Dr. Umar Iftikhar
ENGR. DR. UMAR IFTIKHAR
Computer System Engineering | Artificial Intelligence | Information Security Consultant & Academic
📧 umar_iftikhar@outlook.com 📍 Karachi, Pakistan
OBJECTIVE
A professional with a Ph.D. in Computer Systems Engineering, combining advanced doctoral research in Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence with hands-on expertise in Information Security Consulting, IT Auditing, and Regulatory Compliance (ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, NIST). Passionate about bridging academia and industry by developing robust security architectures, enhancing organizational resilience, and fostering innovation and excellence in both research and education.
AFFILIATIONS
- Registered Engineer - Pakistan Engineering Council
- Member - Institute Of Engineers Pakistan (IEP)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
- Member Chairman Task Force (Sindh) – Pakistan Engineering Council (2019–2021)
- Member Regional Young Engineers Development Committee (Sindh) – Pakistan Engineering Council (2020–2021)
- Member Academia-Industry Linkage Committee (Sindh) – Pakistan Engineering Council (2021)
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Computer System Engineering
NED University Of Engineering & Technology
2020 – 2025
M.S Computer Engineering
Sir Syed University Of Engineering & Technology
2015 – 2017
B.E Electrical (Computer Systems)
Hamdard University
2010 – 2014
CERTIFICATIONS
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- CCNA (Routing and Switching)
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
TRAININGS
- ISO/IEC 27001
- PCI-DSS
- NIST Framework
- CCNP (Routing & Switching)
- CCNA (Security)
FUNDING
- Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST) Endowment Fund – worth 3 million PKR for PhD research project titled “Modeling of attack surface vector for a robust cyber threat detection architecture.”
MAJOR CLIENT EXPOSURE
Financial & Investment Institutions:
- Silk Bank Pakistan
- First Women Bank Limited
- Bank Alfalah Pakistan
- Meezan Bank Pakistan
- MCB - Arif Habib
- Pak Kuwait Investment Company
- Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL)
- Bank Albaraka Pakistan
Insurance, Logistics, Education:
- Jubilee Life Insurance Pakistan
- IGI Insurance Pakistan
- 1 Link Pvt Ltd
- Karachi International Container Terminal
- Agri Autos Pvt Ltd
- Dynea Pakistan
- Sir Syed University Of Engineering & Technology (SSUET)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Assistant Professor
NED University of Engineering & Technology
October 2025 – Present
- Teach AI, Cybersecurity, and Network courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
- Conduct research in machine learning and cyber defense frameworks.
- Supervise student research and departmental activities.
Lecturer
NED University Of Engineering & Technology
July 2018 – October 2025
- Delivered advanced lectures in Computer Systems and Security.
- Guided student projects and academic research initiatives.
Associate Consultant – Information Security
A.F. Ferguson & Co. (PwC Member Firm)
Oct 2017 – June 2018
- Performed Vulnerability Assessments and IT Audits for banks and insurers.
- Led ISO 27001 and PCI-DSS compliance gap analysis.
Consulting Associate – Information Security
A.F. Ferguson & Co. (PwC Member Firm)
Jan 2017 – Oct 2017
- Conducted multiple full-scale IT Audits for major national and international organizations...
- Reviewed, planned, designed, and audited various network infrastructure solutions...
Senior Network Engineer
E-Access Pvt. Ltd.
Nov 2014 – Dec 2016
- Installed and supported Cisco routers, firewalls, and VeriFone INAC controllers for banking clients.
- Designed and maintained secure network architectures.
- Provided Tier 3 troubleshooting and VPN/firewall administration.
PUBLICATIONS
- Umar Iftikhar, Kashif Asrar, Maria Waqas, Syed Abbas Ali, “BOTNETs: A Network Security Issue,” International Journal of Advanced Computer Science & Applications, vol. 11, no. 11, 2020.
- Maria Waqas, Umar Iftikhar, Muhammad Safwan, Zain Ul Abidin, Ahmed Saud, “Smart vehicle parking management system using image processing,” International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security, vol. 21, no. 8, pp. 161–166, 2021.
- Umar Iftikhar, Kashif Asrar, Maria Waqas, Syed Abbas Ali, “Access Management Using Knowledge Based Multi Factor Authentication In Information Security,” International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. 119–124, 2021.
- Umar Iftikhar, Kashif Asrar, Maria Waqas, Syed Abbas Ali, “Evaluating the Performance Parameters of Cryptographic Algorithms for IoT-based Devices,” Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 7867–7874, 2021.
- Maria Waqas, Urooj Ainuddin, Umar Iftikhar, “An analog electronic circuit model for cAMP-dependent pathway—towards creation of Silicon life,” AIMS Bioengineering, vol. 9, no. 2, 2022.
- Talha Ahmed Khan, Zeeshan Shahid, Umar Iftikhar, Muhammad Alam, Safdar A. Rizvi, Ghulam Muhammad, M.S. Mazliham, “Optimal Selection for Hidden Layers and Neurons parameters in a Neural Network Configuration: Critical Review,” Journal of Xi’an Shiyou University, Natural Science Edition, vol. 18, no. 8, pp. 163–167, 2022.
- Asif Aziz, Talha Khan, Umar Iftikhar, Irfan Tanoli, Asif Khalid Qureshi, “Appropriate Selection for Numbers of Neurons and Layers in a Neural Network Architecture: A Brief Analysis,” Sir Syed University Research Journal of Engineering & Technology, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 29–34, 2023.
- Muhammad Kamran, Talha Ahmed Khan, Umar Iftikhar, Safdar A. Rizvi, Irfan Tanoli, Kushsairy Kadir, “Comparative analysis for machine-learning-based optimal control of upper extremity rehabilitation robots,” Engineering Proceedings,” vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 34, 2023.
- Umar Iftikhar, Syed Abbas Ali, “Enhanced Cyber Threat Detection System Leveraging Machine Learning Using Data Augmentation,” International Journal of Advanced Computer Science & Applications, vol. 16, no. 2, 2025.
- Umar Iftikhar, Syed Abbas Ali, “Investigating the Impact of Hyper Parameters on Intrusion Detection System Using Deep Learning Based Data Augmentation,” International Journal of Advanced Computer Science & Applications, vol. 16, no. 4, 2025.
Assistant Professor