About
Cybersecurity & IT Professional based in North York, Ontario, Canada.
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. Holding CompTIA A+ and CCNA Fundamentals, currently pursuing CompTIA Security+.
Work Experience
Information Technology & Security
- Apply Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) guidelines to daily data center operations, ensuring physical infrastructure is resilient against emerging hardware and network-level threats
- Audit server racks, cabling, and localized network equipment to detect anomalies, rogue devices, or unauthorized Layer 1 connections
- Execute urgent firmware updates and hardware remediations on bare-metal servers based on active Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) and threat feeds
- Partner with engineering and SOC teams to translate high-level threat intelligence into practical security procedures for on-site hardware deployments
- 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
- Mapped end-to-end SOC alert triage workflow across Splunk and AlienVault; identified 3 bottleneck points and shipped automated enrichment pipelines reducing MTTR by 25%
- Built Python scripts and Splunk SPL queries to correlate threat intelligence feeds, eliminate false positives at scale, and process 30+ daily alerts with minimal human intervention
- Designed human-in-the-loop validation checkpoints for high-severity alerts with safety guardrails; created runbooks enabling junior analysts to operate independently
- Provided cloud support engineering at Dominion Centre, 222 Bay St., Toronto
- 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
- Architected VLAN-segmented network maintaining 99%+ uptime for healthcare systems; documented data flows for compliance and operational continuity
- Deployed firewalls, VPNs, and least-privilege access policies; performed Wireshark packet analysis to diagnose complex failures
- IT Service Delivery, Technical Assistance, and customer support at Vaughan, ON location
- Managed the end-to-end lifecycle of IT support tickets using ITSM platforms (e.g., ServiceNow), maintaining strict adherence to enterprise Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
- Troubleshot and resolved Tier 1/Tier 2 software, hardware, and network connectivity issues within a highly secure and regulated corporate environment
- 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
- Architected Terraform modules with GitHub Actions for self-service Azure infrastructure provisioning, collapsing multi-day provisioning into minutes
- Administered Entra ID IAM, RBAC, and Conditional Access; implemented OAuth 2.0 and certificate-based authentication across business systems
- Connected cloud storage, compute, and identity platforms via APIs and automation scripts, reducing manual errors and improving deployment reliability
- 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
- Conducted continuous CCTV Monitoring for high-security premises, actively identifying anomalies, unauthorized access, and physical security threats
- Executed rapid incident response protocols, escalating verified threats to on-the-ground security teams and management in real-time
- Monitored hybrid physical and digital access points, cross-referencing visual data with access logs to ensure comprehensive site security
- Monitored CCTV systems and performed regular property inspections
- Databases, Administration, and digital content management
- Directed digital publication operations, overseeing backend Databases to ensure the integrity, organization, and efficient retrieval of digital assets
- Provided comprehensive Administration for digital platforms and Content Management Systems (CMS), configuring user access controls, permissions, and operational workflows
- Bridged the gap between technical and creative teams, troubleshooting platform issues and optimizing database structures to improve site performance
Retail, Hospitality & Other
- Promoted from Customer Service Specialist; managing visual merchandising and in-store presentation
- Administration, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and retail systems management
- Supervised daily operations; trained non-technical staff on new systems, improving team efficiency and cross-functional communication
- 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
- Customer-facing retail sales and support, on-site at North York, ON
- Tracked all kitchen supplies and ingredients along with beverages to guarantee continuous availability for the team
- Etobicoke, ON · On-site
- Supported kitchen operations at 100 Yonge St, Toronto
Skills
Certifications & Licences
Active
In Progress
Education
Grade: 3.56
Grade: 3.92
Volunteering
Civil Rights and Social Action, Once a Cadet, always a Cadet
Arts and Culture, “সেবার জন্য সদা প্রস্তুত থাকতে যথাসাধ্য চেষ্টা করা”, “Be Prepared”