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Cloud security breaches. Wasted spend bleeding your budget. You’re not alone, some companies lose millions per year this way.

I help cloud leaders stop both, fast.

As a Certified Cloud Security Specialist (AWS SA, Azure Sec, Security+), I build hardened, cost-efficient cloud architectures that:

-Cut vulnerabilities by 60–70%
-Save $250K+ in Azure with automation (Terraform + PowerShell)
-Implement zero-trust across hybrid setups
-Boost ops efficiency by 50% with identity automation

My edge? I fuse cloud security expertise with systems engineering efficiency, so you stay secure and slash costs.

Want to see what we can fix in the next 72 hours?

Book a consult or DM me, before your next invoice hits.

Bonus tip: Implement data lifecycle policies that automatically move cold data to cheaper storage tiers or archive it. This simple step can cut your cloud storage costs by 30-50%.

Your Cloud Costs Are Spiraling Out of Control — Here’s Why (And How to Stop It)

Your cloud costs aren’t just high.

They spike unpredictably.

83% of U.S. CIOs spend more than planned on cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), averaging 30% over budget (Azul Report). 

Every week, your team chases savings:

- Rightsize EC2
- Turn off idle VMs
- Buy reserved instances

But the bill still creeps up.

Why?

Because this isn’t just a money problem.

It’s a chaos problem. One you can’t fix if you don’t know where the chaos starts.

“You can’t improve a process until you understand the sources of variation.” 
— Dr. Donald Wheeler

That’s why elite manufacturers use SPC charts to stabilize operations.

But in FinOps?

Almost nobody uses them.

Instead, we get:

- Budget alerts that fire too late
- Dashboards that hide volatility behind averages
- AI tools that guess without explaining

What if you could…

- Spot cost drift before it becomes turmoil
- Isolate the root cause
- Make your cloud spend predictable

That’s what SPC brings to FinOps.

It’s how Toyota crushed waste.

And it’s your untapped edge in 2025.

Want to cut waste before your next QBR?

We help B2B cloud teams apply process control to AWS, Azure, and hybrid cloud spend, turning chaotic costs into stable, predictable ops.

If you’re tired of firefighting every month just to explain the bill…
And you're ready to run cloud like Toyota runs factories…

Let’s talk.

Drop a comment or DM and I’ll walk you through how to apply SPC to your cloud spend.

Chibueze Eke

Cloud Security Architect | Secure & Optimize Your Cloud | Save $50K+ Or It’s Free

The Hidden Death Star Exploit In Data Loss Prevention

Data Loss Prevention isn't just a tool problem.

It’s also a waste problem.

Think about it through a Lean lens:

Excess inventory = terabytes of stale, duplicated, or unclassified data (waiting to be stolen).

Overprocessing = endless monitoring rules flooding your SIEM (security monitoring system) with noise while leaks slip by.

Waiting = alerts sitting in queues while attackers move faster than your SOC.

Defects = misconfigured IAM policies quietly opening the back door.

Toyota didn’t beat Detroit with more tools, they re-engineered the system to eliminate waste at the source.

CISOs, CTOs, CIOs: what if you applied the same discipline to your data protection strategy?

Instead of spending millions plugging leaks after the fact, you treat DLP as a Lean flow problem:
✔ Map the value stream of data across storage, access, and usage
✔ Identify and eliminate the 7 wastes of information security
✔ Standardize and continuously improve so resilience compounds every month

The paradigm shift: DLP stops being a compliance checkbox.
It becomes a competitive advantage, faster, leaner, and harder for attackers to exploit.

Every terabyte of stale data isn’t just wasted, it’s a lawsuit or headline waiting to happen.

So… who will be the Toyota of data security, and who will be Detroit?

If you’re leading security, how are you tackling DLP today: tool-first or system-first? 

Drop your take below.

Contract Tech Consultant Available Now — Save Thousands on Your Cloud

Is your cloud bill exploding, but you’re afraid to touch anything because it might break?

Or worse, are security risks piling up while your team is stretched thin?

This is exactly where I step in.

👉 Led a project that modeled over $250K in Azure savings for an enterprise setup by automating infrastructure with Terraform, scripting out cost leaks in PowerShell, and using Pareto analysis to target the 20% of resources driving 80% of spend, without touching performance or uptime.

Here's what I specialize in (and can help with immediately):

•	Cutting AWS/Azure costs using automation + Pareto principle + Systems Analysis (FinOps)
•	Securing hybrid environments (Entra ID, MFA, Conditional Access, Microsoft Sentinel)
•	Optimizing your IT/cloud operations (applying industrial and systems engineering)

Certs you can trust:
Azure Solutions Architect Expert | Azure Security Engineer | AWS SAA | Security+ | Network+

I'm now opening a limited consulting slot (remote or Bay Area hybrid).

If you're a startup, SMB, or IT leader trying to save money, tighten security, or unblock stalled tech projects, let’s talk.

DM me directly to grab the slot or ask questions.

#CloudCostOptimization
#HybridCloudSecurity
#AzureConsulting
#FinOps
#FractionalCTO

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Cloud Security Consultant | Azure Solutions Architect | AWS Certified Engineer | Cybersecurity Specialist | Remote IT Contractor | Cloud Cost Optimization Expert

Cloud optimization isn't about better tools.
It's about better thinking.

Here's what most companies get wrong:

1. They chase new tools without fixing core issues
2. They optimize costs without considering value
3. They focus on tech specs instead of business outcomes
4. They treat cloud as infrastructure, not strategy

The reality?

The best cloud optimization happens when you:

- Map cloud resources to revenue streams
- Align architecture with business objectives
- Think in terms of value streams, not cost centers
- Build systems that scale with purpose, not just capacity

3 mindset shifts that transform cloud optimization:

1. Stop asking "How can we reduce costs?"
Start asking "How can we increase value per dollar spent?"

2. Stop thinking "Which tools do we need?"
Start thinking "What outcomes drive our business?"

3. Stop focusing on "How much are we spending?"
Start focusing on "What return are we getting?"

The companies winning at cloud aren't just using better tools.
They're thinking differently about the entire game.

Your cloud infrastructure should be a strategic advantage, not a cost burden.

Ready to rethink your approach to cloud optimization?

#ZeroTrust #Cybersecurity  #CyberRiskReduction

Situation: Maybe can relate to this: You’re in IT working at a small Office of 150+ users. Because this is a start-up, it made sense at the time to us

Open article: How I Cut 70% Risk with One Remarkable Shift by Chibueze Eke • 1 min read

How I Cut 70% Risk with One Remarkable Shift

Great words of wisdom from an IT vet David Linthicum.

Internationally Known AI and Cloud Computing Thought Leader and Influencer, Enterprise Technology Innovator, Educator, 5x Best Selling Author, Speaker, YouTube/Podcast Personality, Over the Hill Mountain Biker.

Reflecting on 30+ Years as an IT Educator—and What It Means in the Age of AI

Many people don’t know this, but my career as an educator began in the 1980s, not out of academic aspiration, but practicality: I became an adjunct professor to fund the down payment for my first home. Decades later, what’s changed—and what hasn’t? The technologies we teach and the platforms we use for learning are nearly unrecognizable compared to where we started. But one thing remains constant: the fundamentals of how we learn and absorb knowledge, especially in the dynamic world of IT, have not changed.

Today, I want to share three recommendations for IT professionals seeking to skill up in AI and leverage it to advance their careers:

1️⃣ Be Cautious with Over-Specialized Training
I see a lot of people diving deep into specific tools, platforms, or software—chasing certifications or skills that might only be relevant for a year or two. While there’s value in hands-on know-how, don’t let short-term gains distract you from the bigger picture. Too many IT pros know how to “run AI on AWS” but haven’t developed a solid grasp of broader architectural or organizational contexts. The danger? Becoming proficient in transient skills, but missing the larger, strategic implications.

2️⃣ General Principles First, Details Second
If there’s one thing decades as a technologist and educator have taught me, it’s this: focus on the foundational principles before getting lost in the weeds. Architecture matters more than memorizing every function or command. Learn to map business challenges to objective solutions, and from there, build the right technology stack. True architects—those who can connect dots from business to tech—are in short supply, and the market is hungry for that kind of insight.

3️⃣ Cultivate Healthy Skepticism
Every new tech wave comes with a massive dose of hype, and AI is no different. The most effective professionals are those who view new technologies with a critical eye: questioning both the promise and the pitfalls. Too many “all in” adopters miss hidden costs, risks, and complexities. Real mastery means not only knowing when to deploy new tech, but also when not to. Sometimes, the best decision is not to follow the crowd.

In summary: the future belongs to those who blend a strategic grasp of technology with critical thinking and a commitment to lifelong learning. Don’t chase the shiny objects—build the foundational skills that stand the test of time.

#AI #ITCareers #Architecture #TechLeadership #ContinuousLearning

Why Smart Cloud Engineers Use IE Thinking to Profit Big

N.W. Dougherty once wrote:
“The ideal engineer is a composite… He may use knowledge from any discipline to solve problems.”

This idea is no less relevant in the cloud today.

Many engineers think they need more shiny tools. Or more fancy tech.

But the real breakthroughs come from borrowing principles outside of cloud.

Example from my work:

I applied an industrial engineering tool, Pareto Analysis, to Azure cost optimization.
Focused on the 20% of drivers burning 80% of spend.
Result? → $250K+ in modeled savings.
No new tools. Just outside thinking.

That’s what Dougherty meant.
The best engineers aren’t tied to “best practices” of a single field. 
They pull from math, psychology, physics, systems thinking, industrial engineering, etc. Whatever gets results that matter.

What out-of-the-box principles have you applied that delivered real business impact?

Industrial Engineering: The Hidden Profit Edge Businesses Ignore Yet Need

People say there’s no shortage of Industrial Engineers. 

Rather a surplus in "Imaginary Engineers" (joking).

There’s no shortage of degrees. There’s a shortage of applied expertise.

That’s exactly where Industrial Engineering delivers massive ROI today:

Cloud: wasted compute costing millions

Cybersecurity: weak systems creating breach paths

Logistics: bottlenecks at ports draining billions

Healthcare: long waits and overwhelmed staff

Here’s proof:
I applied Pareto analysis to target the 20% of Azure cost drivers burning 80% of spend.
Then automated fixes with Terraform and PowerShell.

Result: Modeled $250K+ in savings, without adding new tools.

The real shortage isn’t engineers. It’s people who translate IE principles into high-leverage systems.

Imagine cutting costs and risk without extra headcount or software.

Which of these industries wastes the most today? 

DM me for a 20-min blueprint to apply IE for measurable ROI in your systems.

You can read about AWS all day... but nothing compares to getting your hands dirty.

I went all-in on AWS Cloud Quest, completing the Solution Architect, Security, and Networking tracks. It was certainly a humbling experience, even as someone w/years in the tech field. 

Each quest dropped me into real-world scenarios:
 🔹 Designing resilient architectures under pressure
 🔹 Locking down IAM policies to pass security audits
 🔹 Troubleshooting VPC connectivity across hybrid workloads

Here’s what surprised me the most:
 
-Even small misconfigurations in IAM or networking can quietly sabotage uptime, compliance, or cost, without ever throwing an error.
 
-Mastering AWS is less about memorizing services, and more about learning how they interact. How they function.

-Configuring VPC route tables are no joke. Persistence is key.

These quests were more than just games, they simulated the decisions one faces daily in production environments.

If you’re building in AWS and want to level up your practical skills, skip the theory and dive into these tracks.

They’re worth it. 💯

Already completed these quests? Let’s compare notes, I’m curious what tripped you up or gave you a breakthrough.

https://lnkd.in/eZwzJbDv

A small but growing e-commerce business was facing major roadblocks: ❌ Downtime was killing sales. ❌ Traffic spikes were overwhelming their website. ❌

Open article: Unlock Stunning SMB Growth With These AWS Fixes by Chibueze Eke • 2 min read

Unlock Stunning SMB Growth With These AWS Fixes

The Most Valuable Tech Skill in an AI World? It’s Not Prompt Engineering, It’s Math.

Everyone’s chasing prompts and AI tools (like LLMs) right now.

But the real power?

Comes from the one thing AI still can’t do:

Make high-stakes decisions under uncertainty and pressure.

When cloud costs spiral, breaches strike, or systems lag…

You don’t need another AI tool.

You need someone who can:

– Forecast cloud costs with Statistics
– Optimize resource tradeoffs using Operations Research (Linear Programming)
– Spot hidden IAM risks with Graph Theory

In other words, people w/adept problem-solving skills who can function in chaos.

Besides, there's no downside to understanding the math behind these AI/ML models (linear algebra, etc).

AI runs playbooks.
But only people can design and improve them w/tacit knowledge and experience.

That’s why math is your unfair advantage in an AI-first world.

You begin to see the world different when you're math literate (as someone w/a pseudo-minor in math [insert math joke]). Besides basic budgeting. 

Cloud isn't expensive because it's complex.
It’s expensive because there's a shortage of skilled people that can model tradeoffs.

If you can, you’re irreplaceable.

Let others chase tools. You master the fundamentals.
Ready to think in math, not just prompts?

What are your thoughts? Comment below.

Why Checklist Culture Is A Colossal Innovation Trap.

Most companies are addicted to checklists.

• Dating apps → “6’0? Check.”
• Job reqs → “5 years in a tool that’s only existed for 3.”
• ISO compliance → “Audit passed, must be secure.”

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Checklists don’t create innovation. They kill it.

Just ask Kodak, IBM, or GM.

Kodak invented digital photography but stuck to its film business, and died clinging to a checklist of “what worked before.”

IBM had the resources to own the PC market, but obsessed over legacy hardware while Microsoft and Apple ate its lunch.

GM was America’s largest automaker, but its box-ticking culture prized quarterly profits over product quality, leading to bankruptcy.

Checklists gave them a false sense of progress, while their competitors rewrote the future.

The best companies?
They know judgment beats compliance, and complacency kills.
They know creativity drives breakthroughs.
They know not everything that counts can be counted.

Here’s a simple filter worth using:
Next time you’re in a meeting, ask → are we solving a real problem, or just checking a box?

Because the companies who win tomorrow won’t be the ones who play it safe today.

Can you see the Wright brothers, 2 bicycle mechanics who invented the airplane, get an interview in today's tech hiring system of checklists?

So let me ask you this:
Where do you see checklist culture quietly holding your org back?

Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon wasn't any NBA center. He was arguable one of most dominant centers to ever play. He dominated teams with other HOF centers in the playoffs:

- Shaq
- David Robinson
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

He was a late bloomer, by NBA standards, but put in the work to become one of best centers of all time. As someone who's also of Nigerian descent, I can appreciate the journey of trying to be great at something. 

https://lnkd.in/gu-n9K9V

Open video: How A Nigerian Soccer Player Became An NBA Legend on youtu.be

How A Nigerian Soccer Player Became An NBA Legend

The Hidden Interview Question That Reveals Quality Talent

Companies often ask for:
Name ✅
Experience ✅
Certs ✅
Sponsorship? ✅
Knowledge of X, Y, Z ✅

…but almost never the question that reveals real talent:
“Can you figure it out?”

Most jobs are 80% known, 20% unknown.
Yet we barely test that unknown 20%.

The ability to adapt. To problem-solve. To learn fast. To think on one's feet. 

Imagine an interview where a candidate doesn’t just talk, they prove they can do the work on the spot. Like a paid audition, or a 30-day trial (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, etc). 

And yet, companies complain they can’t find qualified talent…
Maybe it’s not the candidates.
Maybe it’s the questions we’re asking. Or not asking. 

We’ve built endless assessments, gamified tests, and automated screeners, yet none of them capture the most critical skill in today’s workplace: figure-it-outedness.

Here’s a thought: what if testing “figure-it-outedness” became your non-negotiable?

Give them a real problem and watch how they approach it.

Ask them to solve something they’ve never seen before in 15 minutes.

Watch if they learn and adapt, right in front of you.

Hiring leaders: what’s one way you could test this in your next interview? Comment below.

#HiringPractices
#TalentAcquisition
#FutureOfWork

Why Most Cloud Cost Tools Leave You Blind to Real Savings, and How to Fix It.

“You cannot improve a process until you understand the sources of variation within it.”
— Donald J. Wheeler

Everyone's racing to cut cloud spend with the latest AI-powered FinOps tools.

But here’s the deal:

If you don’t know why your cloud costs are changing, your “optimization” is just guessing, at scale. You're flying blind. 

Most cloud cost tools are black boxes.

They tell you what happened.
They flag anomalies.
They push quick wins.

But they don’t reveal whether those cost shifts are signal or noise.

And in dynamic, ephemeral, hybrid environments…

• Workloads spike
• Pipelines auto-deploy
• Teams test in prod
• Pricing fluctuates hourly

Without understanding natural variation, you end up:

- Chasing phantom savings
- Fighting false alarms
- Over-tuning stable systems
- Missing slow-drip waste that hides in the noise

Approximately 60% of organizations reported that their cloud costs were higher than expected (CloudZero Report '24).

Variation thinking, borrowed from statistical process control (SPC), gives FinOps teams a competitive edge AI alone can’t:

- Separates random noise from real issues
- Reveals when NOT to intervene
- Makes cost behavior predictable
- Surfaces systemic waste early

AI tools are great assistants.
But they can’t replace human systems thinking.

If you’re not tracking variation, you’re not optimizing.
You’re firefighting blind.

Let AI flag the what.
But you need to understand the why.

That’s how smart cloud leaders turn chaos into control, without overreacting or overspending.

Want the SPC framework I use with hybrid cloud teams to stop hidden cost leaks?

DM to get the checklist.

#CloudCostOptimization
#FinOps
#CloudArchitecture

The Big Salary Negotiation Trap You’re Missing.

Feeling undervalued at work? It might not just be you, it could be the company’s pay culture. But knowing this secret lets you avoid getting stuck at firms that don’t truly reward your effort.

In 2022, CEOs at the top 350 U.S. firms earned 399x more than the average worker (Economic Policy Institute).

Companies where CEOs earn 268 times more than workers often perform worse, and lose their best people faster (MSCI).

So what can you do with this intel?

1. Check the CEO pay ratio before applying. It’s public, start with the company’s SEC filings.

2. Ask during interviews:
  “How are pay decisions made across the company?”
If they dodge the question, that’s a red flag.

3. Use this data to negotiate.
If execs cash out while staff pay lags, guess who’s funding the gap?

As Nick Corcodilos says:
“If you don’t know how a company sets salaries, you’re the sucker in the deal.”

Too many professionals think “the offer is the offer.” But understanding pay is your secret weapon to get a better deal.

Have you ever walked away from an offer because the pay structure felt off? What tipped you off?

#JobSearchStrategy
#PayTransparency
#SalaryNegotiation

#FinOps #Terraform #CloudCostOptimization #Pareto

Every month, your cloud infrastructure is draining your company's budget. Thousands that most executives accept as "the cost of doing business." What 

Open article: Unlock Massive Savings in Azure: The Ultimate Cloud Cost Optimization Playbook by Chibueze Eke • 2 min read

Unlock Massive Savings in Azure: The Ultimate Cloud Cost Optimization Playbook

How This Simple RBAC Trick Stops Nightmares.

Cloud access in Azure broken?

If so, it’s quietly draining your team’s time, sleep, and security posture.
- Too many roles
- Too much guesswork
- Too many “just in case” Owners

But what really matters is…
Just 7 roles can cover nearly every real-world use case.

I mapped them out in a short carousel built for cloud, security, and platform teams who are DONE with access chaos.

Inside, you’ll learn:
- The 3 core roles every team actually needs
- The 4 built-in roles that enable precise least privilege access
- The one trick to stop permission creep cold

Just the critical few roles that give you 80% coverage with 20% of the clutter.

➡️ Swipe through to clean up your Azure access model, fast and with confidence.

Want the plug-and-play RBAC strategy we use with lean teams and regulated orgs?

 DM me, I’ll send you the framework we deploy to go from chaotic to compliant in under 30 days.

#AzureSecurity
#CloudGovernance 
#RBAC

Critical Few Azure RBAC Roles

Massive Cloud Egress Savings Any Company Can Unlock

Does your team spend more time moving data than using it?
Does your AWS or Azure bill feel like a “cloud tax"?

You’re not the only one. Most companies waste tens of thousands of dollars every month on repeated cross-region transfers.

Expedia tackled this differently.

How?

Applications kept fetching the same datasets across AWS regions. Costs skyrocketed. Users waited longer. IT teams lost control. CFO frustrated.

Inspired by Operations Research (OR), Expedia:

- Applied smart math strategies to find bottlenecks and allocate resources efficiently.
- Added a caching layer between compute engines and S3.
- Built a global unified namespace so frequently used data stays local, while other data is fetched only when needed.

The Result:

- 50% reduction in S3 egress fees, massive savings
- Much faster app performance, happier users
- Lower operational costs without replicating all data

Critical Lesson for SMBs & Enterprises:
Stop blindly moving or replicating data. Use OR principles to cache strategically, reduce repeated transfers, and optimize costs.

Actionable Step Today:
Using CloudWatch or Azure Monitor, audit the top 20% of datasets driving 80% of your egress. Implement caching or regional placement. You can cut costs by up to 50% without adding infrastructure.

Remember: Every GB moved across regions is money out of your budget. Optimizing data flow isn’t optional, it’s a high-ROI, critical strategy.

How much are repeated cross-region transfers costing your team?

#OperationalExcellence #IndustrialEngineering #CostOptimization #ISE

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