I'm Taki Sadik — a cybersecurity and IT professional who likes to own his stack end-to-end. My day job involves triaging security alerts and analyzing threats at a SOC. Outside of work, I run a homelab with Proxmox, self-host services ranging from a private AI model to a public Wikipedia mirror, and document everything I learn through hands-on labs.

I got into IT through surveillance operations and discovered I cared more about the network underneath the cameras than the footage they captured. That curiosity led me to networking, then Linux administration, then cloud, then security. Currently pursuing CompTIA Security+, A+, and CCNA.

Work Experience

Dec 2025 – Present
Visual Manager
H&M · Contract Full-time
  • Promoted from Customer Service Specialist; managing visual merchandising and in-store presentation
  • Administration, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and retail systems management
Nov 2025 – Present
Incident Analyst
Shield Security Systems
  • Monitor security systems and databases, triaging alerts and escalating events per defined SOPs
  • Perform ongoing threat assessments and vulnerability analysis using industry tools and databases
  • Coordinate with stakeholders to document and resolve security incidents, maintaining detailed logs
  • Apply SEO and digital analytics skills to support threat intelligence reporting and data aggregation
Aug 2025 – Present
Incident Manager
CN Tower / Tour CN
  • Led end-to-end incident lifecycle, including detection, triage, prioritization, escalation, resolution, and post-incident review
Jul 2025 – Dec 2025
Customer Service Specialist
H&M
  • Troubleshot and resolved customer issues related to orders, payments, and accounts; escalated complex cases using CRM tools
  • Leveraged AWS-backed retail systems and internal network services to process resolutions efficiently
  • Coordinated with cross-functional teams to ensure timely problem resolution and positive customer outcomes
  • Promoted H&M’s corporate image and brand through helpful and knowledgeable customer service
Jan 2025 – Sep 2025
Network Analyst Intern
CardiOCare · Hybrid
  • Monitored and maintained network infrastructure, identifying and resolving connectivity and performance issues
  • Assisted with network documentation, topology diagrams, and capacity planning
  • Performed packet analysis and traffic monitoring using IDS to detect anomalies and support incident investigations
  • Supported deployment and configuration of network hardware and cloud-connected devices
Oct 2024 – Jan 2025
Customer Service Representative
TD · Contract Part-time
  • IT Service Delivery, Technical Assistance, and customer support at Vaughan, ON location
Jun 2024 – Jul 2025
Server Operator (Junior)
Fiera Foods · Contract Part-time
  • Managed server alerts and system issues on Linux and Windows Server with priority-based response
  • Performed daily maintenance including backup verification, system updates, patch application, and performance monitoring
  • Leveraged SQL and cloud computing skills to support data workflows and reporting systems
  • Documented recurring issues and contributed to runbook development for the operations team
Apr 2024 – Jul 2024
Commissary Updater
St. James’s Gate Irish Alehouse · Contract Part-time
  • Tracked all kitchen supplies and ingredients along with beverages to guarantee continuous availability for the team
Jan 2024 – Apr 2024
Dishwasher
Restaurant Lucie · Contract Part-time
  • Supported kitchen operations at 100 Yonge St, Toronto
Sep 2022 – Nov 2023
Surveillance Operator Rogers Center Help Desk
Elite Force · Contract Part-time
  • Monitored multi-camera CCTV and IP surveillance systems across commercial facilities, ensuring 24/7 security coverage
  • Detected and reported suspicious activity, coordinating with on-ground security teams for rapid response
  • Maintained surveillance logs and generated shift incident reports for management review
Jan 2022 – Apr 2023
Surveillance Operator
Elite Security
  • Monitored CCTV systems and performed regular property inspections
Feb 2021 – Dec 2023
Executive Editor
IKU Digital · Full-time
  • Databases, Administration, and digital content management

Skills

Security & SOC
SIEM (Splunk, AlienVault) · Threat Intelligence · Incident Triage · Digital Forensics (live/dead box) · CCTV/IP Surveillance · Vulnerability Management · OPSWAT ICIP · MasterCard Cybersecurity Framework · EDR · IDS
Networking
TCP/IP · VLANs · Firewalls · Routing & Switching (CCNA in progress) · WLAN/Wi-Fi 802.11 · SDN · Cisco IOS · APNIC Routing · LAN/WAN Design · DNS (Pi-hole + Unbound)
Systems & Servers
Linux (Ubuntu, RHEL) · Windows Server (AD, DHCP, DNS) · Proxmox · VMware · Hyper-V · VirtualBox · Docker · Server Monitoring · Backups · Patch Management · Operating Systems · IT Fundamentals
Cloud & Virtualization
Azure (AZ-900 certified) · AWS (Cloud Practitioner + Security) · Nextcloud · Self-hosted Infrastructure · Hybrid Cloud Environments
Databases
SQL · MySQL · PostgreSQL · MS SQL Server · Cloud Database Deployment (Azure)
Programming & Scripting
Python · Bash · PHP · JavaScript · Rust · Splunk SPL — automation of OS deployment, network config, and security workflows
Tools & Platforms
Git · GDB · Make · Visual Studio · Eclipse · AJAX · Docker · SMTP · Web Hosting · AI Model Training & Deployment

Certifications & Licences

Active

Microsoft Certified: Azure Cloud Architecture (AZ-900)
IBM IX Operating Systems: Administration & Security – Apr 2026
Diploma in Ethical Hacking – Alison – Mar 2026
Foundations of Cybersecurity – Google – Feb 2026
IBM Cybersecurity Tools & Cyberattacks – Feb 2026
Accelerate Your Job Search with AI – Google – Feb 2026
AWS Cloud Practitioner
AWS Academy Graduate – Cloud Security – Nov 2025
OPSWAT Certified Information Professional (CIP) – exp. Feb 2027
OPSWAT Introduction to Critical Infrastructure Protection (ICIP) – exp. Mar 2027
MasterCard Cybersecurity Virtual Experience – Forage
EASY Framework for Threat Intelligence – AttackIQ
Introduction to Model Context Protocol – Anthropic
Cisco Routing Course – APNIC Academy – exp. Mar 2029
MSSQL Certification – Microsoft
ISC2 Candidate (CC) – exp. Aug 2026
Business Case for Workplace Wellness – CCOHS – Jun 2025
Integrity in Action – Seneca – Jun 2025
Plagiarism and Citation – Seneca Polytechnic – Jun 2025
Ontario Security Guard Licence – #50059604
Smart Serve Ontario – #240328413205 – exp. Mar 2029
First Aid & CPR Certified
CompTIA A+
CCNA Fundamentals

In Progress

CompTIA Security+

Education

2022 – 2026
BSC, Computer Networking & Cybersecurity (Information Analysis)
University OF Toronto — Toronto, ON

Coursework: Security Incident Response, Open Systems Administration, Software Defined Networks, Wireless Networks, Databases, Microsoft Cloud Technologies (Azure), Linux Administration, Static & Dynamic Networks, Computer Systems Projects (On-Prem & Cloud)

Diploma, Ethical Hacking
Alison Academy — Galway, Ireland
2024
A+ Certified Professional Course
Scarborough Training Centre — Toronto, ON

Volunteering

Mar 2016 – Present
Cadet
Bangladesh National Cadet Corps

Civil Rights and Social Action — Once a Cadet, always a Cadet

Jan 2012 – Present
President Scout
Association of Top Achiever Scouts Bangladesh

Arts and Culture — “সেবার জন্য সদা প্রস্তুত থাকতে যথাসাধ্য চেষ্টা করা” — “Be Prepared”

Languages

English — Fluent
Bengali/Bangla — Fluent
Urdu/Pakistani — Conversational
French — Basic