Mahadev Thukaram

I am an Independent Information Security and Data Privacy Consultant with nearly three decades of experience in Information Technology and more than two decades specializing in Information Security.

I help organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture, protect sensitive information, reduce cyber risk, and meet regulatory and compliance requirements through practical, business-focused security solutions.

My consulting approach combines strategic advisory with hands-on technical expertise, enabling organizations to design, implement, and optimize security programs that align with business objectives.

My areas of expertise include:

• Information Security Strategy & Governance
• Data Privacy Consulting
• Data Protection & Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
• Virtual CISO Services
• Security Architecture & Solution Design
• Risk Assessments & Security Maturity Assessments
• Compliance & Governance (ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS Controls, GDPR, DPDP)
• Cloud Security
• Zero Trust Architecture
• Identity & Access Management
• Security Awareness & Technical Training

Throughout my career, I have worked with enterprise organizations across diverse industries, helping them improve security governance, protect critical information, implement enterprise security solutions, and build resilient security programs.

As an independent consultant, I provide vendor-neutral advice focused entirely on my clients' business objectives, risk profile, and long-term success.

Whether you need strategic cybersecurity guidance, security assessments, data protection initiatives, compliance support, or executive-level security leadership, I am committed to delivering practical, measurable, and sustainable results.

I welcome opportunities to collaborate with organizations seeking an experienced cybersecurity advisor and trusted security partner.

Freelance Consultant at Freelance Consultant (2014-08 – Present)

Leading an independent cybersecurity consultancy providing specialized services to enterprises across BFSI, Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Technology sectors. Managing end-to-end project delivery from pre-sales through implementation to post-deployment support. Authorized trainer for Forcepoint and Netskope

• Designed and deployed Forcepoint & Netskope CASB & DLP Solutions for multinational manufacturing company (15,000+ endpoints) protecting intellectual property across R&D, Finance, and Operations departments
• Implemented CASB & DLP Solutions for one of the biggest banks in India
• Implemented CASB & DLP Solutions for leading regional bank with operations across India
• Implemented Microsoft Purview DLP for healthcare organization ensuring HIPAA compliance and patient data protection across Microsoft 365 environment
• Led Symantec DLP migration to Forcepoint DLP for financial services client, completing zero-downtime transition with 99.7% policy accuracy retention
• Conducted DLP health checks and optimization for 12+ organizations, improving detection rates by average 35% while reducing false positives by 40%
• Architected and deployed Splunk Enterprise Security for e-commerce platform (500+ TPS) including custom correlation rules for fraud detection reducing transaction fraud by 60%
• Implemented ArcSight ESM for banking client integrating 80+ security data sources and establishing 24x7 SOC operations
• Developed custom Splunk dashboards and alerts for compliance reporting (PCI-DSS, GDPR) automating 70% of manual reporting tasks
• Deployed CyberArk PAS for Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company securing 2,000+ privileged accounts across hybrid (on-premises + AWS) environment
• Implemented credential rotation automation reducing manual password management effort by 90%
• Conducted privileged access risk assessments identifying and remediating critical gaps in 5+ organizations
• Delivered 50+ corporate training programs on Forcepoint DLP, Netskope CASB & DLP, Splunk SIEM, cybersecurity fundamentals, and security awareness
• Trained 1,000+ security professionals, system administrators, and compliance officers
• Developed and launched cybersecurity training academy (Encrynox Academy) offering professional certification programs
• Conducted security architecture reviews for 20+ organizations providing roadmap for security maturity improvement
• Led GDPR compliance programs for 8 organizations achieving full compliance within 6-9 month timelines
• Performed ISO 27001 gap assessments and provided implementation support for 15+ certification projects
• Delivered cloud security assessments for AWS and Azure environments identifying misconfigurations and establishing security baselines

Senior Solutions Manager – Managed Services at AGC Networks Ltd (2012-02 – 2014-07)

Led the Managed Security Services (MSS) practice, overseeing security operations for enterprise clients across multiple industry verticals. Managed team of 15 security engineers and analysts.

• Established and operationalized Security Operations Center (SOC) delivering 24x7 monitoring and incident response services
• Managed security infrastructure for 25+ enterprise clients (SIEM, Firewall, IPS, DLP, Vulnerability Management)
• Achieved 99.8% SLA compliance for managed security services
• Led pre-sales activities for managed security services generating ₹8 Cr annual revenue
• Implemented standardized security operations playbooks improving mean time to detection (MTTD) by 40%
• Conducted quarterly security reviews with CISOs and IT leadership driving service expansion and contract renewals

Linux Specialist at nSecure Software Pvt Ltd (2001-04 – 2004-03)

• Deployed and configured Snort IDS for ISPs and enterprises
• Implemented iptables firewall policies and Linux kernel hardening
• Provided Linux security training to system administrators
• Conducted penetration testing and security assessments

Linux Expert at Boodai Computers LLC (2000-07 – 2001-03)

Linux Expert at LinuxCare India (Linux Learning Center) (1999-05 – 2000-06)

Network Engineer at Ponmani International (1998-01 – 1999-04)

Network Engineer at Sri Sakthi Marine Products Pvt. Ltd (1996-10 – 1997-12)

MBA