Network security architecture
Routing, switching and WiFi designs with firewalls, IDS/IPS and access controls integrated from day one.
- Firewalls
- IDS/IPS
- Wireless
Open to cybersecurity roles
Md Shahnur Arefin · Cybersecurity Specialist Defending the networks and data that matter.
I'm Md Shahnur Arefin, a cybersecurity specialist with an M.S. in Cybersecurity from UAB and 13+ years securing telecom networks, wireless infrastructure and HIPAA-regulated research platforms.
~ % whoami md_shahnur_arefin · M.S. Cybersecurity, UAB (GPA 4.0) ~ % ./audit --scope research-platform --std HIPAA [+] access controls ............ enforced [+] HIPAA / IRB compliance ..... 100% [+] unauthorized access ....... 0 incidents ~ % history --career 13+ yrs network security architect → sr. system analyst ~ % ls ./expertise network-security/ forensics/ compliance/ automation/ ~ %
13+Years in IT & network security
4.0 GPAM.S. Cybersecurity, UAB
100%HIPAA & IRB compliance
0Unauthorized access incidents
HIPAANISTMITRE ATT&CKFERPAFirewalls & IDS/IPSVulnerability assessmentDigital forensicsOSINTMalware analysisCryptographyCloud securityWireless securityAccess controlSecurity policy
About
From securing carrier networks to protecting clinical research data.
I spent twelve years at ADN Telecom in Dhaka, rising from network engineer to network security architect and infrastructure manager. I designed routing, switching and WiFi networks with firewalls, IDS/IPS and access controls built in, and wrote the security policies that kept them that way.
Most people just call me Arefin. I then earned my M.S. in Cybersecurity at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a 4.0 GPA, studying computer security, cloud security, cryptography, digital forensics and online crime investigation.
Today, as a Senior System Analyst at UAB, I secure the REDCap platform used by 50+ researchers across 100+ projects: running security audits and vulnerability assessments, enforcing access controls, and keeping research data compliant with HIPAA and IRB requirements.
Expertise
Security across the whole stack.
From the network edge to the database row, and the policies that govern both.
Risk & vulnerability assessment
Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments; 95% of identified risks remediated on schedule, cutting risk exposure by 80%.
- Audits
- NIST
- MITRE ATT&CK
Compliance & governance
HIPAA, FERPA and IRB requirements turned into working controls, plus institutional security policies and standards.
- HIPAA
- FERPA
- Policy
Digital forensics & OSINT
Disk and media forensics in Autopsy, infrastructure mapping in Maltego, and malware analysis in isolated labs.
- Autopsy
- Maltego
- Malware
Secure research data
Enterprise REDCap administration with role-based access, audit trails and data integrity for 100+ clinical research projects.
- REDCap
- Access control
- Integrity
Security automation
12+ pipelines in Python, PHP, n8n and Power Automate that cut manual data entry by 60% and reduce human error.
- Python
- n8n
- Power Automate
Experience
13+ years, security at every step.
System Analyst Sr.
Feb 2024 – PresentThe University of Alabama at Birmingham · Birmingham, AL
- Implemented security controls and access management across research data systems: 100% HIPAA compliance and zero unauthorized access incidents.
- Run security audits and vulnerability assessments on research platforms, remediating 95% of risks on schedule and reducing risk exposure by 80%.
- Contribute to institutional security policies and standards; integrated 2+ new security solutions, improving platform security posture by 20%.
- Administer enterprise REDCap for 50+ researchers across 100+ projects; built 4+ external modules and 12+ automation pipelines.
Network Security Architect & Infrastructure Manager
Jul 2010 – Jul 2022ADN Telecom Ltd · Dhaka, Bangladesh
Senior Engineer → Deputy Manager, Networking & Security Architect → Manager, Network Infrastructure
- Integrated firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and access controls into routing and switching infrastructure.
- Led large-scale wired and wireless network planning, infrastructure security and company-wide security policy; ran regular security audits.
- Led WiFi planning and security hardening, improving performance, reliability and security by at least 20%.
- Resolved 100% of escalated network and security issues within 48 hours and cut network downtime by up to 98%.
- Coordinated eight cross-functional teams and delivered client projects on time, with security built into every project plan.
Projects
Security work, hands on.
Forensic casework, malware analysis and cryptography from my M.S., alongside tools I've built for secure research data.
Malware analysis · Computer forensics
Keylogger Malware in a BEC Attack
Analyzed keylogging malware used in a business email compromise, automating evidence processing with Python and Power Automate and visualizing findings in Tableau.
Digital media forensics
Forensic Casework in Autopsy
Worked full investigations end to end: the BASHER case, Fiske, Clyde's BankJob and TDurden, from disk image to evidence report.
Online crime investigation · OSINT
Mapping Illicit Domains
Investigated crypto-scam, opioid and counterfeit-goods domains in Maltego, linking infrastructure, registrants and related entities.
Security lab
Isolated Malware Analysis Lab
VMware virtual machines, including Windows Server, configured to safely detonate and observe malware samples.
Blockchain & cryptocurrency
Bitcoin From Scratch
Built a working Bitcoin implementation in Python: wallets, transactions, a ledger, peer sockets, SHA-256 hashing and miners.
Smart contracts
Voting DApp
A decentralized voting application with tamper-resistant ballots, written as Solidity smart contracts with a Web3.js front end.
REDCap · External module
Session Keepalive Module
Keeps authenticated REDCap sessions alive during long data entry, so researchers don't lose unsaved records to timeouts.
Secure data pipeline
Qualtrics → REDCap Migration
A Python pipeline that pulls hundreds of surveys through the Qualtrics API into one consolidated dataset, staged for controlled import into REDCap.
Credentials
Education, certifications and skills.
Education
M.S. in CybersecurityThe University of Alabama at Birmingham · 2022–2023
GPA 4.0 Computer Security · Cloud Security · Blockchain & Cryptocurrency · Law, Evidence & Procedure · Investigating Online Crimes · Digital Media Forensics · Information Security Management · System Programming · Computer Forensics
Certifications
Advanced Certificate for Management ProfessionalsIBA, University of Dhaka · Oct 2018
Completed Database Administration (Oracle 11g)Feb 2012
Completed Skills
Security & compliance
HIPAAFERPANISTMITRE ATT&CKVulnerability assessmentSecurity auditsAccess controlSecurity policy
Forensics & investigation
AutopsyMaltegoMalware analysisOSINTEvidence handling
Network security
FirewallsIDS/IPSRouting & switchingWireless securityNetwork architecture
Languages
PythonPHPJavaScriptSQLSolidity
Platforms & tools
REDCapMySQLOracleLinuxWindows ServerVMwaren8nPower AutomateTableauSharePoint
Spoken languages
EnglishBangla (native)Hindi
Contact
Let's talk security.
Open to cybersecurity roles, security architecture and compliance work, and research collaborations. Based in Birmingham, Alabama.
marefin@uab.edu