Simoné Deyzel is an experienced cybersecurity consultant, ethical hacker, and penetration tester with 17 years of IT industry expertise spanning governance, operations management, business systems analysis, and forensic investigation.
Over the past year, Simoné has rapidly advanced her professional development, earning multiple globally recognised certifications across ethical hacking, cloud security, and data privacy—and continues this trajectory with the ECC Master Ethical Hacker, ISO 27032, Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect, and IAPP CIPT scheduled in the coming months. This relentless commitment to continuous learning reflects her ability to stay at the forefront of an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Her unique background—blending strategic governance and business analysis with deep technical expertise in offensive security and red teaming—positions her to advise clients holistically on their security posture, operational resilience, and regulatory alignment. She has delivered results across diverse sectors by identifying risks, designing defensive and offensive strategies, and helping organisations align cybersecurity initiatives with business objectives.
Key areas of expertise include:
Simoné’s ability to bridge technical depth with governance insight makes her a valuable partner for organisations seeking practical, actionable, and sustainable cybersecurity strategies.
Complex requirements mapping and process optimisation
Protection of Personal Information Act (South Africa) and GDPR consulting
Penetration testing and Red Teaming
Investigations in Cyber Crime
I've had the privilege of working with Simoné for the last three and a half years. During this time, she has shown herself to be a person of impeccable character and integrity. When Simoné says she will do something, you can be sure it will be done, and done well. She is meticulous, articulate, and an astute observer. She operated in several capacities within our organization in addition to her official role as the Team Lead for Process and Collaboration. Simoné is as comfortable presenting to clients as she is mentoring junior team members, and she excels at both. Her contributions to our company included leading the digital transformation of clients, taking ownership of several aspects of our digital marketing strategy, producing content for this journey, as well as facilitating team-engagement activities, especially during the COVID pandemic when everyone was working remotely. She became an integral part of our leadership team and was a trusted colleague to whom many of the team turned to for support or guidance. Even after the closure of our company, we remained in contact, and I have had occasion to make use of Simoné's diverse skillset. I cannot recommend Simoné enough for any role that she considers. I know she will bring the same energy and talent to your organization as she did to mine.
Simone is an exceptional professional with a sharp eye for operational efficiency and process improvement. During her time with us, she led the development and implementation of strategies that significantly streamlined our business processes, boosting both productivity and team performance. She consistently collaborated across departments to identify improvement areas, enhance communication, and drive meaningful change. Her analytical approach to diagnosing bottlenecks and implementing practical, effective solutions made a measurable impact on our operations. Simone is a natural problem solver and a strong team player—an asset to any organization focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Spearhead the XContent Red service offering, enhancing cybersecurity governance and compliance.
Developed the HAX monitoring platform to analyze real-world hacking tools and identify vulnerabilities.
Leveraged AI to generate actionable reports and insightful dashboards, improving client decision-making.
Contribute to a stronger security posture for clients through clear communication of complex data.
Developed and implemented strategies that streamlined business processes, enhancing efficiency across teams.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify improvement areas, boosting communication and collaboration.
Acted as Data Privacy and Protection consultant for POPIA and GDPR.
Acted as the SharePoint Development lead, optimizing the platform for better user experience.
Consulted on Data Privacy and Protection guidelines, enabling clients to navigate complex regulations effectively.
Implemented POPIA compliant policies, significantly reducing potential legal risks for clients.
Advised on IT Service Management policy drafting, streamlining processes and enhancing service delivery.
Provided SharePoint Online development support, improving team collaboration and communication efficiency.
Engaged with customers and stakeholders to identify business needs and recommend tailored solutions using the Microsoft Productivity Suite.
Developed comprehensive design specification documents and executed configuration, testing, and data manipulation tasks.
Delivered impactful product training sessions, enhancing user proficiency and boosting team productivity.
Leveraged the Microsoft Power Platform to create customized solutions, significantly improving client functionality.
The EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (Master) certification is an advanced credential that validates both theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on expertise in offensive cybersecurity. It builds upon the core CEH by requiring candidates to prove their skills in real-world penetration testing challenges across complex systems, networks, and applications. Achieving this certification demonstrates mastery of ethical hacking methodologies, advanced attack techniques, and defensive countermeasures—signifying the ability to think like an adversary while applying structured methodologies to secure modern digital environments.
The EC-Council Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI/HFI) certification validates expertise in identifying, collecting, analyzing, and preserving digital evidence in support of investigations and incident response. It covers advanced forensic techniques across systems, networks, cloud environments, and mobile devices, ensuring evidence integrity and compliance with legal standards. Earning this certification demonstrates the ability to investigate cybercrimes, uncover malicious activity, and support legal or corporate proceedings with professional forensic methodologies.
Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate – Issued Jun 2025 · Expires Jun 2026 · Credential ID: B0799F9A98B18A9
Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals – Issued Jun 2025 · Credential ID: B720E060A2360B6
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals – Issued Sep 2024 · Credential ID: B2BB2462E7E1FE15
Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals – Issued Aug 2024 · Credential ID: BFCBC951C48B9C9
Microsoft Copilot Partner Bootcamp FY24 Participant – Issued Feb 2024
Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM) – Issued Sep 2021 · Credential ID: 8781455
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals – Issued Aug 2019
University of Cape Town – Certificate in Business Systems Analysis – Feb 2023 – Apr 2023 · Grade: 75% · Skills: Solution Architecture
University of Cape Town – Certificate in Data Privacy & Protection – Jul 2022 – Sep 2022 · Grade: 95% · Focus: POPIA, GDPR, global data privacy frameworks
ITIL – Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management – Issued Oct 2015
ITIL – IT Operational Support and Analysis – Issued Oct 2015
IE Business School – Accelerated Management Development Program – Issued May 2013
Certified in Cybersecurity – ISC2 – Issued June 2025
Diploma in Visal Communication – Open Window – Issued Feb 2005
