About
Cybersecurity engineer currently specialising in security assurance at the University of Otago, based in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Formerly worked for Ember Technology, providing cybersecurity support to over 300 clients.
My work spans Microsoft Defender XDR, Sentinel, Entra ID, Conditional Access, Purview, and secure-by-design validation. I design, assess, and validate secure-by-design solutions across Microsoft 365 and Azure.
I work across both technical and business audiences, translating security risk into practical actions that improve real-world outcomes.
Background in infrastructure, systems, and client-facing technical roles, so my security advice is grounded in how environments actually run.
Focused on validating control effectiveness, identifying risk, and strengthening security posture.
Certifications
- CompTIA Security+
- SC-200, Microsoft Security Operations Analyst
- SC-300, Identity & Access Administrator
- SC-900, Security, Compliance & Identity Fundamentals
- MS-900, Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
Experience
- Lead security assurance across Microsoft 365 and Azure environments
- Design and implement Defender XDR and Sentinel detection capabilities
- Engineer identity governance (Entra ID, Conditional Access, PIM)
- Conduct security posture assessments and drive risk-based remediation
- Run incident response and root cause analysis
- Advise senior stakeholders on security risk and strategy
Core Focus
- Security assurance & control validation
- Microsoft cloud security (M365, Azure)
- Identity & access governance
- Detection engineering & SIEM (Defender, Sentinel)
- Security architecture & posture improvement (Zero Trust)
Technical Skills
- PowerShell scripting & automation
- Intune endpoint management & device compliance
- Email security & authentication
- Microsoft 365 & Azure
- Windows hardening & endpoint security baselines
- Networking & segmentation (VLANs, firewalls)
- Backup, recovery & business continuity
- Multi-tenant MSP environments