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Infrastructure & Cloud Lead  ·  United Arab Emirates

AfsalPallikkara

CISSP Microsoft Azure Zero Trust

I lead cloud and security infrastructure for enterprises in the UAE. A decade of designing systems that hold up under scrutiny, built around Microsoft Azure, Zero Trust, and the kind of operational discipline that only gets noticed when it isn’t there.

0+
Years Experience
0+
Endpoints Secured
0+
Users Migrated
0+
Environments Delivered
AP
Afsal Pallikkara
Infrastructure & Cloud Lead  ·  UAE
CISSP Certified
ISC² · Information Security
Microsoft Azure
Entra ID · Intune · Defender Suite
Zero Trust Architecture
Conditional Access · DLP · MFA
United Arab Emirates
Al Ain · Abu Dhabi
Open to Advisory Engagements
Microsoft AzureZero TrustCISSPEntra IDDefender for CloudSentinel SIEMIntune MDMConditional AccessVMware ESXiDell VxRailCisco CatalystFortiGateCheckPointForescout NACPurviewAzure AVDVeeamXDRHyper-VRed Hat LinuxArcon PAMBCDRDLP Microsoft AzureZero TrustCISSPEntra IDDefender for CloudSentinel SIEMIntune MDMConditional AccessVMware ESXiDell VxRailCisco CatalystFortiGateCheckPointForescout NACPurviewAzure AVDVeeamXDRHyper-VRed Hat LinuxArcon PAMBCDRDLP
01
About

A Note On How I
Approach the Work

Most companies treat IT infrastructure as overhead. The strongest organisations recognise it as load-bearing.

Whatever you build today, the business will live with for the next ten years. Build it carefully. Trust before scale, always.

Over the past decade in the UAE, I have built cybersecurity programmes from scratch, migrated thousands of users to Microsoft 365, designed greenfield Azure environments, and rolled out Zero Trust architectures. Today I lead infrastructure and cloud for a multi-entity holding group, where the design decisions are mine to make from day one rather than inherit.

My role sits between the people building the systems and the people funding them. The work, in either direction, is keeping technical reality and commercial intent properly connected.

01
Zero Trust Architecture
Identity-first security across Conditional Access, Entra ID, and network segmentation. No implicit trust, anywhere.
02
Azure Cloud Infrastructure
Greenfield through enterprise-scale Azure deployments. FinOps, high availability, and governance designed in from the outset.
03
Microsoft Security Stack
Defender for Cloud, XDR, Sentinel, and Purview. Operated as one platform, not four separate tools that happen to share a vendor.
04
Enterprise Network & Datacentre
Cisco core, FortiGate and CheckPoint firewalls, NAC, and hyperconverged datacentres. The foundational layer everything else depends on.
05
Digital Transformation Leadership
Vendor management, team mentoring, and programme delivery. Translating technology decisions into outcomes the business can act on.

02
Technical Skills

Areas of Expertise

The tools and platforms behind the work. Selected from production environments, not coursework.

Cybersecurity & GRC
CISSPZero TrustRisk ManagementIncident ResponseComplianceIT Auditing
Microsoft Azure & M365
Entra IDIntune MDMDefender SuiteSentinel SIEMPurviewAzure AVD
Network & Systems
Cisco CatalystFortiGateCheckPointNetwork DesignWindows ServerRed Hat Linux
Security Tooling
Microsoft XDRForescout NACArcon PAMNessus / TenableCisco AMPWAF
Infrastructure & Virtualisation
Dell EMC VxRailVMware ESXiHyper-VCisco HyperfluxVeeamBackup & DR
Leadership & Management
IT OperationsVendor ManagementTeam MentoringProject ManagementDigital TransformationBCDR

03
Career

Professional Experience

A decade across UAE enterprises. Most recent first.

Jun 2025 – Present
Current Role
UAE · Holding Group
Greenfield Environment
Infrastructure & Cloud Lead

Leading infrastructure and cloud across a multi-entity holding group. A greenfield environment, designed from the ground up on Microsoft’s full enterprise stack.

  • Established the Azure Entra ID, Intune, and Defender baseline now operating across every entity in the group
  • Implemented Zero Trust across MFA, Conditional Access, and network segmentation. Attack surface materially reduced from baseline
  • Designed the compute, network, and security layers end to end. The foundation every subsequent system depends on
  • Mentor the infrastructure team and keep technology decisions aligned with commercial priorities
Apr 2023 – May 2025
UAE Enterprise
2 years 2 months
Infrastructure Specialist

Deployed the full M365 and Azure security stack and led a datacentre modernisation in parallel.

  • Deployed Defender for Cloud, XDR, Sentinel, and Purview as one integrated platform for threat detection and compliance, not four separate dashboards
  • Configured DLP, compliance, and privacy policies across M365, with Azure App Gateway and WAF on the perimeter. Met every applicable regulatory standard
  • Led the VxRail datacentre migration. 100+ VMs moved with minimal downtime
  • Decommissioned a substantial inventory of legacy infrastructure that had drifted out of active monitoring. Performance improved, attack surface fell
Mar 2022 – Apr 2023
UAE Enterprise
1 year 2 months
IT Infrastructure Engineer
  • Managed 100+ virtual servers across cloud and on-premises environments, maintaining high availability throughout
  • Tuned integrations behind customer-facing revenue systems and implemented network failover for applications that could not afford downtime
Apr 2019 – Feb 2022
UAE Enterprise
2 years 11 months
IT Infrastructure Engineer
  • Established the organisation’s first formal cybersecurity programme from the ground up
  • Deployed Forescout NAC and CheckPoint Next Gen firewall across 30+ IDFs, with real-time server replication for DR
  • Designed and delivered an ANPR smart parking system end to end. IoT integration for VIP and valet operations
  • Centralised backup on Veeam: daily to disk, monthly to tape, across the entire datacentre
Oct 2016 – Apr 2019
UAE
2 years 7 months
Support Engineer, ICT & Cloud
  • Migrated 1,400+ users to Office 365. Zimbra-to-O365 plus a tenant-to-tenant move. No critical incidents
  • Managed Exchange and Active Directory across Windows Server 2003 through 2016
  • Implemented VMware ESXi and Hyper-V virtualisation, including VMotion, Cluster HA, and significant server consolidation
  • Delivered the backend infrastructure for the Dubai Water Canal project: 250 cameras and 250 access points

04
Credentials

Professional Certifications

Credentials across information security, Microsoft cloud, networking, and Linux engineering.

AZ-900
Microsoft · Azure Fundamentals
Earned
SC-900
Microsoft · Security, Compliance & Identity Fundamentals
Earned
MCSE
Microsoft · Cloud Platform & Infrastructure + MCSA Windows Server 2016
Certified 2018
CCNA
Cisco · Certified Network Associate
Earned
RHCE
Red Hat · Certified Engineer
Earned

05
Featured Work

Selected Projects

A selection of work I take pride in. Engineered to keep running long after the launch.

Zero Trust
Enterprise Zero Trust Architecture, UAE Holding Group
Designed and deployed a Zero Trust framework across a multi-entity holding group, covering identity governance, endpoint compliance, segmentation, and continuous verification. Built on the full Microsoft Entra and Defender stack.
500+
Endpoints Protected
Zero
Critical Incidents Post-Deploy
Entra IDIntune MDMConditional AccessDefenderMFA
Security · SIEM
Microsoft Security Stack: XDR, Sentinel & Purview
Deployed Defender for Cloud, XDR, Sentinel, and Purview as one operations platform. Configured DLP, compliance, and privacy policies aligned to UAE regulatory requirements.
4
Integrated Security Layers
Real-time
Threat Detection
Defender for CloudXDRSentinelPurviewDLP
Datacentre · Migration
VxRail Datacentre Migration, 100+ Virtual Servers
Led a full datacentre migration to VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure. 100+ virtual servers moved with zero critical incidents. Business operations continued uninterrupted throughout the transition.
100+
VMs Migrated
Zero
Critical Incidents
VxRailVMwareHyper-VStorageNetworking
M365 · Migration
Office 365 Enterprise Migration, 1,400+ Users
Planned and executed a 1,400-user Office 365 migration. Zimbra to O365 with a subsequent tenant-to-tenant move, covering Exchange, AD synchronisation, and end-user change management. Zero critical failures.
1,400+
Users Migrated
Zero
Critical Failures
Microsoft 365ExchangeActive DirectoryAzure AD Connect
Network · Security
Enterprise Network & NAC, 30+ IDFs with Failover
Built and secured network infrastructure across 30+ IDFs with full failover. Forescout NAC for access control, CheckPoint Next Gen firewall on the perimeter. A high-traffic, public-facing environment under continuous threat.
30+
IDFs with Failover
NAC
Access Control Active
Forescout NACCheckPointCisco CatalystFortiGateNetwork Design
IoT · Smart Systems
ANPR Smart Parking System, End-to-End Integration
Designed and delivered an ANPR smart parking system end to end for VIP and valet operations. Integrated IoT hardware, networking, and software across a major public venue.
IoT
OT Integration
E2E
Full Delivery
ANPRIoT SystemsNetwork IntegrationSystems Architecture

06
Contact

Let’s Build
Something Secure.

Open to advisory engagements, architecture conversations, and remote consulting. Based in the UAE.

Open to Advisory
Available for Consulting Engagements
I take on a select number of advisory engagements alongside my primary role, focused on the areas below.
Zero Trust Architecture Review & Design
Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Advisory
Cloud Security Posture Assessment
Enterprise M365 & Defender Deployment
Cybersecurity Programme Development