Swaminathan Sangaran

About Swaminathan Sangaran

With over 12+ years of experience in aligning security strategies with organizational objectives to enhance resilience and strengthen security frameworks in dynamic, evolving environments.I am a cybersecurity professional specializing in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM), and control testing. With a proven track record of strengthening organizational security postures, I focus on developing, designing, and implementing robust security frameworks that enhance business resilience. Skilled at supporting customer assurance teams by responding to RFP requirements, security questionnaires and explaining security posture to customers. I excel at proactively identifying and mitigating security and operational risks, delivering clear reporting on security posture, and ensuring compliance with industry standards such as ISO 27001, NIST, PCI DSS, and regulatory frameworks including GDPR and HIPAA.I have extensive experience working with clients across diverse industries, including Banking, Insurance, Distribution, and Energy & Utilities, where I have conducted comprehensive security assessments, led enterprise-wide risk management initiatives, and implemented robust risk management practices. My efforts have consistently contributed to reducing organizational vulnerabilities and strengthening overall security posture. I excel at collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and implement security and risk governance frameworks that protect organizational data and ensure compliance with regulatory and industry standards.Holding certifications such as CISA, CISM, CISSP, CCSP, and AWS Certified Security – Specialty, I combine deep technical knowledge with strong governance and risk management expertise to solve both technical and strategic security challenges. My MBA in Information Technology Business Management allows me to effectively bridge the gap between business strategy and cybersecurity, ensuring that security initiatives drive organizational growth, resilience, and compliance.Impacts:• Security Assessments: Increased project security compliance by 50% through proactive assessments aligned with organizational, contractual, and regulatory requirements.• Third-Party Risk Management: Reduced client vendor evaluation efforts by 50% by conducting third-party security assessments, identifying control gaps, and driving timely remediation.• Risk Management: Enhanced security practices by 70% across projects by implementing a comprehensive IT risk management framework with multi-level risk categorization.

Experience

1. Security Consultant-account Security Manager

   IBM

   Aug 2021 — Present · Chennai, IN

   Led end-to-end security governance and GRC programs, improving overall security posture by 75% through risk- based implementation of security and privacy controls. • Designed and implemented a unified control framework, reducing governance effort for client by 80% through standardized processes and centralized control documentation repositories.• Acted as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for customer queries by responding to security questionnaires, RFPs and audits, translating security and compliance requirements into clear, compliant responses.• Conducted security architecture reviews for enterprise and cloud-based applications, ensuring aligned with secure design principles, regulatory requirements and business objectives.• Performed design and operating effectiveness testing for ISO 27001, SOC 2, SOX and Internal controls, improving control maturity by 40%.• Validated security controls covering IAM, Access Management, Asset protection, data security, cloud security, change, vulnerability and patch management.• Led ISO 27001 Audits across geographies and supported regulatory certification programs (ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA), ensuring 100% audit readiness and minimizing non-compliances.• Directed third party security assessments, reduced vendor evaluation effort by 50% through standardizing templates, conducted structured reviews • Validated control design and effectiveness, implemented continuous monitoring processes to reduce recurring deficiencies by 25% and escalated high-risk areas to senior management.• Automated governance workflows using AI-driven solutions, reducing manual effort by 60% and improving accuracy and turnaround time. • Mentored and Led security squads, oversaw their project activities and resolved blockers through structured governance calls, to improve productivity and ensure their adherence to organization standards.

Education

• Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Sriperumbudur

  Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Electrical and Electronics Engineering

  2007 — 2011

• Symbiosis Center for Information Technology

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Information Technology Business Management

  2015 — 2017

• Sabanaayaga Mudhaliar Hindu Higher Secondary School Sirkali

  SSLC, Science Group

  2000 — 2005

• Vivekananda Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Sirkali

  Higher Secondary, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science

  2005 — 2007

Skills

• Disaster Recovery
• Documentation
• Financial Audits
• Sap Mm Module
• Integration Testing
• Test Management
• IT Audit
• General Insurance
• Vulnerability Assessment
• Business Analysis
• Regression Testing
• IT Security Assessments
• Istqb Certified
• Business Process Management
• Sdlc
• Test Cases Preparation
• Business Continuity Planning
• Iso 27001
• Requirements Management
• Project Management
• Internal Audit
• Sap Sd Module
• Application Security
• Risk Management
• Information Security
• Stlc
• Microsoft Office
• Life Insurance
• Defect Tracking
• Sap Fi/Co Configuration
• System Integration Testing
• Isms
• Test Planning
• IT Consulting
• Access Control
• Functional Testing