Sentinel Deployment - A Large North American Manufacturing Company

Designed, deployed, configured, and managed Azure Sentinel for 1200+ log sources, including Entra ID, Azure Firewall, Key Vaults, Azure Databases, Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, Windows & Linux servers, improving overall log management efficiency by 25% due to centralized monitoring and streamlined configuration.

• Led greenfield deployment of Microsoft Sentinel for a large-scale environment, ensuring a 50% reduction in initial setup time through optimized planning and automation.
• Configured and maintained SOAR capabilities of Sentinel using built-in and custom solutions, resulting in a 30% improvement in automated incident response times and enhanced operational efficiency.
• Planned and executed migration from other SIEM tools to Microsoft Sentinel, reducing system downtime by 15% and ensuring a seamless transition with no major disruptions.
• Automated log onboarding via built-in and custom Azure policies, speeding up log ingestion by 40% and reducing manual effort by 50%.
• Integrated logs from non-Azure sources using Syslog and API-based collection, enabling the inclusion of over 200 external sources and improving threat detection completeness by 20%.
• Developed custom parsers, use cases, workbooks, and automation rules based on requirements, achieving a 35% improvement in detecting advanced persistent threats (APTs) and reducing false positives by 25%.
• Fine-tuned existing use cases to reduce noise, leading to a 50% reduction in alert fatigue and delivering more actionable security insights.
• Reviewed and optimized log ingestion to reduce costs, resulting in a 30% reduction in data ingestion costs through efficient log filtering and compression.
• Configured integration of Sentinel with other SIEM tools, improving inter-tool communication and reducing investigation times by 20%.
• Set up health monitoring and alerting for Sentinel services and log sources, achieving 99.9% uptime and ensuring minimal data loss or service disruptions.
• Reviewed, tested, and implemented new Sentinel features, enhancements, and updates for analytical rules and workbooks, improving detection capabilities by 25% and enhancing the accuracy of threat identification.
• Created Logic Apps and custom data connectors for ingesting custom threat intelligence feeds into Sentinel, increasing the visibility of external threats by 30%.
• Collaborated with relevant stakeholders for Sentinel features and incident triage, improving incident resolution time by 40% through streamlined communication and prioritized workflows.

Documentation:

• High-Level Design (HLD): Designed and documented the architecture and flow of the Microsoft Sentinel solution, outlining the integration points, security policies, and the overall approach for deploying across multiple log sources. Ensured the HLD aligned with business and security requirements, providing a comprehensive overview for stakeholders and enabling faster approval cycles.
• Low-Level Design (LLD): Created detailed LLDs for the implementation, configuration, and integration of Sentinel with various log sources, including specific technical requirements, network topology, and protocols used. Ensured the LLD included clear instructions for team members to follow during deployment and troubleshooting, minimizing errors and operational delays.
• Runbooks & SOPs: Developed and maintained Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Runbooks for routine Sentinel management tasks, incident response, and troubleshooting processes, improving operational efficiency by 25%. These documents became critical resources for on-call staff, enabling them to respond quickly and accurately to emerging incidents.
• Knowledge Transfer & Training Documentation: Created comprehensive training documentation and materials for internal teams, reducing the onboarding time for new team members by 20%. Facilitated knowledge transfer sessions, ensuring all teams had the necessary skills to maintain and optimize the Sentinel environment.
• Operational Documentation: Produced and updated operational documentation for continuous maintenance, including alert tuning, rule updates, and integration changes, enabling ongoing optimization of the Sentinel deployment. This documentation supported scalability and adaptability to changing security needs and business requirements.
• Incident Management & Triage Guides: Created detailed Incident Management guides and escalation paths, improving incident triage response times by 40% and ensuring all team members followed consistent procedures during high-priority events. These guides were vital in establishing clarity for cross-functional teams and ensuring seamless workflows during critical incidents.

Migration to Sentinel - Middle East Banking Client

Designed, deployed, configured, and managed the migration of Azure Sentinel for 1500+ log sources from an existing SIEM solution, including Entra ID, Azure Firewall, Key Vaults, Azure Databases, Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, Windows & Linux servers. This migration resulted in a 25% improvement in overall log management efficiency due to centralized monitoring and streamlined configuration.

• Led the migration project from legacy SIEM tools to Microsoft Sentinel, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal disruption to business operations and achieving a 15% reduction in migration downtime.
• Designed and implemented a greenfield deployment of Microsoft Sentinel, reducing setup time by 50% through optimized planning, pre-deployment testing, and automation.
• Converted over 200 in-house SIEM use cases to Microsoft Sentinel use cases, ensuring continuity and scalability of security monitoring and improving detection capabilities by 30%.
• Configured and maintained SOAR capabilities within Sentinel using both built-in and custom automation solutions, improving incident response times by 30% and enhancing operational efficiency.
• Streamlined the log onboarding process via custom Azure policies and automation scripts, reducing manual effort by 50% and accelerating log ingestion speed by 40%.
• Successfully integrated on-premises logs from Windows & Linux servers, networking appliances, and other infrastructure components using Syslog and API-based methods, improving overall log coverage and threat detection by 20%.
• Developed and customized parsers, use cases, workbooks, and automation rules to meet business requirements, enhancing detection of advanced persistent threats (APTs) by 35% and reducing false positives by 25%.
• Fine-tuned and optimized existing use cases to reduce noise and save operational costs, leading to a 50% reduction in alert fatigue and delivering more actionable security insights for security teams.
• Conducted a thorough review of log ingestion processes, resulting in a 30% reduction in data ingestion costs through better log filtering and compression techniques.
• Configured seamless integration of Microsoft Sentinel with existing SIEM tools, improving inter-tool communication and reducing investigation times by 20%.
• Set up comprehensive health monitoring and alerting for Sentinel services and log sources, achieving 99.9% uptime and ensuring minimal data loss or service disruptions.
• Reviewed, tested, and implemented new Sentinel features and updates for analytical rules and workbooks, enhancing detection capabilities by 25% and improving the accuracy of threat identification.
• Created custom Logic Apps and data connectors to ingest external threat intelligence feeds, increasing visibility into emerging threats by 30% and enhancing the bank's proactive threat detection posture.
• Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders, providing clear guidance on Sentinel features and facilitating efficient incident triage, improving incident resolution time by 40% through better communication and prioritized workflows.

Microsoft Sentinel Platform Management - Multiple Fortune 500 Clients

Designed, deployed, configured, and managed the continuous operation and maintenance of Azure Sentinel for multiple Fortune 500 clients. This involved overseeing 2000+ log sources from various systems including Entra ID, Azure Firewall, Key Vaults, Azure Databases, Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, and Windows & Linux servers, ensuring optimized performance, proactive issue resolution, and the continuous improvement of security operations.

• Led the day-to-day administration of Microsoft Sentinel, including health monitoring, troubleshooting, and ensuring optimal operation of the platform to guarantee 99.9% uptime and minimal disruption in security monitoring activities.
• Monitored the health of Sentinel services and log sources, identifying and addressing issues in real-time, ensuring uninterrupted log ingestion and data flow.
• Conducted regular log source checks to ensure completeness of data ingestion from both cloud-based and on-premises environments, improving threat detection coverage and response time by 20%.
• Reviewed and fine-tuned analytical rules within Sentinel to reduce false positives by 25%, improving signal-to-noise ratio and ensuring more accurate and actionable alerts.
• Collaborated with security teams to create and optimize use cases tailored to the client’s specific environment and security needs, improving threat detection by 30% and reducing incident resolution times.
• Developed and implemented custom workbooks to provide better insights into log data, aiding in proactive threat hunting and incident investigation processes.
• Ongoing optimization of log ingestion processes and filtering techniques to reduce costs, achieving a 30% reduction in data ingestion costs while maintaining a high level of data fidelity and completeness.
• Successfully integrated new log sources into Sentinel as the client’s security infrastructure grew, ensuring comprehensive visibility across all environments (cloud and on-premises) and enhancing detection capabilities.
• Provided continuous support with incident triage and threat hunting efforts, enabling security teams to respond to threats in a timely manner, reducing resolution times by 40% through streamlined workflows and efficient prioritization.
• Collaborated with other teams to implement SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) solutions, automating routine tasks and improving overall incident response efficiency by 30%.
• Reviewed and optimized the use case library to ensure that Sentinel was configured to detect the latest emerging threats, achieving better protection against advanced persistent threats (APTs) and reducing false positives by 25%.
• Ensured continuous updates and tuning of Sentinel’s threat detection capabilities by staying up-to-date with the latest Sentinel features, including new rule updates, workbook enhancements, and threat intelligence integrations.
• Created custom Logic Apps and data connectors to ingest third-party threat intelligence feeds into Sentinel, improving the accuracy and timeliness of threat detection by 30%.
• Provided ongoing support for incident resolution and threat hunting by collaborating closely with security operations teams, using Sentinel’s advanced features to identify new attack vectors and mitigate potential risks proactively.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud - CSPM Deployment

Architected and deployed Microsoft Defender for Cloud's advanced Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) capabilities across Azure, AWS, and GCP for enterprise clients, enabling unified visibility, proactive risk management, and continuous compliance monitoring. Leveraged the enhanced CSPM plan with integrated workload protection to secure diverse cloud services and ensure alignment with multiple regulatory frameworks.

• Implemented Defender for Cloud CSPM across multi-cloud environments, ensuring continuous assessment of security posture and compliance alignment for Azure, AWS, and GCP workloads.
• Enabled and managed the enhanced CSPM plan that includes deep workload protection for services such as VMs, containers (Kubernetes), databases, Key Vaults, storage accounts, APIs, and AI workloads.
• Configured built-in compliance initiatives and custom policies to monitor and report against PPCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and CIS Benchmarks within Azure Policy and Defender for Cloud dashboards.
• Developed and maintained a compliance governance framework that mapped technical controls to regulatory standards, enabling automated tracking and remediation of non-compliant resources.
• Enabled Secure Score optimization and continuous hardening of cloud workloads by tracking recommendations and automating remediation through Logic Apps and policy-driven governance.
• Integrated Defender for Servers, Defender for Databases, Defender for Kubernetes, Key Vault, and Defender for APIs for comprehensive workload protection and threat detection across environments.
• Configured multi-cloud connectors to onboard and manage AWS and GCP environments, enabling centralized risk visibility and compliance tracking through the Defender for Cloud portal.
• Established role-based dashboards and alerts to provide real-time compliance insights to stakeholders, enabling faster decision-making and prioritized remediation workflows.
• Collaborated with governance and compliance teams to support audit readiness by generating reports and evidence for internal and external audits against various regulatory frameworks.
• Conducted periodic posture reviews and security workshops to ensure ongoing alignment with evolving cloud security standards and business risk appetite.

Azure Native Security - CWPP, Key Vaults, Event Hubs

Designed and implemented Azure Native Cloud Workload Protection capabilities across Azure and multi-cloud environments, enabling proactive threat detection, attack surface reduction, and secure management of sensitive assets. Delivered full-stack protection across virtual machines, containers, databases, APIs, and integrated key Azure services such as Key Vault and Event Hubs.

• Enabled and managed Defender for Servers to secure Windows and Linux VMs with integrated EDR, file integrity monitoring, vulnerability assessments, and Just-in-Time VM access control.
• Deployed Defender for Kubernetes and Defender for Containers to secure AKS clusters and container images, enforcing runtime protection and image vulnerability scanning.
• Secured data layers using Defender for SQL, Defender for Cosmos DB, and Defender for Storage, enabling alerting on suspicious activity such as brute force attempts, data exfiltration, and malware uploads.
• Implemented Azure Key Vault as a central secure store for managing application secrets, connection strings, certificates, and cryptographic keys.
• Architected disk encryption solutions for Azure VMs using Key Vault-backed keys with Azure Disk Encryption (ADE), ensuring compliance with data protection standards.
• Configured certificate lifecycle management in Key Vault to support secure SSL/TLS communications across applications and APIs, including automation for renewal and rotation.
• Enabled Defender for Key Vault to monitor secret access patterns and detect suspicious activities such as mass retrievals, unusual geolocation-based access, and failed access attempts.
• Integrated Key Vault with enterprise applications and Azure-native services to enforce zero-trust principles and eliminate plaintext secrets in application code and deployment pipelines.
• Enabled Defender for Event Hubs to detect threats in event-driven data pipelines, identifying anomalous traffic patterns and suspicious data ingestion behavior.
• Configured security recommendations and alerts to monitor and harden configuration of workload resources, reducing critical security misconfigurations by 40%.
• Built custom alert rules and automated response actions using Azure Logic Apps to address high-severity threats across workloads in near real-time.
• Integrated Defender telemetry with SIEM platforms for advanced threat detection, investigation, and response across cloud workloads and hybrid assets.
• Worked closely with development and infrastructure teams to ensure security controls were embedded into the CI/CD pipeline, enabling DevSecOps maturity and workload protection from build to runtime.

Microsoft Security Technologies - Enterprise Deployments

Led strategic implementation of Microsoft Security technologies across large enterprise environments, delivering measurable improvements in security posture, threat detection, and operational efficiency. Focus areas included endpoint protection, Office 365 security, phishing awareness, and identity governance for clients in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.

• Deployed and managed Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) across 15,000+ endpoints for a leading European manufacturing company, implementing AV policies, attack surface reduction (ASR) rules, and EDR integration via Intune and Microsoft Defender portal.
• Achieved a 40% reduction in malware incidents and a 30% improvement in endpoint compliance through proactive threat protection, vulnerability management, and controlled folder access enforcement.
• Enabled centralized endpoint policy deployment via Microsoft Intune, streamlining compliance and configuration management across diverse user groups and device types.
• Deployed Defender for Servers and integrated with Defender for Cloud to secure server workloads, with real-time behavioral alerts and adaptive threat response workflows.
• Led enterprise-wide Microsoft 365 security deployment for a major pharmaceutical company with over 20,000 users and a daily email volume exceeding 500,000 messages.
• Configured advanced anti-phishing, anti-spam, and anti-malware policies using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Exchange Online Protection (EOP), reducing email-based threats by 50% within three months.
• Conducted detailed email security posture assessment covering SPF, DKIM, DMARC configurations, and Exchange Transport Rules (ETRs), aligning with best practices and improving overall email authenticity scores.
• Reviewed and optimized existing transport rules, connectors, and mail flow policies, eliminating misconfigurations and enhancing threat detection granularity.
• Designed and executed phishing awareness and simulation campaigns using Microsoft Attack Simulation Training, reducing user click rates on simulated phishing emails by 35%+.
• Configured and maintained Entra ID (Azure AD) Conditional Access Policies, enforcing adaptive access controls based on risk signals, device compliance, geo-location, and sign-in behavior.
• Implemented strong MFA enforcement and step-up authentication for high-privilege accounts and sensitive applications, reducing identity-based risk exposure by 40%.
• Used Entra Identity Protection and Microsoft 365 Defender to monitor risky sign-ins and automate response actions, improving identity threat detection and response times by 30%.

On-Prem Security & Perimeter Infrastructure Management

Led the design, deployment, and lifecycle management of enterprise on-premises and perimeter security solutions, including IPS/IDS, network access control, traffic analytics, and next-generation firewall technologies. Delivered improved threat visibility, reduced attack surface, and enhanced operational resilience across hybrid infrastructures.

• Deployed and managed McAfee Network Security Platform (NSP) and Cisco SourceFire IPS across multiple data center environments, providing inline and passive threat prevention and visibility.
• Performed OS upgrades, firmware patching, and system hardening of IPS/IDS devices, reducing known vulnerabilities and improving system stability.
• Developed and fine-tuned custom intrusion detection signatures and policy sets to reduce false positives by 25% and enhance detection of targeted attacks.
• Conducted routine health checks, log reviews, and performance tuning to ensure optimal operation and rapid detection of anomalies.
• Handled full lifecycle operations for IPS devices including installation, troubleshooting, policy management, and decommissioning.
• Configured and managed Cisco Secure ACS for centralized network access control and device authentication, implementing granular policies for RADIUS and TACACS+ based authentication flows.
• Integrated Cisco Secure ACS with Active Directory and other identity providers to enforce identity-based network access policies across wired, wireless, and remote VPN access.
• Utilized Cisco StealthWatch (Secure Network Analytics) for network traffic monitoring and anomaly detection, improving incident response times by 30% through early threat visibility.
• Deployed and managed Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) in perimeter and data center environments, including active-passive high availability (HA) setups.
• Defined and optimized security rules, application-based controls, URL filtering, and threat profiles to align with least privilege and zero-trust models.
• Enabled advanced threat prevention using IPS, anti-malware, DNS security, and WildFire sandboxing, resulting in a 45% drop in undetected threats.
• Performed firewall upgrades, configuration audits, and rule base cleanups, reducing rule bloat and improving processing performance by 20%.
• Integrated NGFW logs and threat alerts with SIEM solutions such as QRadar and Splunk, enhancing real-time monitoring, incident correlation, and threat hunting efforts.

Information Security Engineer Sr. – L2 SOC Analyst

Worked as a Senior Security Analyst in a 24x7 Security Operations Center (SOC), responsible for real-time threat monitoring, incident response, and proactive threat hunting using a broad spectrum of industry-leading security tools. Provided tactical and strategic insights into security events to improve the organization’s threat detection and response maturity.

• Monitored and investigated security events and incidents using RSA Security Analytics, LogRhythm SIEM, Cisco SourceFire FMC, FireEye NX/EX appliances, and McAfee ePO.
• Performed detailed log analysis and forensic investigations to identify indicators of compromise (IOCs), lateral movement, and post-exploitation activity across enterprise infrastructure.
• Led threat hunting exercises using SIEM, endpoint telemetry, and network traffic to proactively uncover hidden threats and reduce dwell time by 25%.
• Created and fine-tuned SIEM correlation rules, dashboards, and custom alerts to improve detection capabilities and reduce false positives by 30%.
• Responded to a wide range of security incidents including malware infections, phishing campaigns, brute-force attempts, and unauthorized access incidents, adhering to established incident response SOPs.
• Investigated and remediated advanced malware infections using FireEye HX and McAfee ePO, including isolating affected hosts and performing root cause analysis.
• Analyzed and triaged security alerts, prioritized incidents by severity, and escalated high-risk threats to the appropriate response teams with full incident documentation.
• Collaborated with threat intelligence teams to enrich alerts with external and internal IOCs, improving correlation logic and incident classification accuracy.
• Worked closely with engineering teams to deploy and enforce endpoint security policies via McAfee ePO, enhancing endpoint protection coverage and compliance by 40%.
• Reviewed trends from recurring alerts to recommend strategic security enhancements and hardening measures, reducing repetitive incident volume by 20%.
• Generated detailed incident reports with technical findings, impact analysis, and containment actions to support audit, compliance, and executive visibility.

Various Projects

Developed and maintained a Telegram Group Management bot integrated with GenAI technologies such as ChatGPT to automate group interactions, enhance user engagement, and deliver real-time content. The bot supports multiple intelligent and utility-based features tailored for active and large Telegram communities.

• Integrated ChatGPT to answer user questions, provide context-based replies, and assist with general knowledge queries.
• Enabled English word lookups, definitions, and synonyms using natural language understanding for on-demand vocabulary support.
• Implemented a karma system to reward user participation, enforce community behavior, and gamify engagement within the group.
• Connected real-time APIs to provide live news updates, sports scores, and trending topics directly within the group chat.
• Integrated meme and fun fact generators to keep conversations lively and entertaining, improving community retention.
• Automated group moderation tasks such as welcoming new users, enforcing group rules, removing spam, and managing permissions.
• Built command modules for utility tasks such as polls, reminders, and quick links, boosting productivity for admins and users.
• Designed the bot architecture using Python and Telegram Bot API with modular plugins to easily extend and customize features.
• Optimized performance for large groups, ensuring the bot remained responsive and scalable under high message loads.
• Project available on GitHub: https://github.com/mathewskdaniel/mkdmod