Qualys VMDR, Mimecast, Check Point Harmony, Halo Security

• Cloud & SaaS: Microsoft Azure, AWS, Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams

• Networking: Cisco ASA, Cisco IOS, Aruba, Check Point, VPN (IPSec/SSL), Firewalls, VLANs, TCP/IP

• Scripting & Automation: PowerShell, Python, Bash, JSON, YAML, Terraform, ARM Templates, Azure DevOps, Ansible, Git

• Security Frameworks: Zero Trust, Least Privilege, Defense-in-Depth, CIS Benchmarks, NIST, STIG Alignment PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SMALLEY — Infrastructure Engineer Lake Zurich, IL Jun 2025 – Aug 2026

• Designed and hardened Cisco ASA firewalls, VPN tunnels, NAT policies, and ACLs to enforce enterprise network and perimeter security controls.

• Administered Microsoft Entra ID, hybrid identity, Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, and RBAC to enforce least-privilege access and strengthen identity governance.

• Developed and maintained baseline security configurations for enterprise technologies; partnered with technology owners to assess compliance and remediate gaps.

• Deployed Check Point Harmony and Microsoft Defender XDR for endpoint protection, threat prevention, anti- phishing, and behavioral detection.

• Configured Mimecast and Microsoft 365 Email Security with SPF/DKIM/DMARC, URL rewrite, attachment sandboxing, and impersonation controls to mitigate phishing and malware.

• Leveraged Halo Security scanning to detect, track, and remediate critical CVEs, misconfigurations, and exposed services across the attack surface.

• Administered and improved ManageEngine OpManager and Endpoint Central for security monitoring, patch management, endpoint compliance, and incident response.

• Automated security operations, reporting, and remediation workflows using PowerShell to improve detection and response times.

• Provided security consultation and design reviews for new projects and technology initiatives; collaborated with engineering teams to integrate security requirements into deployments.

• Supported audits, risk assessments, and compliance activities; contributed to security standards, procedures, and technical documentation.

• Communicated security risks, controls, and remediation plans clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. HEICO Companies LLC — Cloud Reliability & Security Engineer Chicago, IL Nov 2021 – Apr 2025

• Architected and deployed secure Microsoft Azure IaaS/PaaS solutions with availability zones, autoscaling, load balancing, and built-in resiliency.

• Designed hybrid identity using Azure AD Connect, Entra ID, SSO, Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, and enterprise RBAC models.

• Supported security controls and governance across Azure and Microsoft 365/SaaS platforms; assessed cloud services against security standards and best practices.

• Led enterprise Microsoft Intune/Endpoint Manager rollout enforcing device compliance, MDM/MAM policies, app protection, encryption, and conditional access.

• Hardened endpoint and identity security by aligning Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Entra ID security baselines to compliance requirements.

• Built CI/CD pipelines with Azure DevOps and implemented Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/ARM Templates) to standardize and secure cloud deployments.

• Designed and deployed Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters and containerized workloads with Docker for scalable, cloud-native applications.

• Administered Qualys (Enterprise Cyber Risk & Security Platform) for continuous vulnerability management (VMDR), asset discovery, compliance scanning, and threat prioritization across cloud and on-premises environments.

• Automated configuration management, patch orchestration, and security tasks using Ansible, PowerShell, Bash, and Python.

• Implemented enterprise monitoring and health checks to maximize uptime, detect anomalies, and enable proactive incident response.

• Participated in security initiatives, compliance assessments, and onboarding/securing of new cloud and SaaS technologies.

• Championed secure-by-design practices, security documentation, and security awareness across cross-functional engineering teams.

RevenueWell — Systems & Security Engineer Bannockburn, IL Jan 2021 – Oct 2021

• Strengthened system hardening, access controls, patching cadence, and data protection aligned with security and compliance objectives.

• Administered Microsoft Intune for secure endpoint enrollment, compliance policies, configuration profiles, and application deployment.

• Optimized patch management across physical/virtual servers and endpoints to reduce the attack surface.

• Automated user, group, and server administration tasks using PowerShell to streamline secure IT operations.

• Executed planned server upgrades, OS updates, and firmware changes with minimal business impact and full change control.

• Performed root-cause analysis, system diagnostics, and performance tuning to resolve security and reliability issues.

• Collaborated with Security, DevOps, and Application teams to enforce secure configurations and improve infrastructure reliability.

• Improved security processes, documentation, and runbooks to standardize support and reduce mean-time-to- resolution (MTTR).

Rightpoint — Senior Service Reliability Engineer Chicago, IL Oct 2019 – Mar 2020

• Ensured production reliability, scalability, and observability for critical business applications and infrastructure.

• Applied ITIL-aligned incident, change, and problem management to maintain service availability and security compliance.

• Monitored system health, logs, and alerts to rapidly triage and resolve security and infrastructure incidents.

• Collaborated with engineering teams on deployment readiness, rollback strategies, and environment stability.

• Promoted automation, standardization, and security documentation to improve service reliability across environments. Infogix Inc. — Infrastructure & Security Engineering Specialist Naperville, IL Apr 2015 – Apr 2019

• Designed and maintained enterprise Windows/Linux servers and core infrastructure services at scale.

• Administered Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and authentication services in a large hybrid environment.

• Enforced security controls, patching, and access policies to maintain a secure and compliant infrastructure.

• Supported virtualization, backup strategies, and system provisioning to meet business demands.

• Partnered with cross-functional teams on infrastructure upgrades, migrations, and security initiatives. Royal Cyber Inc. — Systems & Security Consultant Remote / Client Sites Nov 2013 – Feb 2015

• Delivered end-to-end infrastructure and security consulting for cloud readiness, identity, and migration initiatives.

• Implemented Microsoft identity, access management, and endpoint standardization for enterprise clients.

• Advised on security best practices, hardening, and scalable infrastructure design.

• Conducted security assessments, documentation, and knowledge transfer to client IT teams.

• Automated system builds, configurations, and reporting using PowerShell and batch scripting. Pacific Business (UK) — Tivoli Consultant UK / International Dec 2011 – Oct 2013

• Implemented IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for enterprise backup, recovery, archival, and data retention.

• Designed storage policies, schedules, media management, and disaster recovery procedures.

• Ensured adherence to data protection, RTO/RPO, and compliance requirements.

• Performed capacity planning, performance tuning, and troubleshooting for large-scale storage environments.

• Delivered technical training, client onboarding, and post-deployment support. Royal Cyber — Network & Security Administrator Remote / Client Sites Feb 2008 – Sep 2010

• Administered enterprise LAN/WAN, switches, routers, firewalls, and structured cabling for multi-site connectivity.

• Configured and maintained DNS/DHCP, VPN access, antivirus, and endpoint security policies.

• Managed Windows Server, Active Directory, user accounts, permissions, and file/print services.

• Monitored network uptime, bandwidth, and availability while providing Tier 2/3 security support.

• Maintained IT asset inventory, SOPs, and security documentation. SatComm Broadband — Network Engineer Pakistan Aug 2005 – Mar 2007

• Designed, deployed, and troubleshot broadband wireless and IP-based network infrastructure.

• Configured routing, switching, wireless radios, firewalls, and remote access solutions.

• Performed network diagnostics, link testing, throughput analysis, and fault isolation.

• Provisioned customer connectivity, monitored NOC alerts, and resolved network outages.

• Documented network diagrams, IP schemes, and security operating procedures. KEY PROJECTS

• Identity & Email Security Hardening: Implemented hybrid identity with Entra ID + Azure AD Connect, enforced Conditional Access & MFA, and hardened email with SPF/DKIM/DMARC, Mimecast, and Microsoft 365 Email Security.

• Baseline Security Configuration Program: Developed and maintained security baselines for Microsoft 365, Intune, Entra ID, and Defender for Endpoint; assessed compliance and tracked remediation.

• Endpoint & Threat Protection: Deployed Check Point Harmony and Microsoft Defender XDR for prevention, detection, response, and policy enforcement across endpoints.

• Cloud Security & IaC: Standardized secure Azure deployments using Terraform, ARM Templates, and Azure DevOps pipelines enforcing consistency and security controls.

• Vulnerability & Attack Surface Management: Leveraged Qualys VMDR, Halo Security, and ManageEngine to detect, track, and remediate CVEs, misconfigurations, and exposed services across cloud and on-premises assets.

• Unified Endpoint Management & Compliance: Rolled out ManageEngine Endpoint Central for OS imaging, automated patching, compliance enforcement, and remote remediation. EDUCATION

• MSc, Information Security & Computer Forensics — University of East London, UK

• BSc, Computer Science (Network Engineering) — Institute of Business and Technology, Pakistan CERTIFICATIONS & TECHNICAL TRAINING

• AWS Solutions Architect — Training (Completed Coursework)

• Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) — Training

• Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer — Training

• IBM Certified Deployment Professional — Tivoli Storage Manager

• LogicMonitor Associate

• IBM Aspera Technical Professional

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Methodologies: Agile, DevSecOps, Infrastructure-as-Code, Change-Controlled Deployments

• Focus Areas: Security Engineering Cloud Security Identity & Access Management Endpoint Security Baseline Security Configuration Security Operations Automation Risk & Compliance

• Soft Skills: Cross-functional Leadership Stakeholder Engagement Security Documentation Root-Cause Analysis Risk Mitigation Process Improvement Communication to Technical & Non-Technical Audiences

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