IMRAN Sarwar
Al-Jubail,Saudi Arabia
Summary
Experienced Network Security Specialist with extensive expertise in configuring and managing Palo Alto firewalls, including PAN-OS, security policies, and threat prevention features. Proficient in traffic analysis, VPN configuration, high availability setups, and network security architecture. Skilled in incident response, network monitoring with tools like Wireshark , and implementing IDS/IPS technologies. Adept at configuring Cisco ASA, Forti Gate and Check Point firewalls, as well as Cloudflare WAF for web application protection. Strong understanding of network protocols, routing and switching with Cisco devices, and wireless networks deployment. Committed to enhancing network security through advanced threat detection and secure communication protocols.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
4016
4016
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Senior Network Infrastructure Security (Team Lead)
Sahara international petrochemical company
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
06.2022 - 01.2025
Company Overview: Wipro Arabia Ltd
Network Infrastructure Security
Saudi Aramco Smart City
Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
10.2021 - 05.2022
Company Overview: Wipro Arabia Ltd
Senior Network Security Specialist (Consultant)
ArcelorMittal Consultant
Jubail
10.2020 - 10.2021
Company Overview: Wipro Arabia Ltd
Senior Network Security Specialist
STC (Saudi Telecom) NOC
Riyadh
08.2017 - 06.2020
Company Overview: Linksystems
Network Engineer /Section Head
KAFD (King Abdullah Financial District)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
07.2010 - 05.2017
- Company Overview: Employer Saudi Bin Laden
Network Administrator, Customer Support Manager
Seder Group
Riyadh
01.2008 - 05.2010
- Company Overview: ProMax
Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) -
Punjab University
PakistanDiploma - Computer Network Technician
Emirates Institute of Technology
PakistanSkills
- Expertise in setting up, configuring, and managing Palo Alto firewalls (hardware and virtual)
- Experience with Palo Alto PAN-OS configuration
- Proficient in creating and managing security policies, NAT policies, and App-ID to ensure secure access control
- Palo Alto Threat Prevention & Security Features:Familiar with advanced threat protection features, including Threat Prevention, Anti-Spyware, URL Filtering, DNS Security, WildFire (cloud-based malware analysis), and Data Filtering
- Traffic Analysis & Logging:Proficient in reviewing firewall logs and identifying network traffic patterns
Ability to analyze and troubleshoot using Palo Alto’s Panorama and Traffic Logs
VPN Configuration & Site-to-Site VPNs: - Experience with setting up and troubleshooting IPsec VPN and GlobalProtect for secure remote access
- Knowledge of configuring SSL VPN and understanding site-to-site VPN between remote networks
- Configuring and managing High Availability (HA) between multiple Palo Alto devices for redundancy and failoverNetwork Security Architecture:Strong understanding of network security fundamentals such as firewalling, VPNs, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), network segmentation, and Access Control Lists (ACLs)
Designing secure network architectures and demilitarized zones (DMZ) using firewalls and other security technologies - Incident Response & Troubleshooting:Ability to handle security incidents, including detecting and mitigating security breaches
Experience with forensic analysis of network traffic and logs to identify security vulnerabilities and incidents
Palo Alto Configuration & Management:
High Availability (HA):
- Network Monitoring & Threat Detection:Proficiency with network monitoring tools (eg, Wireshark, Splunk, SolarWinds) for analyzing traffic and identifying suspicious behavior
Experience with SIEM systems to aggregate, analyze, and correlate logs for threat detection - Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS):Hands-on experience with IDS/IPS technologies, configuring them for real-time monitoring and blocking of malicious activity
- Access Control & Authentication:Experience with implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), network access control (NAC), and role-based access controls (RBAC)
- Network Protocols & Security:In-depth knowledge of network protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, etc) and how they relate to network security
Familiar with SSL/TLS encryption, IPSec, and other secure communication protocols - Routing & Switching:Deep knowledge of Cisco routing protocols such as OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, and RIP for efficient inter-network communication
Experience with Cisco Catalyst, Nexus, and Meraki switches, as well as Cisco ISR and ASR routers
Configuring and troubleshooting VLANs, STP (Spanning Tree Protocol), HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol), and VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) - Wireless Networks (Cisco):Expertise in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting Cisco wireless networks, including Cisco Aironet and Meraki APs
Proficient in Cisco WLC (Wireless LAN Controller) configuration and managing Wi-Fi 6 deployments
Network Security & VPN Solutions: - Cisco ASA & Check Point :Expertise in configuring and managing Cisco ASA (Adaptive Security Appliance) firewalls and Cisco Firepower NGFW appliances and Check Point Firewall
Proficiency in implementing VPN solutions, including Site-to-Site IPsec VPN and Remote Access VPN with AnyConnect
Configuring ACLs (Access Control Lists), NAT, IPS/IDS, and integrating firewalls with Active Directory - Cloudflare WAF Setup:Experience configuring Cloudflare WAF to protect web applications from various threats, such as SQL injection, XSS, and DDoS attacks
Proficient in configuring WAF rules to mitigate Top 10 vulnerabilities and other common web application threats - Custom Rules and Signatures:Knowledge of creating and applying custom WAF rules using Cloudflare’s rule sets to tailor protection for specific applications
Ability to fine-tune WAF policies based on application behavior and traffic patterns, including false-positive prevention - Cloudflare WAF Threat Intelligence:Familiarity with integrating Cloudflare’s threat intelligence to enhance real-time protection against emerging security threats and bot attacks
Cloudflare WAF Configuration & Management:
Certification
- CCNP (CISCO Certified Specialist-ACI)
- CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)
- CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
- CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate Wireless)
- CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate Security)
- Microsoft (Azure Network Engineer Associate)
Languages
English
Arabic
Urdu
Hindi
Custom
- CISCO NextG Firewall, 30 days, PBAD-IT, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012
- FORTINET Firewall, 30 days, CORVIT-IT, Lahore, Pakistan, 2016
- PALO ALTO NextG Firewall, 30 days, CORVIT-IT, Lahore, Pakistan, 2016
- ITIL Foundation, 15 days, CORVIT-IT, Lahore, Pakistan, 2012
- Checkpoint-Firewall, 30 days, Checkpoint Online, 2021
- BigIP-F5, 20 days, BigIP-F5 Online, 2021
- RiverBed WAN Opti, 30 days, Checkpoint Online, 2022
- Cloudflare, 30 days, Checkpoint Online, 2022
- SaaS Accelerator, 30 days, Checkpoint Online, 2022
Personal Information
- Date of birth: 05/15/80
- Nationality: Pakistan
- Marital status: Married
- Visa status: KSA Transferable Iqama
Timeline
Senior Network Infrastructure Security (Team Lead)
Sahara international petrochemical company
06.2022 - 01.2025
Network Infrastructure Security
Saudi Aramco Smart City
10.2021 - 05.2022
Senior Network Security Specialist (Consultant)
ArcelorMittal Consultant
10.2020 - 10.2021
Senior Network Security Specialist
STC (Saudi Telecom) NOC
08.2017 - 06.2020
Network Engineer /Section Head
KAFD (King Abdullah Financial District)
07.2010 - 05.2017
Network Administrator, Customer Support Manager
Seder Group
01.2008 - 05.2010
Bachelor of Science (BS) -
Punjab University
Diploma - Computer Network Technician
Emirates Institute of Technology
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