The short version
I have spent 20 years inside one company, watching an application security program grow from a code review checklist into a program that stands up to national audit. I write about that work in public because most of what I needed early in my career, I had to piece together from vendor whitepapers and lucky conversations.
Career timeline
Supervisor, Business Applications Security
- Lead the application security function across a national telecom footprint, covering secure SDLC, design review, and remediation.
- Delivered Phase 1 of the regulatory compliance program against NCA ECC and Saudi PDPL in 1.5 months.
- Reduced application audit findings by roughly 95 percent over three consecutive audit cycles.
Senior Web Application Developer
- Owned architecture and delivery for customer-facing web platforms handling authenticated telecom services.
- Introduced the first internal secure coding standards for the .NET stack, later formalized into the AppSec program.
Web Application Programmer
- Built and maintained internal tools for provisioning, billing, and customer support workflows.
- First exposure to formal code review and defect tracking as an engineering discipline.
+ 4 earlier roles (2002-2006)
Credentials
Security & Compliance
Certified Data Protection Officer (CDPO)
The Knowledge Academy
CISSP
IN PROGRESSISC2
Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)
ISC2
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft
AI
IBM Certified AI Master Professional
IBM· Jul 2026
AI Agents & Automation for Beginners
Beyond Tahir· Jun 2026
AI for Content Creation
Beyond Tahir· Jun 2026
Kanz AI: Foundational Proficiency in AI
Kanz AI
Other
Certified Blockchain Solution Architect (CBSA)
Blockchain Training Alliance· 2019
When I'm not shipping controls
I read a lot of primary regulation and a lot of essays about writing. Both benefit from patience and from being willing to reread the boring parts.
Weekends are usually Riyadh, family, and a running notebook of half-drafted articles that eventually make their way into the series.
I also volunteer as a cricket coach and umpire, ICC certified at Coach Foundation, Coach Level 01, and Umpire Level 01.