Hire the Best Certified GIAC Security Experts

Information Security & GRC Specialist | Cybersecurity Product Manager | Risk & Compliance Consultant I am an experienced Cybersecurity and GRC professional with a proven track record in designing, implementing, and managing security frameworks, compliance programs, and risk management strategies across public and private sectors. With a strong technical foundation and a Master’s degree in Information Security, I bridge the gap between governance, compliance, and hands-on technical security. What I Offer: ✅ Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC): Policy, procedure, and control development aligned with ISO, NIST, SOC2, GDPR, PCI-DSS, Cyber Essentails, Essential 8, NZISM, NCA, SAMA, etc. Internal audits, control testing, and evidence collection for compliance readiness Risk assessments, vendor due diligence, and enterprise risk register management Awareness training programs development ✅ Cybersecurity Consulting & Technical Expertise: Vulnerability assessment & penetration testing (Metasploit, Nessus, BurpSuite) Security operations & monitoring (SIEM, IDS/IPS, NGFW, WAF) Cloud security (AWS, Azure) and virtual environments (VMware, vSphere) Malware analysis, intrusion detection, and incident response ✅ Product Management for GRC Platforms: Lead product roadmaps for compliance, risk, vendor, and policy management modules SME in embedding international best practices (ISO 27001, NIST, COSO, etc.) into product features Experience working closely with developers, QA teams, and stakeholders to deliver secure, user-friendly, and compliance-driven platforms Skilled in customer-facing demos, stakeholder engagement, and executive-level presentations Certifications & Credentials: Certified Information Security Manager CISM - ISACA ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer – PECB International Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management – IRM UK Certified in Cyber Security (CC) – (ISC)² GRC Professional – OneTrust HCIA Security – Huawei | CCNA Security – Cisco Plus certifications in Threat Intelligence, Python, and Network/Endpoint Security Why Work With Me? I combine strategic GRC expertise with deep technical cybersecurity knowledge—rare in the industry. Whether you need end-to-end compliance implementation, risk assessments, vendor security reviews, or product strategy for GRC and cyber security platforms, I can deliver with professionalism, accuracy, and a solutions-focused mindset. Let’s work together to strengthen your organization’s security posture, streamline compliance, and build trust with stakeholders.

🔍 Certified IS Auditor and Certified in Cybersecurity with a keen eye for IT security, IT Risk & Controls, SOC, ITGC, ITAC, compliance, and risk management. I specialize in evaluating IT systems, ensuring regulatory compliance, and strengthening cybersecurity controls (covering logical accesses, change management and IT operations) to protect businesses from threats and vulnerabilities. What I Offer: ✅IT & Internal Audit engagement (ISO 27001, NIST, COBIT, SOX, HIPAA, PCI-DSS) ✅Risk Assessment & Control Evaluations ✅ Cybersecurity Assessments & Compliance Checks ✅ IT Governance & Internal Control Reviews ✅ Security Policy Development & Implementation ✅ IT General Control Testing, IT Application Control Testing ✅ Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planning Why Work With Me? ✔ 5+ years of experience in IT auditing, SOC Assessment. Internal Audit, Cybersecurity, and Compliance ✔ Expertise in regulatory frameworks & industry best practices ✔ Strong communication skills—clear, actionable reporting ✔ Commitment to helping businesses secure their IT environment 💡 Let’s work together to strengthen your IT security, Business controls, ensure compliance, and mitigate risks effectively. Contact me today to discuss your project!

Cybersecurity GRC & Risk Analyst with 10+ years of IT and cybersecurity experience, specializing in security assessments, application risk, compliance, third-party risk, and security governance. I help organizations turn cybersecurity requirements into practical, structured, and auditable security outcomes. My experience includes: • Cybersecurity GRC and IT risk assessments • Application security and architecture assessments • Third-party/vendor security risk assessments • Security questionnaires and control assessments • Risk identification, findings, recommendations, and remediation tracking • Security controls and compliance mapping • SOC 2 / ISO 27001 evidence review and audit support • Secure SDLC and application security reviews • IAM, privileged access, authentication, encryption, vulnerability management, logging, incident response, API security, and backup controls • Security documentation, evidence validation, and audit-ready narratives • Risk registers, control matrices, assessment frameworks, and security governance documentation I also have a strong technical background in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Citrix, virtualization, networking, cloud services, and managed services, allowing me to bridge the gap between security governance and technical implementation. My approach is risk-based rather than checkbox-driven. I focus on understanding the business and technical environment, validating evidence, identifying meaningful control gaps, determining risk, and providing practical remediation recommendations. I'm particularly interested in projects involving: GRC • Cybersecurity Risk • Application Security • Third-Party Risk • Compliance • Security Assessments • Security Questionnaires • SOC 2 • ISO 27001 • NIST • Secure SDLC • IT Risk • Security Governance If you need someone who can understand both the security framework and the underlying technology, I can help.

I find the vulnerabilities in your web apps, APIs, and networks before attackers do, then hand your team a clear, reproducible penetration testing report they can act on. GXPN and GCIH certified. Top Rated on Upwork with 100% Job Success across web application, API, and network security engagements. No scanner dump and no jargon wall. Every finding comes with a severity rating (CVSS), working proof of concept, and a concrete fix your developers can ship. What I test: - Web application penetration testing (OWASP Top 10, PTES, NIST) - API security testing (REST, GraphQL, auth/OAuth, IDOR, broken access control) - SaaS and multi-tenant assessments (Supabase / Firebase data-isolation testing) - Network and external perimeter penetration testing - Source code / secure code review How I work: authorized testing only, on systems you own or have permission to test. Everything is documented over Upwork so you get a written record of every finding, not a verbal hand-wave. I retest after you patch to confirm the holes are actually closed. Credentials: GXPN (GIAC Advanced Penetration Tester & Exploit Researcher), GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler), SANS CTF winner, and an active national/international CTF competitor (web, reverse, crypto, forensics). I also handle WordPress malware removal and incident response. See my Project Catalog for a fixed-price option.

Trusted Advisor 🥇 🚀 Get Audit-Ready in 6 Weeks — Guaranteed. Confused by compliance? I translate complex regulations into simple, actionable steps. Whether you need to win enterprise trust with ISO 27001 or unblock sales with a SOC 2 report, I provide the fastest, most cost-effective path to certification. Why hire a consultant when you can hire a Strategic Partner? As the Founder of Axipro, I’ve led over 100 successful certifications in the last year alone. We don't just "give advice"—we handle the heavy lifting. 🛠 THE GRC TOOL EXPERT Are you struggling with your automated GRC platform? I am an official partner and power user of: ✅ Drata (Gold Partner) ✅ Vanta (Expert Implementation) ✅ Secureframe, Thoropass, Sprinto, Scrut, & more. I can help you get your progress running in record time and even provide discounted subscription rates through our MSSP partnership. 🛡 ONE-STOP COMPLIANCE SHOP - Policies & Procedures: Custom-tailored, audit-ready documentation. - Risk Management: Deep-dive assessments that protect your business. - Security Questionnaires: Get them off your desk and submitted in hours, not weeks. - Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testings: Remediation recommendations and detailed reports to improve security posture - CPA Attestation: We have in-house CPAs to sign off on your SOC 2 Type 1 & 2 reports. 🌍 GLOBAL STANDARDS COVERED ISO 27001, 9001, 14001, 45001, 27701, 27017, 27018, 42001 (AI) | SOC 2 Type 1 & 2 | HIPAA | PCI DSS | GDPR | FedRAMP | NIST CSF | CMMC | TISAX | HITRUST | SAMA NCA ⭐ WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING "Ali is a lifesaver. He got us SOC 2 certified through Vanta and saved us months of work." — Founder, Druxia (USA) "Knowledgeable, professional, and incredibly responsive. Ali got us across the line with Drata for ISO 27001." — Founder, Tilt Legal (AUS) 💎 THE AXIPRO ADVANTAGE 10+ Years Experience: Lead Engineer & Auditor minds

Information Security professional with 6+ years of hands-on experience in Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessment, Network Security, and Cybersecurity Management across banking, cloud, and SaaS environments. AWS Certified Security – Specialty, with deep expertise in Ethical Hacking, Network Administration, Firewall hardening, and Security Analysis for regulated industries. PENETRATION TESTING & ETHICAL HACKING Full-scope Penetration Testing engagements covering web applications, REST/GraphQL APIs, AWS cloud infrastructure, and internal Network Security perimeters. My Ethical Hacking methodology blends manual testing (Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Nikto, Metasploit) with automated Vulnerability Assessment tooling, grounded in OWASP WSTG, PTES, and MITRE ATT&CK. Every Penetration Testing report includes an executive summary, CVSS-scored findings, reproducible PoCs, and prioritized remediation. black-box, grey-box, or white-box Ethical Hacking — I deliver actionable Security Analysis your dev team can ship against. VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT & MANAGEMENT I design and operate continuous Vulnerability Assessment programs using Nessus, Qualys, Tenable, OpenVAS, and Wazuh. My Vulnerability Assessment process integrates with CI/CD and ticketing workflows. Combined with focused Penetration Testing, you get a complete view of your Information Security exposure. CLOUD, NETWORK SECURITY & NETWORK ADMINISTRATION Deep AWS Security expertise (GuardDuty, SecurityHub, Inspector, CloudTrail, Config, WAF/Shield, IAM) plus Azure fundamentals. I harden Network Security architectures with segmented VPCs, least-privilege IAM, hardened Firewall rules, and zero-trust access. My Network Administration background covers Linux server hardening, secure DNS, VPN setup, and day-to-day Network Administration of cloud and on-prem environments. Disciplined Network Administration keeps your Network Security controls operational — change management, patching, and Firewall lifecycle. Cloud Network Administration and on-prem Network Administration are part of every engagement. FIREWALL, IDS/IPS & PERIMETER DEFENSE Hands-on Firewall configuration across iptables, AWS Security Groups, AWS WAF, and Cloudflare. I tune Suricata, Snort, and Wazuh/OSSEC HIDS for real-time threat visibility. Whether it's a Firewall rule audit, Network Security baseline review, or Internet Security perimeter hardening, I deliver Firewall and Internet Security controls that block real threats without breaking UX. Firewall and Network Security tuning is core to my Information Security practice. INTERNET SECURITY & WEB DEFENSE End-to-end Internet Security architecture: WAF deployment, DDoS protection, TLS/HTTPS, secure DNS, bot mitigation, and Internet Security incident playbooks. I run Security Analysis on customer-facing Internet Security exposure and harden the perimeter. My Internet Security work draws on both Ethical Hacking experience and defensive Cybersecurity Management discipline. SIEM, SOC & SECURITY ANALYSIS Installed, configured, and operated 24/7 SOC environments built around QRadar, Splunk, and ELK. Strong Security Analysis capabilities — log correlation, threat hunting, alert triage, forensic investigation. My Security Analysis output is actionable: tuned detection rules, runbooks, and incident playbooks. Years of Security Analysis as an Incident Responder give me a defender's eye that sharpens my Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking work. CYBERSECURITY MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE Led clients through SOC 2 and FedRAMP audits as technical lead; prepared a fintech for PCI DSS. Working knowledge of ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS, GDPR, OWASP. I bring Cybersecurity Management discipline to engineering teams — building Information Security policies and Cybersecurity Management metrics that satisfy auditors without slowing velocity. End-to-end Cybersecurity Management for cloud-native organizations. DEVSECOPS & AUTOMATION SAST/DAST with SonarQube, CodeQL, Semgrep, Snyk, Trivy. GitLab CI/CD and GitHub Actions pipelines with embedded security gates. Threat modeling (IriusRisk). Python automation. Industries: banking & fintech, SaaS, cloud-native startups, regulated enterprises. WHY WORK WITH ME - AWS Certified Security – Specialty + Advanced Penetration Testing (INE) + Web Application Penetration Tester - Banking-grade Information Security and Cybersecurity Management experience - Clear deliverables: executive summaries, technical findings, remediation plans - Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessment, and Network Security treated as part of an ongoing Information Security lifecycle - Defender's mindset + Ethical Hacking skill = pragmatic Security Analysis recommendations that ship Need Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessment, Network Security hardening, Firewall and Internet Security review, or full Cybersecurity Management? Let's talk.