Asad Ali

Senior IT & Networks professional with 12+ years of progressive experience in the Pakistan Navy and Network-Centric Warfare (NCW) environment, specializing in mission-critical enterprise networks, data center operations, cybersecurity, and high-availability IT services. Proven experience across network engineering, routing and switching, network security, virtualization, disaster recovery, and infrastructure modernization within classified and operationally critical environments. Experienced in Zero Trust implementation, secure network operations, incident resolution, and maintaining service continuity across complex IT environments.

Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage significant technology operations and budgets, and deliver reliable and secure IT services in demanding operational environments.

Officer In-charge Data Center/ IT Operations (OIC NAMMS) - Pakistan Navy - Pakistan

(2024-01 - 2026-02)

Led enterprise data center and IT operations for the Air Engineering Department, overseeing mission-critical services and maintaining 99.99% system availability ensuring seamless provision of services to end users round the clock.

• Supervised a professional technical team responsible for the configuration, maintenance, troubleshooting, and lifecycle management of network and data center infrastructure, including Cisco, HP, and Juniper network devices, enterprise servers, storage systems, and associated infrastructure.
• Directed the migration of legacy on-premises infrastructure to a virtualized environment, improving scalability, resource utilization, and operational efficiency.
• Implemented Zero Trust security architecture, including security governance, access controls, policies, and enterprise-wide security standards.
• Developed, implemented, and validated a comprehensive Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR) program, conducting bi-annual simulations to validate recovery readiness and service continuity.
• Renegotiated enterprise vendor contracts, achieving a 20% reduction in costs while strengthening SLA performance and service delivery.
• Modernized IT service desk operations, improving incident management workflows, troubleshooting processes, and user support.

Officer In-charge Data Center Operations (OIC DC Ops) - Pakistan Navy - Pakistan

(2021-11 - 2024-01)

Directed 24/7 mission-critical data center operations supporting Network-Centric Warfare (NCW) systems, ensuring high availability, resilience, and secure delivery of critical IT services.

• Oversaw the end-to-end lifecycle of enterprise data center infrastructure, including servers, storage, networking, cybersecurity, and encryption platforms.
• Directed NOC/SOC monitoring for mission-critical systems, coordinating incident response and escalation across network, systems and security teams to protect availability.
• Strengthened data center physical security controls, overseeing biometric access, CCTV surveillance, visitor governance, and access-control procedures.
• Implemented an enterprise Identity & Access Management (IAM) framework using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), enforcing least-privilege access across users, systems, and applications.
• Established preventive maintenance programs covering electrical, mechanical, and fire-suppression systems, reducing the risk of unplanned outages and infrastructure failures.
• Developed and executed Business Continuity and Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) addressing both physical infrastructure failures and cyberattack scenarios.
• Directed secure destruction and disposal of end-of-life storage media, ensuring compliance with applicable data privacy, information security, and media sanitization policies.
• Managed critical service-provider relationships and contracts, including mechanical, facilities, and hardware vendors, while negotiating cost-effective service agreements and maintaining operational standards.

Sr Manager Networks & Cybersecurity - Pakistan Navy - Pakistan

(2020-06 - 2021-11)

Managed multi-site enterprise network operations, ensuring availability and reliable connectivity across geographically distributed locations.

• Administered and troubleshot Cisco, Juniper, Huawei and HP network infrastructure, including routers and switches.
• Managed network security infrastructure including firewalls, encryptors, IDPS and secure VPN connectivity.
• Developed network availability and incident-management procedures, including structured troubleshooting and Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) practices.
• Conducted network and infrastructure risk assessments and contributed to multi-year cyber security planning.
• Investigated cybersecurity incidents and performed technical analysis and forensic troubleshooting.
• Led and mentored network administration personnel responsible for operational network support.

Network Administrator - Pakistan Navy - Pakistan

(2018-03 - 2020-06)

Administered and troubleshot Cisco, Juniper, Huawei and HP ProCurve routers and switches across enterprise network environments.

• Configured and maintained VLANs, routing, network segmentation and secure connectivity.
• Managed firewall and security infrastructure including Cisco ASA, Juniper firewalls and IDPS solutions.
• Configured and maintained VPN secure tunnels for protected communication between remote and operational sites.
• Monitored network performance and availability using PRTG Network Monitor and ManageEngine IT360.
• Investigated network outages, performance degradation and connectivity issues through structured troubleshooting and root-cause analysis.
• Maintained network diagrams, device configurations, change records and technical documentation.
• Supported network upgrades, configuration changes and preventive maintenance activities.
• Provided technical guidance and training to IT personnel on network administration and troubleshooting.

Project Officer Disaster Recovery (DR) Site - Pakistan Navy - Pakistan

(2016-02 - 2018-03)

Led a project for end-to-end establishment and operationalization of a Disaster Recovery (DR) site for Network-Centric Warfare (NCW) systems, overseeing infrastructure procurement, implementation, integration, and testing to ensure business continuity and compliance with defined RTO/RPO objectives.

• Maintained 100% operational readiness of mission-critical systems within a classified DR environment, conducting daily readiness checks, preventive maintenance, and proactive component testing to ensure immediate recovery capability during a disaster.
• Led semi-annual DR switchover and recovery drills, validating replicated data integrity and the readiness of Command & Control (C2) applications; analyzed performance metrics and system response times to strengthen BCDR strategies.
• Continuously updated DR runbooks, SOPs, checklists, system configuration diagrams, and troubleshooting guides based on system changes, testing outcomes, and lessons learned.
• Integrated cybersecurity controls into DR operations, validating SIEM alerts and threat-detection capabilities to ensure security monitoring remained effective during disaster recovery scenarios.

Assist Manager Systems - Pakistan Navy - Pakistan

(2014-10 - 2016-02)

Administered and maintained Windows and Linux server environments and enterprise workstations, managing patching, system availability, and performance of critical applications.

• Implemented Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and least-privilege principles to ensure appropriate user access based on job responsibilities.
• Maintained comprehensive IT asset inventories covering laptops, servers, and peripherals, achieving 100% data accuracy for asset tracking and financial reporting.
• Conducted quarterly access reviews and security audits, identifying and revoking orphaned accounts and excessive permissions in accordance with internal security standards.
• Diagnosed and resolved critical server failures, minimizing service disruption and restoring systems to operational status.

Master of Information Technology - Information Technology - Virtual University of Pakistan (2013)