Sohail Banihashemi, Cybersecurity Advisor

Sohail Banihashemi

Cybersecurity Advisor

Mignet Technologies

Location
United Arab Emirates - Dubai
Education
Master's degree, IT Operations Management
Experience
20 years, 4 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :20 years, 4 Months

Cybersecurity Advisor at Mignet Technologies
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • My current job since November 2022

Advisory Board Member

Sr. Cybersecurity and Risk Manager at The Globe and Mail
  • Canada - Toronto
  • My current job since June 2022

- Advise and collaborate with the senior leadership team to manage the security program
- Evaluate existing security controls and recommend measures to improve the security posture
- Oversee the execution of the security roadmap and projects
- Develop security metrics and KPIs of the security program and report to the executive management
- Perform vendor risk assessments and recommend mitigating and compensating controls
- Work closely with various business teams to enable the secure execution of business projects
- Manage security monitoring capabilities and lead incident management
- Develop vulnerability management program and lead remediation efforts
- Work with IT infrastructure, DevOps, and cloud teams on security initiatives
- Actively evaluate new security threats and recommend mitigating solutions to the business

Key Security Projects
- Email Security, SIEM Migration, Vulnerability Management, Asset Management, Mobile Threat Defense

Achievements
✓ Achieved recognition for identifying critical security gaps and protecting the business reputation
✓ Achieved recognition for building a vulnerability management program

Cybersecurity Advisor at TCAE
  • Canada - Toronto
  • My current job since February 2021

Advisory Board Member

Industrial Advisor at Ajman University
  • United Arab Emirates - Ajman
  • My current job since January 2017

Advisory Board Member

Sr. Information Security Analyst at Cadillac Fairview
  • Canada - Toronto
  • December 2019 to May 2022

- Led the team in investigating various security incidents and ensuring effective resolution of incidents
- Trained team members and ensure that all daily tasks are taken care of by the team
- Worked with the risk team to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the security controls
- Investigated cloud security misconfigurations, network activities and unusual user activities
- Conducted regular cybersecurity awareness campaigns and report the progress to the executive VPs

Key Security Projects
- Cloud Security, Cloud DLP, Digital Footprint Security, Email Security, Mobile Threat Defense

Sr. SOC Specialist at CompuCom
  • Canada - Toronto
  • June 2019 to November 2019

- Monitored alerts generated in SIEM platform and managed security incidents
- Managed various security technologies for the clients such as firewalls, standard and advanced endpoint protection, secure email gateways, and secure web gateways
- Performed root cause analysis and recommended preventive and corrective measures
- Created and delivered monthly security reports to clients' executive and security teams

Cybersecurity and Risk Manager at Mena Energy / CAFU
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • November 2017 to May 2019

- Developed a cybersecurity strategy and program for the company and all its smart technology JVs
- Conducted gap analysis and recommended security solutions based on the industry best practices
- Implemented multiple security projects to improve the security posture of the organization
- Embedded BCP/DR capabilities into business processes to protect the people and business assets
- Performed risk assessment of the new technologies and vendors and recommended mitigating actions
- Managed security incidents in an effective manner to ensure minimal impact on the business
- Maintained data privacy and GDPR compliance of cloud-hosted business applications
- Hired, trained, coached and managed the technical staff

Key Security Projects
- Firewall Upgrade, Email Security, Web Security, Advanced Endpoint Protection, Physical Access Control System, Penetration Testing of Mobile App, Windows 10 Migration, Backup Solution Enhancement

Achievements
✓ Achieved recognition from senior executives for transforming the cybersecurity Infrastructure
✓ Achieved high appreciation for effectively managing and implementing multiple projects

Sr. Information Security Analyst / IT Team Lead at Schlumberger
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • February 2007 to October 2017

- Acted as the regional IT security champion (SME) for over 7 years
- Reviewed malware-infected security incidents and authorized unblock requests
- Managed IAM for over 70 business applications as per SOX requirements
- Maintained application security for major ERP systems
- Acted as the regional point of contact for eDiscovery issues
- Conducted site security audits to measure the compliance with security controls
- Maintained compliance of security controls with ISO 27001 Standard
- Supervised and coordinated the activities of IT service desk and onsite IT support teams

Key Security Projects
- IAM Automation of Business Applications, Physical Access Control Systems

IT Trainer and Lecturer Assistant at Ajman University
  • United Arab Emirates - Ajman
  • February 2004 to January 2007

IT Trainer and Lecturer Assistant in the Faculty of Information Technology

Education

Master's degree, IT Operations Management
  • at University Of Wollongong In Dubai
  • June 2009

Graduated with Distinction

Bachelor's degree, Computer Engineering
  • at Ajman University
  • June 2004

Graduated with Excellence with Honors

Specialties & Skills

Risk Management
Information Security Management
IT Security
Cybersecurity
Strategy Development
Security Projects
Security Program Development
Coaching & Training
Security Gap Analysis
Cyber Risks Management
Executive Reporting
Vulnerability Management
Security Infrastructure Design
Security Incidents Management
Security Strategy Development
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0
ISO Security Standard
Cloud Security
Email Security
Cyber Awareness
Data Privacy

Languages

English
Expert
Arabic
Expert
Urdu
Intermediate
Hindi
Intermediate

Training and Certifications

ITIL v3 Foundation (Certificate)
Date Attended:
November 2009
Valid Until:
November 2019
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 (MCTS) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
June 2013
Valid Until:
January 2016
COBIT 5.0 Foundation (Certificate)
Date Attended:
March 2014
Valid Until:
March 2019
Lead Auditor for ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security Management Systems) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
November 2014
Valid Until:
November 2019
Lead Auditor for ISO/IEC 22301 (Business Continuity Management Systems) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
November 2014
Valid Until:
November 2019
Lead Auditor for ISO/IEC 20000-1 (Service Management System) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
November 2014
Valid Until:
November 2019
Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals (Certificate)
Date Attended:
March 2021
Valid Until:
March 2024
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (Certificate)
Date Attended:
June 2021
Valid Until:
June 2024
AWS Certified Security Specialist (Certificate)
Date Attended:
December 2021
Valid Until:
December 2024
Chainalysis Cryptocurrency Fundamentals Certification (CCFC) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
April 2022
Certified Blockchain Security Professional (CBSP) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
November 2023
Certified Information System Manager (CISM) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
January 2019
Valid Until:
January 2026
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) (Certificate)
Date Attended:
October 2016
Valid Until:
October 2025

Hobbies

  • Playing football, chess, board games, and traveling