Usman Afzal

Usman Afzal Gujranwala, Punjab - -linkedin.com/in/usman-afzal-bil4l Summary IT professional with expertise in system administration, cybersecurity, and software quality assurance. Proven ability to optimize IT infrastructure, automate workflows, and enhance system security. Adept at collaborating across teams to implement high-quality IT solutions in fast-paced environments. Certified in Google IT Support and cybersecurity, with a strong foundation in Linux and Windows administration. Committed to delivering scalable, secure, and efficient IT solutions to support organizational growth. Key Achievements Reduced system downtime by 25% through proactive security implementations. Increased operational efficiency by 40% through automation using PowerShell & Bash. Improved testing efficiency by 30%, ensuring ISO 9001 compliance. Led root cause analysis (RCA) initiatives, reducing customer-reported issues by 20%. Successfully migrated 10+ businesses to cloud solutions (AWS, Azure), improving scalability and security. Work experience Quality Assurance Specialist Alethea.ai | Feb 2023 – Jan 2024 Developed and executed automated & manual test cases to ensure high software quality. Utilized Selenium, JIRA, and TestRail for test case management and bug tracking. Ensured seamless CI/CD integration using Jenkins, reducing deployment issues. Collaborated with development teams in an Agile (Scrum) environment, reducing defects by 15%. Led root cause analysis (RCA) initiatives, reducing customer-reported issues by 20%. Freelance IT Consultant Self-Employed | Sep 2017 – Jan 2023 Provided IT consulting services for small businesses, optimizing IT infrastructure & security. Assisted in cloud migrations (AWS, Azure) and implemented cybersecurity protocols. Designed and deployed virtualization solutions (VMware, Hyper-V, Kubernetes) for cost-efficient IT environments. Developed automation scripts (PowerShell, Bash), reducing repetitive workload by 40%. System Administrator Puretech | Apr 2015 – Aug 2017 Managed IT infrastructure, including server configuration, network security, and data integrity using Ansible & Terraform. Implemented security monitoring with Nagios & Splunk, reducing system downtime by 25%. Deployed and managed virtualized environments (VMware, Docker, Kubernetes), improving resource utilization by 30%. Conducted system audits & vulnerability assessments, ensuring NIST cybersecurity compliance. Automated administrative tasks using PowerShell & Bash, increasing efficiency by 40%. Technical Support Specialist Puretech | May 2014 – Apr 2015 Provided frontline IT support, resolving 90% of issues within SLA timelines using Zendesk & ServiceNow. Assisted in enterprise application configurations (ERP, CRM) with SAP & Microsoft Dynamics 365. Documented client interactions & solutions in Confluence & SharePoint for knowledge management. Trained junior staff & end-users on IT security best practices, ensuring SOC 2 compliance. Supported network configurations (Cisco ASA & Fortinet), reducing unauthorized access by 40%. Education Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering – University of South Asia (June 2022) Skills Technical Skills Operating Systems & System Administration: Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS), Windows Server (2016, 2019) Virtualization & Cloud: VMware, Hyper-V, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS (EC2, S3, IAM), Azure DevOps & Automation: Terraform, Ansible, CI/CD (Jenkins, Git, GitHub Actions) Cybersecurity & Compliance: SIEM, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, NIST, SOC 2 compliance Networking & Database Management: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPN, MySQL, SQL Server Scripting & Automation: PowerShell, Bash, Python (basic) Soft Skills Problem-solving & analytical thinking Strong communication & teamwork Adaptability & continuous learning Leadership & mentoring Attention to detail Languages English (Fluent) Urdu (Fluent) Punjabi (Fluent) Certifications 🏆 Google IT Support Specialization – Coursera (2021) 🏆 System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services – Coursera (2021) 🏆 IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts – Coursera (2021) 🏆 Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User – Coursera (2021) 🏆 The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking – Coursera (2021)