Cybersecurity Expertise Meets Technical Innovation

I’m M Afzal Yousaf Cybersecurity Engineer. Compliance Consultant. Technical Consultant. PMP Project Manager. Entrepreneur.

I provide expert cybersecurity consulting, compliance solutions, and technical strategies to help businesses achieve resilience, secure infrastructure, and drive digital transformation with confidence.

Connect With Me

About Muhammad Afzaal - Journey Section

About Muhammad Afzaal

Building credible cybersecurity & compliance outcomes across regulated environments

The Journey So Far

I began my professional journey after moving to Dublin At 18, building experience over time at the intersection of cybersecurity, ICT risk, and regulatory compliance.

My current focus is on cybersecurity, ICT risk, and regulatory compliance., I hold an MSc in Cybersecurity from University College Dublin, and a Level 9 micro‑credential specialising Cyber Risk & Digital Operational Resilience (DORA) from Munster Technological University. I’m pursuing CISA to deepen governance and audit rigor. In parallel, I’m developing CTechSol, an applied consultancy uniting legal, technical, and AI governance for regulated sectors.

mafzaal.com is where I share what I’m learning: practical DORA implementation, GDPR alignment roadmaps, AI governance frameworks, and lessons from building while studying and working full‑time.

Afzaal was an exemplary student, with self motivation and organisational levels second to none. He undertook an almost global commercial launch while holding down a job and self-financing his studies. It will be astounding the level of work that he will produce.

— Griffith College Project Supervisor

Final Year Project Assessment, 2020

Afzaal has worked for me for 3 months as a deskside engineer, he had big shoes to fill, and succeeded to do so. He has a great attitude towards work and his ability to adapt to the situation he gets put into. Flexible, reliable and a keenness to learn new things, and giving new challenges a shot. Having not worked in a high passed environment before he proved himself to work as a team member, on his own, and keeping a professional and courteous attitude though out. Well done!

— BioMarin Pharmaceutical

IT Lead - Oh22systems GmbH, 2021

Excellent and enthusiastic project manager working with my team taking ownership of full life cycle IT projects showing a desire to embrace new challenges and technologies.

— Zoetis

ZTD GMS Lead Zoetis Tallaght, 2022

6+ Years Consulting
Experience
Irish Industry

2 Master's
Degrees

50+ Projects
Delivered

5+ Professional
Certifications

Education & Credentials

MSc Cybersecurity

University College Dublin

2024 - 2026

Advanced cybersecurity, risk management, and compliance frameworks

Level 9 Micro Credential - DORA

Munster Technological University

2025 - 2026

Specialisation in ICT Risk & EU Regulatory Compliance

Professional Certifications

Multiple Bodies

Ongoing

CISA, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, and more

Community & Mentoring

Volunteer Leadership

Rent Ireland Community – Co‑Founder & Admin

Dublin, Ireland · 2021 – Present · 1,000+ members

After arriving in Dublin as a student and experiencing the housing challenges first‑hand, I co‑founded Rent Ireland to help Pakistani students and professionals find safe, fair accommodation.

Built and moderate a 1,000+ member community connecting newcomers with verified housing options.
Facilitated 200+ successful accommodation matches, reducing settlement time from 6+ weeks to 2–3 weeks.
Defined and enforce anti‑fraud rules to prevent exploitation and scams in a high‑risk rental market.

Career Mentoring

CV, LinkedIn & Career Guidance – Volunteer Mentor

Remote / Dublin · 2023 – Present · 100+ students mentored

Provide free, practical career guidance for Pakistani students and professionals entering the Irish job market—covering CV review, LinkedIn optimisation, interview prep and settlement support.

Mentored 100+ students and early‑career professionals with personalised CV and LinkedIn reviews.
Coached candidates for behavioural and technical interviews, helping many secure roles in tech, finance and compliance.
Created reusable templates and checklists that are now used across wider Pakistani‑Irish student networks.

What I Do Section

Professional Profile

Cybersecurity and digital operational resilience professional with a structured background in computer science, cybersecurity, ICT risk management, and EU regulatory compliance. Experience spans regulated environments, governance‑driven security programmes, and applied risk management aligned with DORA, NIS2, and ISO/IEC 27001.

2017 - 2026

Education & Professional Training

M.Sc in CyberSecurity (Level 9)

University College Dublin, Ireland (UCD) | (2024 - 2026), 2 Year Programme - 118th QS World Ranking

Core Modules: Cyber Risk Assessment & Standards, Information Security Management, Applied Cryptography, Network Security, Ethical Hacking, Incident Response, Cybersecurity Law, Secure Software Engineering Principles, Leadership in Cybersecurity.

Certificate in Digital Operational Resilience (DORA) & ICT Risk Management (Level 9)

Munster Technological University (MTU), Ireland | (2025 - 2026)

Focus areas: EU ICT risk management frameworks, Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), NIS2 Directive, GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001 alignment, ICT governance and third‑party ICT risk management, and regulatory compliance implementation.

B.Sc(hons) in Computer Science (Level 8)

Griffith College Cork, Ireland (2017 - 2020)

Focus areas: Linux Administration, Software Development, Data Analytics, Cyber Security & Ethical Hacking, Advanced Networking.

Professional Diploma in Project Management

IBAT College Dublin (2021 - 2021)

Specialisation: End-to-end project delivery, risk management, Agile & Waterfall methodologies, budgeting and scheduling for regulated IT and cybersecurity programmes in Ireland.

Professional Training – Risk Management

International Business Management Institute (IBMI - Germany Remote) Jul 2022

Focus areas: Risk identification, risk evaluation, risk treatment strategies, and continuous risk monitoring in organisational and operational contexts.

Job Experience

Sr. System Engineer

DBFL Consulting Engineers — Dublin, Ireland | (2023 - Present)

Responsible for day‑to‑day operation and security of enterprise IT across Microsoft 365, Azure AD, endpoints, and networks in a professional services environment. Lead incident response, access control, vendor coordination, backup/BCP hygiene, and implementation of governance‑aligned controls (ISO‑style) to keep operations resilient. .

IT Project Manager (Contract)

IN2 Engineering — Dublin, Ireland | (Jan 2023 – Apr 2023)

Led IT service delivery and operations in a fast‑paced engineering environment, owning incident, request, and escalation processes with KPI/SLA accountability. Coordinated third‑party providers while stabilising core infrastructure, hardening email/security controls, and improving documentation, DR, and asset governance.

Project Manager Engineer

EVAD IT Solutions — Dublin, Ireland | (Sep 2021 – Jan 2023)

Delivered IT & cybersecurity projects end‑to‑end across client environments—planning, execution, stakeholder coordination, risk & issue tracking, and progress reporting. Bridged technical teams and business functions, applying PMO discipline to infrastructure, security hardening, and service‑management initiatives.

Early Career & Supporting Experience

Freelance Software/Field Services Engineer (2019 – 2021) | Concurrent Technical Consulting (Part‑time) | Earlier roles (Desktop Support, Junior PM)

Freelance Software/Field Services Engineer (2019 – 2021) — Delivered software and on‑site technical work, building a foundation in systems, networking, and client delivery.

Concurrent Technical Consulting (Part‑time) — Provided targeted advisory while at DBFL (scope‑bound, non‑conflicting).

Earlier roles (Desktop Support, Junior PM) — Entry‑level delivery and support experience that under

About Me

M Afzaal is a cybersecurity & operational resilience professional in Ireland. I focus on DORA, NIS2, ISO 27001 and ICT risk turning regulation into practical controls, clear remediation roadmaps, and resilient operations for SMEs. Currently building a DORA assessment tool alongside MSc Cybersecurity (UCD) and leading Microsoft 365/Azure security and incident response.

I thrive on turning complex security and compliance challenges into clear, actionable solutions. I value clean execution, secure‑by‑design thinking, and measurable outcomes. My goal is to help Irish SMEs strengthen resilience with practical roadmaps and calm, dependable delivery.

Regulatory Compliance

GDPR DORA ISO 27001 NIST CSF PCI DSS ICT Risk Management Regulatory Gap Analysis Compliance Readiness

Cybersecurity Operations

Risk Assessment Security Audits Threat Analysis Incident Response Security Monitoring Security Hardening Control Effectiveness Review

Cloud & Identity Security

AWS Security Azure Security Cloud Architecture IAM Microsoft 365 Security Endpoint Security Conditional Access Zero Trust Principles

Operational Resilience

Digital Operational Resilience Business Continuity Planning ICT Incident Preparedness Resilience Testing Disaster Recovery Planning Service Continuity Operational Risk Mitigation Vulnerability Scanners

Governance & Risky

ICT Governance Risk Registers Policy & Control Design Control Mapping Third‑Party Risk Management Oversight Risk Treatment Planning

Security Platforms & Tooling

SIEM Platforms Firewalls IDS / IPS Email Security Platforms Endpoint Protection Vulnerability Scanners Risk Treatment Planning WireShark

Project & Delivery Management

Project Governance Agile & Waterfall Delivery Risk & Issue Tracking PMO Reporting Change Management Cross‑Team Coordination Delivery Assurance

Architecture & Infrastructure

Network Infrastructure Network Security Automation Active Directory VPN & Remote Access Asset Management Endpoint & Device Management

Insights & Stories

Cybersecurity & Founder Insights

Explore practical security guidance and behind‑the‑scenes founder stories designed to help you build resilient, compliant digital operations.

🔧 Technical

The Hidden Costs of GDPR Compliance in 2026: What Companies Overlook Until It’s Too Late

📅 Jan 15, 2026 • ⏱️ 8 min read

Deep dive into Digital Operational Resilience Act requirements and how financial institutions can implement robust security frameworks.

Read Article →

✍️ Founder Diary

Building a Cybersecurity Consultancy in Ireland

📅 Dec 10, 2025 • ⏱️ 6 min read

Lessons learned from the first year of CTechSol: navigating client expectations, building trust, and staying ahead in a fast-paced industry.

Read Article →

🔧 Technical

How Irish Construction SMEs Can Outsmart DDoS Attacks Before It’s Too Late

📅 Jan 25, 2026 • ⏱️ 11 min read

Deep dive into Digital Operational Resilience Act requirements and how financial institutions can implement robust security frameworks.

Read Article →

Get In Touch

Let's Work Together

Have a project in mind? Let's discuss how I can help secure your organization and strengthen your compliance posture.

Contact Information

Ready to enhance your cybersecurity and compliance posture? Reach out to discuss your specific needs and challenges.

📧

contact@mafzaal.com

📞

Phone

+353 XX XXX XXXX

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Location

Dublin, Ireland

Quick Response I typically respond to all enquiries within 24 hours during business days. For urgent security matters, please mention it in the subject line.