Sameeruddin Khaja
Systems Engineer
Hyderabad
Summary
Results-driven System Engineer with 14+ years of expertise in designing, automating, and securing hybrid cloud infrastructure. Proven ability to lead large-scale cloud migrations, optimize disaster recovery strategies, and enforce enterprise-grade cybersecurity. Adept at managing multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, OCI), automating workflows, and ensuring 99.9%+ uptime for mission-critical systems. Strong background in infrastructure modernization, cost optimization, and compliance.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
2
2
Certifications
4
4
Languages
Work History
IT Systems and Security Engineer
SAED International for Istigdam, Al-Dabbagh Group
09.2016 - 03.2024
- Led on-prem to cloud migration for file sharing and IAM, transitioning from Active Directory (AD) to Azure Active Directory (AAD) and Genysis, enhancing scalability and security.
- Managed multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, OCI) for workload distribution, ensuring cost-efficiency and redundancy.
- Automated patch management and system workflows using PowerShell, Python, and SQL, reducing manual tasks by 30%.
- Designed and managed air-gapped Veeam Backup solutions (TL 2000) for critical systems, ensuring 99.99% RPO/RTO compliance for DR/BC hot and cold sites.
- Administered Dell Storage (SAN/NAS) and PowerEdge 1000 servers, optimizing storage allocation and performance for VMware vSphere virtualized environments.
- Implemented XDR/EDR solutions (CrowdStrike, Kaspersky, McAfee, Microsoft Defender) for Azure and endpoints, reducing breach risks by 60%.
- Managed Windows/Linux servers and Citrix environments, ensuring 99.9% uptime and seamless application delivery.
- Configured and monitored site-to-site/client VPNs (SSL, IPSec, MPLS) to secure remote access for 500+ global users.
- Automated backup workflows using PowerShell and SQL scripting, streamlining data integrity checks and reducing manual effort by 40%.
- Managed firewalls (Fortinet, SonicWALL, AWS WAF) and IDS/IPS, hardening network security and blocking 95% of malicious traffic.
- Performance-tuned Microsoft Dynamics ERP systems, resolving bottlenecks and improving transaction processing speed by 25%.
- Conducted vulnerability assessments, gap analysis, and risk assessments to ensure compliance with ISO 27001/GDPR.
- Deployed Microsoft 365 solutions (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, MDM), centralizing collaboration and endpoint security.
- Oversaw budgeting, procurement, and vendor negotiations, cutting infrastructure costs by 15%
- Deployed monitoring tools ( Nagios) for proactive issue resolution, reducing downtime by 20% and implemented Spiceworks cloud ticketing system.
- Partnered with DevOps to optimize infrastructure for microservices architecture
IT System Analyst
Preparatory Year, King Saud University
02.2009 - 09.2016
- Administered a hybrid Windows Server 2008 and Linux environment, ensuring 99.9% uptime for critical business applications.
- Migrated 50+ physical servers to VMware ESXi, reducing hardware costs by 40% and improving scalability.
- Implemented Symantec Backup Exec for nightly backups, achieving a 100% recovery success rate during DR drills.
- Designed and enforced Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in Active Directory to standardize security settings across 500+ workstations.
- Resolved network latency issues by reconfiguring Cisco switches and optimizing VLAN traffic routing.
- Automated user account provisioning/deprovisioning using PowerShell scripts, reducing manual workload by 70%.
- Installed improvements and adjusted parameters to optimize functionality.
- Balanced resource allocation effectively by prioritizing projects based on their budgetary constraints, timeframes, and potential return on investment.
- Provided exceptional end-user support, resolving technical issues quickly and efficiently.
- Analyzed existing systems and databases and recommended enhancements to solve business needs
- Trained users and supported variety of problems with hardware and software.
- Performed root cause analysis on recurring issues leading to enhanced troubleshooting methods which ultimately increased overall system stability.
Disaster Recovery ConsultantS
SAED International for Istigdam, Al-Dabbagh Group
01.2024 - 05.2024
- Led a full infrastructure rebuild post-ransomware attack, restoring critical systems while implementing advanced security frameworks.
- Designed and deployed a hybrid infrastructure, integrating secure on-premise and cloud environments to enhance resilience and scalability.
- Conducted full forensic analysis and cleansing of all endpoints and networking equipment to eradicate persistent threats and prevent reinfection.
- Implemented air-gapped backups, ensuring an immutable recovery solution and reducing data loss risks to near zero.
- Deployed an XDR solution, enabling real-time threat detection, automated response, and a 90% reduction in dwell time for potential attacks.
- Strengthened endpoint security with advanced EDR, reducing malware reinfection attempts by 80%.
- Hardened network defenses with segmented architecture, strict access controls, and real-time threat monitoring.
- Established a robust disaster recovery plan, ensuring rapid restoration with minimal downtime.
- Trained IT teams on ransomware prevention and response strategies, significantly improving incident readiness.
AI Consultant
Third-Party Consultant for Ministry of Education
05.2024 - 11.2024
- Successfully completed Teacher AI project for Ministry of Education consultants, within short span of time.
- Developed methodologies, algorithms, and techniques used in the project such as machine learning ML, deep learning recurrent neural networks (RNNs), natural language processing NLP, Long Short-Term Memory
(LSTM) networks for sequence processing. - Collected various types of relevant data for preprocessing and did feature engineering to extract relevant information from the processed data.
- Designed a hierarchical LSTM model with attention mechanisms to capture both local and global context in the text for improved sentiment classification.
- Employed a combination of stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and Adam optimization algorithms for training the model.
- Evaluated the model performance using metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, achieving an accuracy of 95% on the test dataset. Then integrated these into a custom website as a chat bot for demo.
Education
Master of Computer Applications - Computer Applications
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
04.2001 -
Skills
Microsoft Azure Expertise
Amazon Web Services Expertise
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
VMware vSphere Management
Citrix Virtualization
Veeam Backup Solutions Expertise
Secure Air-Gapped Storage
RPO Compliance Expertise
Experience with Dell SAN and NAS Solutions
Dell PowerEdge 1000 Expertise
Experience with CrowdStrike XDR Solutions
Kaspersky EDR Expertise
Network Firewall Management
Intrusion Prevention Systems
SSL/TLS Protocols
PowerShell Scripting
Python Programming Expertise
SQL Database Querying
Software Patch Management
Virtual Private Network
AWS Web Application Firewall
GDPR Compliance Knowledge
Expertise in ISO 27001 Compliance
Vulnerability Assessment Proficiency
Experienced with Microsoft 365 Tools
Exchange Online Administration
SharePoint Content Management
MDM
Microsoft Dynamics
QuickBooks Experience
Cross-Platform Authentication Skills
Certification
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Training/Workshops
MCSE
CCNA
Security+
ITIL V3
Timeline
AI Consultant - Third-Party Consultant for Ministry of Education
05.2024 - 11.2024
Disaster Recovery ConsultantS - SAED International for Istigdam, Al-Dabbagh Group
01.2024 - 05.2024
Network Security Administrator
03-2017
IT Systems and Security Engineer - SAED International for Istigdam, Al-Dabbagh Group
09.2016 - 03.2024
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
08-2013
IT System Analyst - Preparatory Year, King Saud University
02.2009 - 09.2016
Kakatiya University - Master of Computer Applications, Computer Applications
04.2001 -
Kakatiya University - Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
04.2001 -