Addiswa Terefe
Senior IT Security Specialist | ISO 27001
Salary / Daily rate
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Freelance
Skills
Languages
About me
Intro
Certified IT Auditor & Security Specialist with 15+ years protecting financial systems and critical infrastructure. CISA certified professional experienced in ISO 27001, COBIT compliance, and vulnerability assessments at major Ethiopian financial institutions. Expertise in risk management, penetration testing, and cybersecurity strategy development.
Work experience
ITS Auditor
Hibret Bank
Oct 2023 - Present
3 years 1 month
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
-->Conduct comprehensive audits of IT systems, applications, and infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities, assess risks, and ensure compliance with regulatory and industry standards. -->Evaluate the design and effectiveness of IT controls, including access management, change management, and data protection mechanisms. -->Perform risk assessments to identify potential threats, prioritize high-risk areas, and recommend mitigation strategies. -->Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve IT governance, strengthen internal controls, and support the implementation of corrective actions. -->Ensure compliance with standards such as ISO 27001, COBIT, and NIST, and align audits with organizational and regulatory requirements. -->Prepare detailed audit reports outlining findings, risks, and recommendations, and present them to senior management for decision-making. -->Monitor IT processes, systems, and infrastructure for continuous improvement opportunities to enhance security and operational efficiency. -->Provide expert guidance on IT compliance, risk management, and cybersecurity strategies to minimize exposure to threats and ensure system resilience. -->Stay updated on emerging technologies, security trends, and regulatory changes to maintain a proactive approach to IT auditing.
Ethiopia Commodity Exchange
Mar 2008 - Dec 2023
15 years 10 months
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Specialist, IT Security
May 2019 - Dec 2023
4 years 8 months
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
-->Design and enforce all security standards and procedures in systems and design all security policies and guidelines for all system security processes. --> Assessment of protection needs with regard to the objectives of integrity, availability, confidentiality. Knowledge and experience in information security with methodological competences in ISO/IEC 27001 and related standards, risk management, vulnerability management and audits. --> Conducting IT audit assessments for systems or applications as required, and recommend solution on how to mitigate risk. -->Support in the implementation and coordination of security-relevant processes. -->Monitor the effectiveness of the information security program and make recommendations for improvements to the departments of the office or managers. -->Manage incident response events and provide effective communication to management. -->Designed training manuals to increase security awareness throughout company
Specialist, IT Support
Nov 2014 - May 2019
4 years 7 months
Tepi, Ethiopia
Establish system by planning and executing the selection, installation, configuration, and testing of server hardware, software, wireless and LAN networks, and operating and system management; defining system operational policies and procedures. Maintains system performance by performing system monitoring and analysis, and performance tuning; troubleshooting system hardware, software, networks and operating and system management systems; designing. Plan and oversee resources to conduct surveys and implements plans that ensure timely implementation as per the project timelines Compilation of Datacenter & Site network topologies, network diagram, schematics and floor layout plans. Implementation of solutions to ensure rollout follows the design and meets both the business and engineering specification. Definition of network KPIs, SLAs and acceptance procedure for new services and management of service transition to support teams.
Associate IT Support
Apr 2010 - Dec 2014
4 years 9 months
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Monitor network to ensure network functionality and availability to all system users. Responsible for diagnosing & resolving hardware, software & end users problems. Establishes system specifications by conferring with users, analyzing workflow, access, information, and security requirements; designing system infrastructure.
Data Entry Clerk
Mar 2008 - May 2010
2 years 3 months
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Skills: Technical Documentation · Troubleshooting · Online Data Entry · Data Entry · Problem Solving · Excellent communication skills
Swift Operator & Secretary
Wegagen Bank S.C.
Oct 2003 - May 2005
1 year 8 months
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Skills: Microsoft Office · Technical Documentation · Troubleshooting · Problem Solving · Teamwork · Excellent communication skills
Education
Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
BSc
2005 - 2007
2 years 1 month
Addis Ababa Commercial College Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Diploma Secretarial Science and Office Management
1999 - 2001
2 years 1 month