Arif Ali M.

I designed a Zero Trust security architecture for a mid-market financial firm that reduced their attack surface by 80% and achieved SOC 2 Type II certification in under six months. Over 20+ years, I’ve helped organizations across finance, healthcare, government, and tech secure cloud environments, pass audits, and avoid six-figure breach risks through practical, production-ready security design. 🛡️ CLOUD & ENTERPRISE SECURITY ARCHITECTURE I design end-to-end security architectures on Azure and AWS that align with real business risk, not just checkbox compliance. My engagements span Zero Trust network design, IAM strategy, cloud-native security controls, and threat modeling for organizations ranging from Series B startups to Fortune-tier enterprises. - Zero Trust Architecture (ZTNA, microsegmentation, identity-centric design) - Azure Security Center, Microsoft Defender, AWS Security Hub, GuardDuty - IAM & Privileged Access Management (PAM) - Network Security: Firewalls, SD-WAN, IDS/IPS, VPN, DMZ architecture - Cloud Landing Zone design and secure baseline configuration 📋 COMPLIANCE & GOVERNANCE (SOC 2 | ISO 27001 | NIST | CIS) I've guided organizations from pre-audit chaos to certification-ready in compressed timelines. I don't just hand you a policy template, I build the controls, close the gaps, and prepare your team to pass. - SOC 2 Type I & Type II readiness and audit preparation - ISO 27001 gap assessments, ISMS design, and implementation roadmaps - NIST CSF and NIST 800-53 compliance programs - Risk register development, control mapping, and evidence collection - Security awareness program design ☁️ MICROSOFT 365, SHAREPOINT & SYSTEMS INTEGRATION I've deployed and secured Microsoft 365 environments for enterprises with thousands of seats, architected SharePoint intranet platforms, and designed systems integration frameworks that connect legacy infrastructure with modern cloud services, without breaking what works. - Microsoft 365 tenant architecture, security hardening, and governance - SharePoint Online design, migration, and custom configuration - API-based systems integration and workflow automation - Hybrid Azure AD / Active Directory environments ✍️ TECHNICAL WRITING & PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT I translate complex technical architectures into documents that win contracts and drive decisions. My technical proposals have supported bids across federal and commercial sectors, and my research is published and indexed on Google Scholar. - RFP/RFQ response writing and solution narrative development - Architecture documentation, runbooks, and security policies - Cloud and cybersecurity whitepapers and thought leadership content 👋 WHY WORK WITH ME I bring the strategic thinking of an enterprise architect and the hands-on delivery of an engineer who has actually built, secured, and documented these systems in production. I communicate clearly, meet deadlines, and treat every client engagement like it's going into my own portfolio. Whether you need a full security architecture engagement, compliance readiness support, a technically precise proposal, or an expert who can write about cloud security in plain English, I'm ready to deliver.