PMP-Certified Microsoft Cloud Security Architect

Saif Abdul Mabood

Toronto, ON 647-***-**** **********@*******.***

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

PMP-certified Solution Architect with extensive experience designing, securing, and delivering enterprise-scale IT and cloud solutions across Microsoft 365, Azure, hybrid infrastructure, and security platforms. Proven leader in translating complex business requirements into scalable, resilient architectures spanning identity, collaboration, endpoint management, virtualization, and SIEM/SOC integrations. Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams, managing large-scale programs, and delivering projects on time and within scope using industry-standard project management and governance frameworks. Deep expertise in Microsoft Entra ID, Intune, Purview, Sentinel, VMware, and infrastructure modernization, with a strong focus on security, compliance, automation, and operational excellence. Recognized for executive-level stakeholder engagement, technical leadership, and driving measurable business outcomes through modern architecture and disciplined program execution.

CORE TECHNICAL SKILLS

Microsoft 365: Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, OneDrive, Purview (DLP, retention, sensitivity labels), M365 Defender, audit & compliance reporting

Identity & Security: Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, Access Reviews, RBAC, Zero Trust, governance audits (CIS/NIST-aligned)

SIEM/SOC: Microsoft Sentinel (data connectors, analytics rules, incident triage/investigation, threat intel, automation/runbooks), log retention & cost optimization

Server & Endpoint: Windows Server 2008–2022, Group Policy, IIS, RDS/VDI, SCCM (OSD, app packaging, software updates), WSUS, SCOM

Virtualization / VDI: VMware ESXi/vSphere 5.x–6.5 (vCenter, vMotion, DRS, HA, SRM, VUM), Hyper-V, Citrix XenApp 4.5–6.5 / 7.x (StoreFront, Delivery Controller, PVS/MCS)

Cloud: Azure (IaaS VMs, VDI/WVD/W365, Azure IAM/RBAC, physical-to-Azure workload migration), AWS (EC2/EFS/RDS/WorkSpaces), networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, routing/switching, firewalls), DMZ troubleshooting

Linux: RHEL administration, LVM/filesystem expansion, SSH hardening/keys, disk quotas, baseline hardening.

Security Architecture, Governance & Compliance: - Zero Trust principles, Security controls mapped to CIS and NIST frameworks, Risk assessments, security posture reviews, audit readiness

CERTIFICATIONS

Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Project Management Professional (PMP)

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV 5.5)

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) – Server Infrastructure

Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) – Windows Server 2012

Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) – XenApp 6.5

ITIL Foundation v3

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) – SCCM 2012/2016

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Cloud / Virtualization Consultant Finastra

Dec 2022 – Present

Implemented and supported secure, scalable hybrid infrastructure across Microsoft Azure, Entra ID, and VMware virtualization, applying standardized configuration baselines and access controls aligned to enterprise architecture and governance standards.

Created and implemented a cloud landing zone on Microsoft Azure for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) as the secure, governed foundation for VDI workload deployment, aligned to enterprise security and governance standards.

Designed and deployed Microsoft Sentinel for centralized monitoring and alerting: workspace setup, ingestion architecture, connector onboarding, and integration with M365 Defender, Entra ID, Exchange, endpoints, and firewalls.

Executed disaster recovery failover tests with network teams to validate business continuity requirements for production workloads.

Administered VMware environments (80+ servers) supporting critical applications, including storage assignments (local/SAN), LUN requests, and VM lifecycle operations.

Investigated and resolved OS, network, and DMZ connectivity issues across hybrid environments, working with network teams to restore service.

Implemented cloud identity governance using Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, and Access Reviews, reducing privilege risk by enforcing least-privilege access patterns.

Performed governance audits and gap assessments aligned to CIS/NIST and Microsoft recommended practices; tracked remediation of identified configuration issues with stakeholders.

Delivered Intune-based modern management and Autopilot Azure AD deployments, reducing dependency on on-premises infrastructure; supported SCCM/WSUS patching and secure desktop delivery.

Led enterprise-wide Windows 11 deployment using SCCM OSD, improving deployment efficiency and standardization.

Designed and enforced GPO security baselines and Microsoft 365 configuration standards across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Teams, strengthening compliance in a regulated environment.

Validated Windows Server 2022 builds in a sandbox before controlled promotion to production, standardizing server build and deployment while using PowerShell automation to reduce manual effort and incident resolution time.

Systems Administrator Fairstone Bank

Aug 2022 – Dec 2022

Led Microsoft Sentinel deployment and operations: connector onboarding across Azure and on-premises sources, health monitoring, workspace performance tuning, and log retention with a focus on cost optimization.

Investigated and triaged incidents using investigation graph, entity mapping, and threat intelligence; supported incident response workflows and reporting.

Configured Microsoft Purview controls including DLP, retention policies/labels, and sensitivity labels across Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams to meet privacy and compliance requirements.

Implemented CyberArk for domain admin credential protection and coordinated vulnerability scanning and remediation using Qualys with monthly reporting.

Administered Linux (RHEL) servers including LVM/filesystem growth, quotas, and hardening; implemented SSH key authentication and migrated SFT to MFT.

Systems Engineer ONX Enterprise Solutions (Client: Economical Insurance)

Jun 2022 – Dec 2022

Implemented and documented Windows, VMware, and Microsoft infrastructure solutions for a regulated insurance client and provided SME support for project initiatives.

Implemented Azure Virtual Desktop for broker teams and supported Azure IAM/RBAC for resource access management.

Automated access deployment using KeyPass and streamlined provisioning for Oracle/SQL-based applications, reducing manual effort.

Supported IAM/AIM workflows including provisioning troubleshooting, policy implementation, and audit/regulatory support with BUISOs and system owners.

Administered SharePoint Online, Teams, and OneDrive, managing sites, permissions, channels, and collaboration governance.

Systems Engineer Bell Aliant

Jan 2022 – Jun 2022

Deployed Azure VDIs and supported operations; performed AD/Exchange cleanup and vulnerability remediation using scripting and standard tooling.

Delivered domain and browser modernization, migrating IE/Edge/Chrome settings to Edge Chromium via GPO, and developed PowerShell automation for policy deployment.

Applied security updates to on-premises Exchange servers and implemented Office 365/SharePoint Online enhancements.

Systems Engineer ONX Enterprise Solutions (Client: Weston Foods Canada)

Sep 2021 – Jan 2022

Supported domain migration using GPO/intranet redirection controls; deployed Hyper V and Azure VMs and migrated workloads from physical to Azure.

Migrated enterprise certificate services/certificates to Azure; generated CSRs and managed certificate import/export lifecycle.

Administered Citrix multi tenant environment; implemented MFA for Citrix Receiver/StoreFront and provided user support (printing, Windows issues).

Assisted Microsoft 365 operations: shared mailboxes, distribution groups, SharePoint site deployments, and email troubleshooting.

Systems Engineer Grant Thornton Canada

Oct 2019 – Sep 2021

Modernized server and endpoint estate: Windows Server 2008 2012/2016 migrations and Windows 7 10 upgrade support.

Delivered VDI solutions across AWS WorkSpaces and Azure; created host pools/resource groups and standard images, supporting onboarding and operations.

Engineered SCCM 2016 baseline, OSD imaging, software update groups, and distribution points; improved deployment consistency and patch compliance.

Upgraded Citrix environment to 1912 LTSR and implemented supporting services (licensing, StoreFront); resolved security findings (Rapid7/Qualys).

Implemented/maintained monitoring (SCOM) and vulnerability management reporting; built internal technical documentation and standards.

EARLIER EXPERIENCE

IFDS (International Financial Data Services) – Systems Engineer

Dec 2018 – Oct 2019

Built and managed Citrix VDI/XenApp applications using PVS/MCS; deployed 500+ VDIs for European client access.

Migrated Exchange 2007 mailboxes to Office 365; delivered SCCM App V packaging and patch deployments; supported IAM/CMDB processes.

TD Canada Trust – IT Consultant

Mar 2018 – Dec 2018

Supported SCCM/WSUS patching and secure enterprise desktop delivery; implemented Intune/Autopilot-based Azure AD deployments.

Designed and deployed MFA solutions for web-facing apps; managed AGPM and GPO standards (trusted sites, redirection, enterprise mode).

Deloitte Canada – Systems Engineer

Sep 2017 – Mar 2018

Delivered AWS/Azure services and DMZ architectures; implemented SCCM/SCOM, IIS, SQL 2016, load balancing, and ISO 27001-aligned documentation.

Supported Intune deployments, virtualization (VMware/Hyper V), and security tooling (Qualys, RSA tokens, Varonis).

Keous Solution – System Administrator

Aug 2016 – Sep 2017

Managed Office 365 portal for clients; operated Windows Server, ADDS, WSUS/WDS, SQL Server, RDS, and VMware ESXi upgrades.

Delivered application deployments/patching, backup/restores, and customer ticket handling (Freshdesk) under SLAs.

Bell Canada Enterprise – System Administrator / SCCM, VMware, Citrix, AD-DNS-DHCP

Feb 2010 – Aug 2016

Administered SCCM 2012 (OSD, packaging, collections, reporting), SCOM alerting, and enterprise patching; supported large server fleets and user populations.

Operated VMware vSphere environments (clusters, vMotion/DRS/HA, storage/datastores, migrations) and Citrix XenApp farms; performed AD/DNS/DHCP operations and audits.

Home Trust Company – System Administrator

Jan 2007 – Feb 2010

Upgraded Windows Server 2003 2008 R2; administered ADDS/DNS/DHCP/file/print/IIS and Exchange 2007; supported imaging (MDT/ImageX/Ghost).

Maintained Citrix XenApp 4.5/5.0, TS Gateway, and backup operations (NetBackup).

Virgin Mobile (Toronto) – Junior System Administrator

Feb 2006 – Jan 2007

Provided helpdesk and deskside support, AD account administration, printer support, and OU/GPO configuration for user/computer restrictions.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences (2004 – 2007) – Preston University, Karachi

Certificate (1 Year), System Engineering – Canadian Institute for Professional Studies, Mississauga, Canada

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