Vijayakumar N K

A cyber defender with extensive experience in digital forensics and incident response. Possesses a diverse background that includes roles in consulting firms and the healthcare sector, providing a unique perspective on cybersecurity challenges and solutions. Has worked across various sectors including, but not limited to, IT, FMCG, automobile, life science, healthcare, financial services, and media. Has executed/managed short-term assignments in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa.

Senior Manager at PrimEra Medical Technologies Private Limited (2020-04 – Present)

• Serve as a core member of the Cybersecurity Leadership team, leading the Digital Forensics, Incident Response and Threat Hunting verticals.
• Architected and established the Threat Hunting vertical from the ground up, including the design of end-to-end processes, methodologies, and operational frameworks.
• Supervise daily DFIR and Threat Hunting operations, defining KPIs and metrics to track outcomes and continuous improvement areas.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for all significant security events requiring review and investigation, as identified by the team.
• Document, report and present critical information pertaining to the investigation/procedures performed.
• Lead the deployment and maintenance of the DFIR toolset.
• Conceptualize and facilitate the tabletop exercises or simulated cyberattack scenarios to assess IR preparedness.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to mitigate identified risks and implement effective prevention and detection measures.
• Present weekly updates to the CISO on cases, threat hunts, and key initiatives, including hunting methodologies, threat coverage, and outcomes.
• Manage the end-to-end hiring process from profile evaluation to interviews.
• Manage, execute, and lead engagements related to malware attacks, Business Email Compromise (BEC), spear phishing, data leakage, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), digital evidence recovery, and other corporate investigations.
• Interact with clients to obtain information on the case, identify relevant data points, and understand their expectations.
• Create a project plan containing the objectives, work steps, timelines, and resourcing information.
• Perform data collection from the identified and relevant sources in the order of volatility.
• Perform analysis and provide identified indicators of compromise (IOC), which would help clients to identify/scope additional compromised systems and in remediation.
• Reconstruct events of the reported attack/incident, and prepare and present a report to clients, capturing investigative facts about the modus operandi, intent, and impact of the attack/incident.
• Integrate and work with member firms from other countries on forensic engagements and business proposals.
• Contribute to business development through the preparation of proposals/pitch decks, client presentations and discussions, managing client visits, and attending business conferences.
• Manage administrative events relating to the engagements such as planning, risk management, resource allocation, billing, and revenue accrual.
• Involve in the hiring process to evaluate candidates.
• Prepare, implement, and validate standard operating procedures on cyber incident response, cyber investigations, and digital evidence recovery.
• Develop scripts to decrease evidence-processing timelines.
• Prepare training material on digital evidence recovery and cyber security awareness, and train clients on the same.
• Work closely with team members and train them in forensic evidence collection, analysis, engagement, and client management.
• Interact with third-party vendors for product and service offerings, to ensure engagement/client requirements are addressed.

Manager at KPMG (2017-02 – 2019-05)

• Manage, execute, and lead engagements related to malware attacks, Business Email Compromise (BEC), spear phishing, data leakage, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), digital evidence recovery, and other corporate investigations.
• Interact with clients to obtain information on the case, identify relevant data points, and understand their expectations.
• Create a project plan containing the objectives, work steps, timelines, and resourcing information.
• Perform data collection from the identified and relevant sources in the order of volatility.
• Perform analysis and provide identified indicators of compromise (IOC), which would help clients to identify/scope additional compromised systems and in remediation.
• Reconstruct events of the reported attack/incident, and prepare and present a report to clients, capturing investigative facts about the modus operandi, intent, and impact of the attack/incident.
• Integrate and work with member firms from other countries on forensic engagements and business proposals.
• Contribute to business development through the preparation of proposals/pitch decks, client presentations and discussions, managing client visits, and attending business conferences.
• Manage administrative events relating to the engagements such as planning, risk management, resource allocation, billing, and revenue accrual.
• Involve in the hiring process to evaluate candidates.
• Prepare, implement, and validate standard operating procedures on cyber incident response, cyber investigations, and digital evidence recovery.
• Develop scripts to decrease evidence-processing timelines.
• Prepare training material on digital evidence recovery and cyber security awareness, and train clients on the same.
• Work closely with team members and train them in forensic evidence collection, analysis, engagement, and client management.
• Interact with third-party vendors for product and service offerings, to ensure engagement/client requirements are addressed.

Manager at Ernst & Young LLP (2011-01 – 2017-02)

Part of the Forensic Technology and Discovery Services team.

• Collect digital evidence using globally accepted forensic tools and methodology.
• Conduct investigations related to data leakage, spear phishing, malware attack, application security review, data integrity review on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) & 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, investigation of allegations relating but not limited to bribery, employee conflict of interest, vendor kickbacks, and procurement frauds.
• Analyse ESI (Electronically Stored Information) to identify case-relevant evidence and reporting.
• Manage evidence processing activities to ensure data is available for review on time.
• Formulate the forensic triage document that would help the investigation team to identify outliers quickly and efficiently.
• Involve in the hiring process to evaluate candidates.
• Train team members on the forensic acquisition and analysis process.
• Lead teams on many critical and complex investigations.
• Manage the forensic technology lab concerning asset inventory, upgradation of tools/equipment, procurement, and evidence management.

Master's Degree in Cyber Forensics and Information Security – University of Madras

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Applications – Vivekananda College, University of Madras