Ahmed S.
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer - Cloud Security and Vulnerability Management @Palo Alto Networks
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WORK HISTORY
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer - Cloud Security and Vulnerability Management @Palo Alto Networks
Led the on-boarding of Palo Alto Networks newest Cyber and AI tool called Cortex Cloud with multiple Fortune 500 clients which involved configuring, implementing and maintaining of each client’s security operations policies, metrics and platforms. Also led the off-boarding of Palo Alto Networks legacy tool, Prisma Cloud from multiple clients simultaneously. Integrated Cortex Cloud with existing SecOps workflows for unified threat intelligence and response. Utilized autonomous AI agents (inspired by Cortex AgentiX) to automate investigations and remediations, enhancing operational efficiency. Used Container Security and Hardening skills such as Docker and Kubernetes to create, scan images, and scale containers on Cortex Cloud. Applied my knowledge with GCP, AWS, and Azure to integrate all different cloud environments with Cortex Cloud. Optimized and migrated policies and objects from the existing environment to our Next-Gen Firewall. Utilized AI-powered features in Cortex Cloud (for AI-driven detection, prioritization, and automated remediation of cloud threats and posture risks) and Prisma Cloud (for vulnerability management, misconfiguration identification, and AI-SPM to safeguard AI models, data, and access). Tested and validated migration environments. Leveraged AI-driven detections on Cortex Cloud to give the customers efficient environments. Used Cortex Query Language to filter through the data. Provided guidance on code upgrades. Applied customized security and compliance policies on Cortex Cloud per each clients’ special needs. Reviewed merge requests and vulnerability justifications on Gitlab. Presented on-boarding progress, in addition to Vulnerability Management SLA and Remediation status to leadership, external customers, and internal teams.
EDUCATION
Virginia Commonwealth University
Bachelor of Science - BS, Mathematics
University of Virginia
Master Degree, Data Science
Virginia Commonwealth University
Bachelor of Science - BS, Computer Science
Southern Methodist University
Master's degree, Engineering/Industrial Management
ABOUT AHMED S.
Cybersecurity specialist with over 7 years of hands-on experience in Vulnerability Management, Cloud Security, Container Security, Identity Access Management (IAM), and DevSecOps. I focus on proactive risk assessment, threat mitigation, vulnerability prioritization, and building resilient security postures across complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).At Palo Alto Networks, I led onboarding of Cortex Cloud—the next-generation AI-powered cloud security platform—for multiple Fortune 500 clients, while managing simultaneous offboarding of legacy Prisma Cloud environments. I configured AI-driven detection, prioritization, automated remediation, and AI-SPM capabilities to protect against cloud threats, misconfigurations, and risks to AI models, data, and access. Using Docker and Kubernetes, I handled container image creation, scanning, secure scaling, and runtime protection; integrated multi-cloud setups; migrated policies to Next-Gen Firewalls with zero downtime; and delivered customized compliance frameworks. These initiatives provided unified visibility, accelerated remediation, and tailored security operations.In prior roles at financial institutions (First Citizens Bank, Fidelity Investments, Capital One), I drove enterprise vulnerability programs with tools including Qualys, Orca, AquaSec, Rapid7, Nucleus Security, Prisma Cloud/Twistlock, and Brinqa. I built and presented actionable risk dashboards in Tableau/Power BI (integrated with Snowflake & Splunk), automated analysis with Python, PowerShell, and SQL, triaged critical CVEs, integrated security into CI/CD pipelines, and strengthened container workload/runtime protection during major integrations and mergers. I consistently improved SLA compliance, reduced exposure, and translated technical findings into business-aligned insights for leadership.Certified CISSP, AWS Cloud Practitioner, and Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud, with dual Master\'s degrees in Engineering Management and Data Science. Passionate about cross-functional collaboration, Zero Trust principles, NIST/ISO compliance, and emerging AI-enhanced security trends.Open to connecting on cloud-native security, container best practices, vulnerability management at scale, or how AI is reshaping cyber defense. Let\'s discuss securing tomorrow\'s environments!#Cybersecurity #CloudSecurity #VulnerabilityManagement #CortexCloud #PrismaCloud #DevSecOps #CISSP #ContainerSecurity #MultiCloud #ZeroTrust
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