Saif Muntaseer
Microsoft Certified Trainer · San Jose, California

Ahmed Saif Muntaseer

Cloud Solutions Architect for Security and AI. I help organizations move from perimeter defense to Zero Trust on Microsoft Cloud, and adopt AI without losing control of their data.

Zero Trust layers: AI, data, endpoint and identity around a protected core AI GOVERNANCE · COPILOT · PURVIEW FOR AI DATA · DLP · INFORMATION PROTECTION ENDPOINT · INTUNE · DEFENDER Entra identity first
7K+LinkedIn followers
20+Copilot workshops across ASEAN
500admins trained at Microsoft Cloud Week
41research citations

About

I'm a security architect who has spent most of his career inside the Microsoft cloud stack: identity, endpoint, messaging and data protection. Today I work as a Cloud Solutions Architect for Security and AI at Ascend Technology Inc.

Before that I led Microsoft 365 Premier support teams, designed Purview and DLP rollouts, and delivered the first Microsoft Intune deployment in Bangladesh. I teach as a Microsoft Certified Trainer and write regularly about Zero Trust, federation and the future of the firewall.

Alongside client work I publish research, most recently on explainable transformers for land-use classification and on using large language models to counter hate speech in Bangla.

  • Identity & Zero TrustMicrosoft Entra, Conditional Access, Global Secure Access, SAML federation
  • Endpoint securityIntune, Autopilot, Defender for Endpoint
  • Data protectionPurview Information Protection, DLP, retention
  • Security for AICopilot readiness, AI governance, data oversharing controls
  • Security operationsMicrosoft Sentinel, risk assessment (CSRA)

Experience

Consulting, architecture and support roles across the Microsoft security ecosystem.

  1. Cloud Solutions Architect, Security and AI

    Ascend Technology Inc. · San Jose, California · Present

    Designing secure cloud and AI adoption for customers: identity-first Zero Trust, data protection with Microsoft Purview, and governance for Copilot and AI agents.

  2. Solutions Consultant, Security

    Contessa Solutions & Consultants Ltd.

    Led security engagements across Microsoft 365, Intune, Purview and Sentinel, including cyber security risk assessments, information protection rollouts and Copilot adoption programs.

  3. Technical Lead, Microsoft 365 Premier Support

    Wicresoft

    Led the Microsoft 365 Premier support team, kept every KPI on target and earned Employee of the Year 2020 and the Best Team award.

Selected projects

A sample of engagements, from first-in-country deployments to regional AI enablement.

Copilot for Microsoft 365 enablement

2024 · ASEAN region

As Copilot subject-matter expert, ran 20+ MCI and Adoption Accelerator workshops and 6 public webinars covering readiness assessments, value discovery and adoption.

First Intune deployment in Bangladesh

2021 – 2022 · ZXY International

Onboarded 300 devices through Windows Autopilot, with compliance, EDR, antivirus and firewall policies and Win32 app delivery.

Purview Information Protection and DLP

2023

Designed classifiers, sensitive information types, EDM and sensitivity labels, then trained power users to run the program.

Cyber Security Risk Assessment

2022 · Maxwell Group

A four-week assessment of infrastructure and MIS that produced a security framework covering network, VPN, firewall and access policy.

Cloud migration for 3,500 users

2022 · Transcom Limited

As technical architect, moved Bangladesh's largest conglomerate from an outdated on-premises mail system to a secure cloud platform.

Microsoft Cloud Week trainer

2022 · Microsoft

Delivered hands-on MS-203 Messaging training to 500 system administrators from Microsoft partners.

Email security gap analysis

2022 · International organization (NDA)

Reviewed Exchange Online, on-premises Exchange and EOP configuration and delivered a security baseline for the client's framework.

Microsoft 365 for Khulna University

2021

Rolled out Microsoft 365 to all students and faculty and trained the ICT cell on administration, Teams, SharePoint and online exams.

Research

Peer-reviewed work in AI, photonics, IoT and signal processing.

41Citations
2h-index
2i10-index
9Publications
  • Data security
  • Cyber security
  • IoT
  • Photonics
  • Biomedical engineering
  • Explainable AI
  1. 2025
    Explainable Transformer-Based Models for Land Use and Land Cover ClassificationIEEE RAAICON 2025 · first author
  2. 2025
    Breaking the Silence: Leveraging Large Language Models to Counter Religious Hate Speech in Bangla16th ICCCNT, IEEE
  3. 2025
    Fine-Grained B-Cell Leukemia Classification Using Attention-Augmented VGG16 on Microscopic Blood Images16th ICCCNT, IEEE
  4. 2022
    Liquid Hydrochloric Acid Sensing in Human Stomach Using Photonic Crystal FiberAIP Conference Proceedings 2357
    2 citations
  5. 2020
    Theoretical Analysis of Large Negative Dispersion Photonic Crystal Fiber with Small Confinement LossApplied Optics 59(28)
    25 citations
  6. 2020
    Detection of Lung Agents through Rectangular Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fiber11th ICCCNT, IEEE
    1 citation
  7. 2020
    Life Automation: A Blessing of IoT11th ICCCNT, IEEE
  8. 2019
    Performance Analysis of Isolated Speech Recognition Technique Using MFCC and Cross-Correlation10th ICCCNT, IEEE
    13 citations
  9. 2019
    Parametric Performance Estimation of Wireless Sensor Network Using Fuzzy Logic10th ICCCNT, IEEE

See the full list on Google Scholar

Certifications

Current Microsoft certifications are renewed through 2027.

Microsoft

  • Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert
  • Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)
  • Endpoint Administrator Associate (MD-102)
  • Information Protection Administrator Associate
  • Messaging Administrator Associate
  • Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)

Security

  • Certified Cybersecurity Educator Professional (CCEP)
  • Foundations of Operationalizing MITRE ATT&CK
  • Fortinet NSE 1, 2 and 3
  • OPSWAT OECA and ICIP

Fundamentals

  • Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
  • Azure Fundamentals
  • Advanced Network Operations: Switching, Routing, BGP and MPLS

Recognition

Awards from Microsoft, partners and employers.

Surface Your Creds challenge

Microsoft APAC · 2022

Regional winner and third place in the global round.

Best Presenter

Microsoft Partner Enablement Award · 2022

For the first presentation on Microsoft Intune in the Bangladesh market.

Employee of the Year

Wicresoft · 2020

For leading the Microsoft 365 Premier team on every KPI.

Best Team Award

Microsoft 365 Premier Support · 2021

Received as the team's technical lead.

Writing

Articles on LinkedIn about identity, network security and Microsoft 365.

What colleagues say

From 17 recommendations on LinkedIn.

Saif is one of the most competent yet humble people I've ever met. He brings a fresh, clear, understandable expertise to a subject that is often difficult for people to grasp.

Former teammate

One of the most technical people on our site, and one of the most talented leads I have managed in my career.

Sudarshan Ranshinge, former manager

Education and community

Engineering roots and a long habit of teaching others.

  • Education
    Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)

    Postgraduate studies

  • Education
    Khulna University

    Electronics and Communication Engineering

  • 2017 – Present
    Associate Member, Bangladesh Computer Council
  • 2014 – 2015
    Microsoft Student Ambassador

    Ran the campus's first cloud computing event on Azure, held 13 events and distributed $6,000 in certification vouchers to more than 75 students.

  • 2013 – 2015
    Vice President, Rotaract Club of Khulna University

    Previously Professional Service Director, leading disaster and humanitarian relief work.

  • 2013 – 2014
    Secretary General, ROUTER

    Club of the ECE Discipline, Khulna University.

  • Languages
    Bengali (native), English (full professional)

Let's talk

Open to architecture engagements, Zero Trust and Purview projects, Copilot readiness work, speaking and training. The quickest way to reach me is LinkedIn or email.