INITIALIZING SYSTEM...
IT Architect & Cybersecurity Engineer
MOHAMMED KHALAFALLA

Results-driven IT Manager with 6+ years of hands-on expertise spanning system administration, infrastructure architecture, and cybersecurity — primarily within hospitality. Building high-performance, zero-trust environments from the ground up.

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Mohammed Khalafalla

IT Manager @ Swiss International Al Taif

6+
Years XP
60%
Cost Cut
10+
Certifications
4
Companies
FortiGate VMware ESXi OPERA Cloud Active Directory Veeam Python
SCROLL
0%
Telecom Cost Reduction
0+
Years of Experience
0+
Certifications Earned
0
Chess Champion 🏆

Battle-Tested
Experience

2024
Aug 2024 → Present
● Currently Active
Swiss International Al Taif Hotel · Taif, KSA
IT Manager
  • Designed and deployed the hotel's Full Domain Controller System — eliminated external vendor costs, enforced zero-trust access management & Group Policy hardening.
  • Architected cost-effective high-speed Guest Wi-Fi infrastructure; migrated critical hotel systems to wired backbone — improving stability and data throughput significantly.
  • Led integration of Sun System & Material Control for automated financial operations and procurement management across all hotel departments.
  • Deployed FortiGate Firewall with structured ACLs, advanced file-sharing policies, and IDS/IPS rules — achieving 99.9% cybersecurity compliance.
  • Optimized telecom infrastructure: reduced telephone lines from 15 → 6, delivering a 60% cost reduction with zero degradation in service quality.
  • Managed OPERA Cloud PMS, Micros POS, and all hospitality IT systems ensuring seamless 24/7 operations for staff and guests.
2023
Nov 2023 → Jun 2024
Backbone Group · Part-Time
Cybersecurity Engineer
  • Designed, implemented, and managed enterprise cybersecurity toolsets including next-generation firewalls, IDS/IPS, and antivirus solutions for commercial clients.
  • Delivered comprehensive Trend Micro product support (Apex One, Apex Central, Deep Security, DDx) across the Middle East region — ensuring robust threat protection at scale.
2023
Aug 2023 → May 2024
ElManara Flour Company
System Administrator
  • Installed, configured, and hardened VMware ESXi servers with Sophos Firewall solutions — building a resilient virtualized infrastructure.
  • Managed user access controls, maintained file servers, and configured virtual storage environments for system stability and data integrity.
  • Proactively monitored network activity to identify and mitigate security threats before impact.
2021
Apr 2021 → Jun 2023
Blue Reef Resort
Assistant IT Manager
  • Migrated physical servers to VMware ESXi 6 virtualized environment — significantly improving performance, redundancy, and disaster recovery capabilities.
  • Upgraded firewall infrastructure from pfSense → Sophos XG, enhancing network security posture.
  • Implemented Veeam Backup & Recovery solution and led a full Wi-Fi system overhaul using Ubiquiti mesh technology.
  • Enhanced hotel CCTV infrastructure for advanced security monitoring coverage.
2020
Sep 2020 → Mar 2021
Telecom Egypt (WE)
IT Support Specialist
  • Delivered end-user support via phone, email, and in-person for hardware and software resolution across diverse enterprise environments.
  • Assisted in system installations, upgrades, and routine maintenance ensuring continuous operational performance.

Technical Arsenal

Networking & Security
FortiGate / Fortinet Suite95%
Sophos Firewall / XG90%
TCP/IP · DNS · DHCP · VPN92%
IDS / IPS · Zero Trust85%
Trend Micro (Apex One / Deep Security)88%
Virtualization & Infrastructure
VMware ESXi / vSphere / vCenter90%
Windows Server / Active Directory93%
Linux Administration80%
Veeam Backup & Disaster Recovery87%
Hospitality IT Systems
OPERA Cloud PMS92%
Micros POS88%
Sun System / Material Control85%
Automation & Scripting
PowerShell85%
Python (Automation / Scripting)78%
Bash Scripting80%
Tools & Platforms
Ubiquiti
pfSense
CCNA
MCSA
CompTIA A+
Group Policy
SIEM
FortiAP
VLAN
VoIP
CCTV Systems
QoS

Signature Projects

01
🖥️
Hotel Domain Controller & Zero-Trust Deployment

Designed and deployed the entire Active Directory & GPO infrastructure at Swiss International Al Taif Hotel — eliminating third-party vendor dependency and saving significant outsourcing costs. Centralized authentication, enforced zero-trust policies, and streamlined all user access management.

Windows ServerActive DirectoryZero TrustCost Optimization
02
🌐
Enterprise Guest Wi-Fi Architecture

Engineered a high-performance guest Wi-Fi network with VLAN segmentation, captive portal authentication, and QoS prioritization. Migrated all critical hotel systems to wired backbone — improving stability, data transfer speed, and network security posture while reducing operational expenses.

UbiquitiFortiAPVLANQoS
03
📡
Telecom Optimization — 60% Cost Reduction

Audited and restructured the hotel's entire telecommunication infrastructure. Reduced telephone lines from 15 → 6, implemented intelligent call routing and VoIP optimization — delivering 60% annual cost savings with zero degradation to internal or guest-facing communication quality.

VoIPCost EngineeringInfrastructure
04
🔥
FortiGate Security Hardening & Compliance

Implemented full FortiGate firewall deployment with advanced access control lists, structured security policies, IDS/IPS rules, and file-sharing governance. Achieved 99.9% cybersecurity compliance and significantly reduced attack surface across all hotel network segments.

FortiGateIDS/IPSComplianceSecurity Policy
05
☁️
Physical-to-Virtual ESXi Migration

Led a full P2V migration from legacy physical servers to VMware ESXi 6 virtualized environment at Blue Reef Resort — dramatically improving system performance, reliability, and disaster recovery readiness. Complemented with Veeam Backup implementation for business continuity.

VMware ESXiVeeamP2V MigrationDR
06
⚙️
Sun System & Material Control Integration

Played a central role in configuring and integrating Sun System financial software and Material Control procurement platform — enabling automated financial operations, real-time inventory management, and seamless cross-departmental data flow throughout the hotel.

Sun SystemMaterial ControlERP IntegrationAutomation
07
🔗
Multi-Branch VPN & SD-WAN Fabric

Architected a secure SD-WAN overlay connecting 4 hotel branches with site-to-site VPN tunnels and dynamic routing (BGP/OSPF). Implemented QoS policies prioritizing VoIP and critical ERP traffic, reducing inter-branch latency by 40% and ensuring 99.99% uptime for voice and data.

SD-WANSite-to-Site VPNVoIP QoSBGP/OSPF
08
📞
Unified VoIP & Telephony Migration

Designed and deployed a centralized VoIP PBX (3CX/Asterisk) across all branches, integrating legacy POTS lines with SIP trunks. Enabled unified extension dialing, call recording, and softphone roaming — reduced long-distance costs by 65% and improved internal voice collaboration.

VoIP PBXSIP Trunking3CXUnified Comms
09
🗄️
Centralized Server & Storage Replication

Consolidated 12 physical servers into 3 clustered hypervisors (VMware vSAN) across two data centers. Implemented synchronous replication for mission-critical VMs and Veeam Backup & Replication for offsite DR. Achieved RPO of 15 minutes and RTO under 2 hours for all branch servers.

vSANHyper-V ReplicaVeeam B&RDR Orchestration

Certifications & Education

🛡️
Fortinet Certified Associate (FCA)
Fortinet · Cybersecurity
May 2025
🔐
Fortinet Certified Fundamentals (FCF)
Fortinet · Cybersecurity
May 2025
🌐
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
Cisco Systems · Networking
Active
🪟
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
Microsoft · Systems Admin
Active
💻
VMware Essentials (vSphere & ESXi)
VMware · Virtualization
Active
☁️
Veeam Backup & Recovery
Veeam · Disaster Recovery
Active
🔒
Google Cybersecurity Certificate
Google · Apr 2024
Apr 2024
🔥
Sophos Firewall — Threat Protection
Sophos · Network Security
Active
🖥️
CompTIA A+ — IT Hardware & Networking
CompTIA
Active
🧬
Trend Micro Suite (Apex One, Deep Security)
Trend Micro · Security
Active
🎓
B.Sc. Information Technology & Computer Science
Sinai University · 2016–2020
2020
♟️
3× University Chess Champion
Sinai University
2018 · 2019 · 2020

Let's Build Something Extraordinary

Currently based in Taif, Saudi Arabia with a transferable IT Engineer visa. Open to senior IT management roles, cybersecurity contracts, and infrastructure architecture projects across the region.

// candidate.profile.json
 
{
  "name": "Mohammed Khalafalla",
  "role": "IT Manager & Cybersecurity Engineer",
  "location": "Saudi Arabia",
  "visa": "IT Engineer | Transferable",
  "languages": ["Arabic", "English (C2)", "Italian"],
  "experience_years": 6+,
  "specialization": "Hospitality IT + Cybersecurity",
  "status": "open_to_opportunities"
}
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE — Q2 2026