Cossam Kondowe

Aspiring cybersecurity and network infrastructure specialist with strong academic grounding in ICT, hands-on enterprise experience, and meaningful leadership roles in technology development and mentorship. Selected by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to support the development of the Mzuzu Internet Exchange Point (IXP) a strategic national digital-infrastructure project aimed at improving Malawi's internet resilience and connectivity. Experienced in IT infrastructure operations, offensive cybersecurity practices, and community-centered digital development.

Passionate about pursuing an advanced degree in cybersecurity with a focus on offensive security, penetration testing, and network systems research.

IT Infrastructure Graduate Trainee - Old Mutual Malawi - Blantyre

(2025-04)

• Support enterprise infrastructure including LAN/WAN, servers, virtualization systems, and NAS/SAN storage.
• Manage daily data backups and ensure disaster recovery readiness.
• Maintain and troubleshoot Windows/Linux systems, user accounts, and end-user services.
• Monitor system performance, network health, and enforce ICT security policies.
• Participate in infrastructure upgrades, system optimization, patching, and security hardening activities.

IT Infrastructure Intern - Mzuzu University - Mzuzu

(2024-11 - 2025-04)

• Installed and maintained network infrastructure (switches, patch panels, structured cabling).
• Supported campus-wide connectivity issues, data networks, and enterprise email systems.
• Assisted in Linux/Windows server operations, endpoint configurations, and ICT service delivery.

Cybersecurity Intern (Remote) - International Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Academy (ICDFA) - Remote

(2025-03 - 2026-07)

• Conducted penetration testing, ethical hacking, vulnerability assessments, and system-hardening exercises.
• Gained hands-on experience with offensive cybersecurity tools and simulated enterprise attacks.
• Practiced incident-response procedures, access-control testing, and cybersecurity reporting.

Bachelor of Science - Information and Communication Technology - Mzuzu University

Advanced Diploma - IT Systems Support - Lilongwe Technical College