SAQIB IQBAL
saq@securityengineer.co.uk | 07306 681111 | LinkedIn: Saqib Iqbal
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Forward-thinking Senior Security Operations Engineer with over 6 years of experience strengthening cloud and hybrid infrastructures. Proven expertise in SIEM, DLP, vulnerability management, and incident response, driving automation, compliance, and innovation across enterprise environments. Adept at aligning security controls with ISO27001, SOX, and PCI-DSS standards while fostering collaboration between engineering and security teams. Passionate about leveraging technology to build resilient systems and enable business growth — ready to bring a “yes mentality” and a performance-driven mindset to any dynamic, fast-paced environment.
KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- Security Operations: SIEM (Splunk, Exabeam, Azure Sentinel), DLP, CrowdStrike, Darktrace
- Incident Response & Threat Detection: Root cause analysis, playbook automation, UEBA
- Vulnerability Management: CVSS scoring, remediation planning, continuous improvement
- Regulatory Compliance: ISO27001, PCI-DSS, SOX alignment
- Cloud & Hybrid Security: AWS, Azure, M365, GCP
- Automation & Tooling: API scripting, GitHub, Postman, PowerShell, SplunkJS
- Security Awareness & Risk Management: Employee training, stakeholder reporting
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnering with IT, DevOps, and Engineering teams
- Core Values: Innovation | Ownership | Adaptability | Integrity | Teamwork | Resilience
TECHNICAL STACK
Splunk | Exabeam | Cribl | Microsoft Purview | CrowdStrike | Darktrace | Azure Sentinel | AWS | Azure | GCP | M365 | API Scripting | GitHub | Postman | PowerShell | Python | Ansible | Kubernetes | Docker | Azure AD | Palo Alto | Proofpoint
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Sky, London
Cyber Security DLP Engineer – Cyber Fusion Centre
Oct 2022 – Present
- Lead SIEM, DLP, UEBA, incident response, and vulnerability initiatives across highly regulated environments.
- Migrated Splunk SIEM to AWS Cloud, reducing operational costs by 30% while enhancing speed and reliability.
- Implemented Microsoft Purview for DLP, cutting data leakage risk by 35% and strengthening data compliance.
- Deployed Exabeam UEBA, improving threat detection accuracy by 40%.
- Migrated all Splunk apps into individual GitHub repositories, ensuring all configuration changes are version-controlled, auditable, and deployed automatically through Ansible. This eliminated manual UI changes, reduced human error by ~60%, and saved 20+ analyst hours per week while achieving full audit traceability.
- Collaborated with product and engineering teams to embed proactive security controls into CI/CD pipelines.
- Championed security awareness initiatives and mentored junior analysts across multiple regions.
- Delivered clear, actionable reports and dashboards for executive stakeholders and auditors.
Adarma Security, London
Cyber Security Engineer – Security Operations
Feb 2020 – Oct 2022
- Designed and optimised SIEM environments for major clients including Tesco, Nationwide, and International Airlines Group.
- Conducted threat hunting and network analysis across AWS/Azure, providing timely mitigation for critical vulnerabilities.
- Developed custom correlation rules and automated responses, reducing mean time to detect (MTTD) by 45%.
- Onboarded diverse data sources via APIs, HECs, and integrations, enhancing visibility and log coverage.
- Delivered intuitive dashboards and executive summaries that drove proactive risk decisions.
- Supported cross-team collaboration and technical training to elevate SOC maturity.
PROJECTS & ACHIEVEMENTS
- Splunk Cloud Migration: Planned and executed a full migration of Sky’s SIEM to AWS, improving scalability and performance.
- GitHub & Ansible Automation: Migrated all Splunk apps into individual GitHub repositories, ensuring all configuration changes are tracked, auditable, and automated through Ansible for consistent deployment across environments.
- Exabeam UEBA Expansion: Enhanced user behaviour analytics with custom parsers and dashboards, increasing anomaly detection coverage by 40%.
- Security Automation Hub: Built an internal API-driven automation suite using Postman and GitHub Actions to streamline alert triage.
- Compliance Readiness Program: Strengthened audit alignment for ISO27001, PCI-DSS, and SOX with consistent control enforcement.
- CTF Champion: Winner of CrowdStrike CTF, Splunk GO!, and Exabeam CTF, showcasing advanced analytical skills.
EDUCATION
Liverpool John Moores University – BSc (Hons) Computer Forensics & Security
Sep 2016 – Jun 2019
- Developed forensic software to brute-force protected archives.
- Executed advanced packet analysis (Wireshark) and delivered security remediation insights.
CERTIFICATIONS
- CompTIA Security+
- Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin
- Troubleshooting Splunk Enterprise
- Administering Splunk Enterprise Security
- Advanced Dashboards and Visualizations in SplunkJS
- (In Progress) ISC2 CISSP
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Experienced across regulated industries: Banking, Retail, and Technology.
- Advocate for diversity and inclusion; thrive in multicultural, distributed teams.