IT & Network Operations Specialist | NOC & Data Center Engineer UAE | IT Services, Cybersecurity & Networking Solutions

About Me

UAE-based IT professional specializing in cybersecurity, network operations, and cloud infrastructure

I'm Imran Sarwar — a cybersecurity and network engineer based in the UAE, with extensive experience in enterprise network operations, data center management, Python automation, and cloud infrastructure for Dubai and Abu Dhabi organizations.

I specialize in Linux systems, network troubleshooting, VLAN/IP management, NOC operations, and secure infrastructure automation, ensuring reliable and scalable IT environments for UAE enterprises.

I also design and implement web-based solutions for IT infrastructure management. Key projects include IDMUI — a Flask-based interface for OpenStack Keystone identity management, and WCAMAN — a web platform for digital certificate management with step-ca, enabling secure authentication and workflow automation.

Earned my BS in Computer Science from Virtual University of Pakistan while working full-time, gaining hands-on experience in enterprise IT operations and UAE-focused projects.

Holder of industry certifications including ISC² CC, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, IBM Cybersecurity Analyst, and Cisco Networking, demonstrating expertise in UAE enterprise IT, cloud, and security operations.

Cybersecurity UAE Enterprise Network Operations Python Automation Cloud Infrastructure UAE Data Center Operations NOC Engineer UAE

Software & Infrastructure Projects

Designing practical tools for real-world IT operations

IDMUI – Identity Management UI (OpenStack)

Flask-based web application for managing OpenStack Keystone identity services.

Keystone authentication & token handling
User, role, and project management
Service status monitoring & admin controls
API-driven infrastructure interaction

Python Flask OpenStack APIs

Web based digital certificate management using Step CA (WCAMAN)

Certificate Authority and authentication workflow project focused on secure access and trust-based infrastructure.

Certificate lifecycle concepts
Security-focused authentication design
Infrastructure trust & access control

PKI Security Linux Infrastructure

Education

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Virtual University of Pakistan

2017 - 2023

Completed while working full-time

Key Achievements:

Specialized in Network Security
Graduated with honors

Professional Certifications

Industry-Recognized Credentials

Security:

ISC² Certified in Cybersecurity
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst

Networking & Cloud:

Cisco Certified Specialist
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

📜 Professional Certifications

Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist – Core

Issued: September 27, 2025

Expires: December 16, 2028

Online Verifiable Active

Demonstrates expertise in APIs, software development, network automation, application deployment, and infrastructure security.

View Certification

MCSA: Windows Server 2016

Date Issued: February 29, 2020

Expired: Never

Online Verifiable Active

View Certification

Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core

Date Issued: July 09, 2020

Expired: July 09, 2023

Online Verifiable Expired

View Certification

MCSE: Core Infrastructure

Date Issued: December 30, 2020

Online Verifiable Active

View Certification

IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate

Date Issued: December 07, 2023

Online Verifiable Active

View Certification

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

Date Issued: February 24, 2024

Online Verifiable Active

View Certification

Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)

Date Issued: March 20, 2024

Expired: March 31, 2027

Online Verifiable Active

View Certification

Online Courses & Specializations

IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Specialization

8 Courses 4-6 Months

Platform: Coursera

Skills you'll gain:

Networking Encryption AI Security GRC

Python for Everybody Specialization

5 Courses ~3 Months

Platform: University of Michigan (Coursera)

Skills you'll gain:

Python Basics Data Structures Web APIs Databases

Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity

4 Courses ~1 Month

Platform: Palo Alto Networks (Coursera)

Skills you'll gain:

Networking Cloud Security SOC Operations Threat Analysis

Google IT Support Professional

5 Courses 3 month

Platform: Coursera

Skills gained:

Troubleshooting System Admin Customer Service Security

Key Learnings

Job-ready skills for entry-level cybersecurity analyst roles
Cybersecurity fundamentals and database vulnerability management
Use of cybersecurity tools for penetration testing, incident response, and forensics
Using generative AI to enhance productivity

Skills Gained

Networking IT Security Architecture Generative AI Encryption Data Security EDR GRC

Course Breakdown

Course Title	Completion Date	Grade
1. Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyberattacks	Mar 4, 2023	91.65%
2. Operating Systems: Overview, Administration, and Security	Sep 9, 2023	97.14%
3. Cybersecurity Compliance Framework, Standards & Regulations	Sep 28, 2023	97.46%
4. Computer Networks and Network Security	Oct 8, 2023	97.64%
5. Penetration Testing, Threat Hunting, and Cryptography	Oct 10, 2023	98.52%
6. Incident Response and Digital Forensics	Nov 11, 2023	100%
7. Cybersecurity Case Studies and Capstone Project	Dec 6, 2023	92.91%
8. Cybersecurity Assessment: CompTIA Security+ & CYSA+	Dec 7, 2023	92.85%

Verification: This certificate can be verified on Coursera's platform. Verify this credential on Coursera

Key Learnings

This specialization teaches programming basics in Python, including data structures, web APIs, and databases. The capstone project lets you apply what you've learned by building applications for data retrieval and visualization.

Skills Gained

Web Scraping Databases XML Web Services Programming Data Processing File Management SQL Data Visualization

Course Breakdown

Course Title	Completion Date	Grade
1. Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)	Dec 10, 2023	96.60%
2. Python Data Structures	Dec 13, 2023	99.20%
3. Using Python to Access Web Data	Dec 22, 2023	98.76%
4. Using Databases with Python	Jan 6, 2024	100%
5. Capstone: Retrieving, Processing, and Visualizing Data	Jan 6, 2024	92%

Verification: This certificate can be verified on Coursera's platform. Verify this credential on Coursera

Key Learnings

Cybersecurity landscape, attack threats, vulnerabilities, and risks
Basics of cryptography including encryption
Security operations and cloud security fundamentals

Skills Gained

Cyber Threat Intelligence Endpoint Security Cloud Security Network Security Zero Trust SIEM Threat Detection Cryptography

Course Breakdown

Course Title	Completion Date	Grade
1. Cybersecurity Foundation	Dec 9, 2023	97.70%
2. Network Security Fundamentals	Dec 14, 2023	100%
3. Cloud Security Fundamentals	Dec 16, 2023	96.69%
4. Security Operations Fundamentals	Dec 20, 2023	100%

Verification: This certificate can be verified on Coursera's platform. Verify this credential on Coursera

Key Learnings

Skills needed for entry-level IT jobs
Daily IT support tasks: computer assembly, wireless networking, installing programs
End-to-end customer support, troubleshooting, and debugging
Systems including Linux, DNS, Command-Line Interface, and Binary Code

Skills Gained

Computer Networking Network Security Systems Administration Cybersecurity TCP/IP Network Protocols File Systems OSI Model

Course Breakdown

Course Title	Completion Date	Grade
1. Technical Support Fundamentals	Jun 25, 2022	99%
2. The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking	Aug 3, 2022	98.12%
3. Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User	May 10, 2023	95.54%
4. System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services	Jun 30, 2022	96.99%
5. IT Security: Defense against the Digital Dark Arts	Sep 4, 2023	96.90%

Verification: This certificate can be verified on Coursera's platform. Verify this credential on Coursera

Academic Excellence

Demonstrated consistent academic achievement across professional certifications in cybersecurity, IT support, and programming with multiple perfect scores.

Perfect Scores

Incident Response & Digital Forensics (IBM)
Network Security Fundamentals (Palo Alto)
Security Operations Fundamentals (Palo Alto)

Programming Excellence

Using Databases with Python (100%)
Python Data Structures (99.2%)
Web Data with Python (98.76%)

IT Support Mastery

Technical Support Fundamentals (99%)
Computer Networking (98.12%)
System Administration (96.99%)

View All Certifications