Executive technology advisory built on a foundation of networking and security, so your organization can modernize and adopt AI without adding risk.
Secure foundations first. Innovation on top.
Most technology problems start underneath: in the network, in access, in how systems trust each other. ZTA starts there and works up to strategy and AI.
Network Architecture
Design, assessment and modernization of LAN, WAN, wireless and SD-WAN environments that are resilient, segmented and easy to operate.
Cybersecurity and Zero Trust
Security assessments, identity and access strategy, and a practical Zero Trust roadmap that fits your size and budget.
AI Strategy and Governance
AI policies, tool intake and approval processes, and secure adoption of AI so teams get the benefits without exposing sensitive data.
Fractional CIO
Executive technology leadership on a part time basis: roadmaps, budgets, vendor management and board level reporting.
Infrastructure and Cloud
Microsoft 365, cloud and hybrid infrastructure planning, migrations and hardening, with clear ownership and documentation.
Risk and Compliance
IT controls, audit readiness and risk assessments, including support for healthcare and nonprofit compliance requirements.
Built from the ground up.
Every engagement follows the same logic as a well designed network: get the lower layers right and everything above them works better.
Assess
An honest look at your network, security posture, systems and team, with findings ranked by risk and impact.
Architect
A clear roadmap: what to fix first, what to modernize, and where AI can safely create value.
Enable
Hands on guidance through implementation, vendor selection and adoption, until your team owns the result.
Every era points the same way.
Egyptian priests found true north by Meskhetyu, the Big Dipper. Its two pointer stars lead straight to the North Star. My career has followed the same line: seven eras of technology, each one leading to the next, and all of them pointing to AI.
Meskhetyu
Egyptians called the Big Dipper Meskhetyu and sighted it to line up new temples with true north. Every great structure started from a fixed point of reference.
The pointer stars
The last two stars of the bowl point to the North Star. On this map they are the cloud and the network, the two foundations that make safe, useful AI possible.
Opener of the Ways
Anubis guided travelers through the unknown, and the jackal god Wepwawet was called the Opener of the Ways. That is the job: open the way and guide you safely to where you need to go.
From the network to AI, A to Z.
Akrom Zakhidov
My career runs from the network to AI. I started as a network engineer, went on to lead IT for statewide public health programs, and today serve as a healthcare CIO responsible for technology, security, data and AI governance.
Having worked at every level of IT, from hands on engineering to the executive team, I bring both technical depth and executive judgment. I focus on getting the foundations right so organizations can modernize and adopt AI securely.
ZTA began as RA Networking, providing remote access and networking expertise. It has grown into full technology advisory, from the network layer to AI, with the same focus on reliability and security.
- Experience25+ years in IT, from network engineer to CIO
- EducationMBA in Information Technology, Golden Gate University
- CertificationsMicrosoft MCSE, MCSA and MCSD
- FocusZero Trust, infrastructure and secure AI adoption
- SectorsHealthcare, public health, nonprofit and growing organizations
Proven where the stakes are high.
AI governance, built from zero
Designed and led an organizational AI program: policy, AI Council, and tool intake and approval process, taken through outside legal review to board approval.
Healthcare technology leadership
CIO for a multi site healthcare organization running Epic. Implemented enterprise wide SSO and MFA, owns the security program and led a governed rollout of ambient AI documentation.
Statewide public health systems
Twelve years as a senior network engineer, then Head of IT for the PerkinElmer Richmond site, running the infrastructure behind the California newborn and prenatal screening programs.
Building the team and the platform
Built a 14 person IT organization across three functions, migrated core systems to Microsoft 365, Salesforce and the cloud, and eliminated paper workflows.
Practical security, in plain language.
I speak to nonprofit and community service leaders about protecting their organizations without a Fortune 500 budget. No jargon, no product pitch, just the handful of things that make the biggest difference.
Attackers do not give nonprofits a discount. Fortunately, some of the most effective protections do not require a big budget.
Cybersecurity on a nonprofit budget
Why security is an operational issue, not just an IT issue, and the three steps every organization can take this month.
Every employee is part of the defense
Phishing red flags, AI deepfakes and QR code scams, strong passphrases and MFA, and the simple pause, verify, report habit that stops most attacks.
Safe AI adoption for mission driven teams
How to get real value from AI tools while protecting client, staff and donor data, with a governance model sized for small organizations.
- Invited speakerMulti-Factor Authentication (MFA) Security Requirement, ServTraq Innovation Summit
- PresenterCybersecurity Awareness: Every Employee Is Part of the Defense, Central Coast Energy Services Safety Day
Leaders doing important work with lean IT.
I started my career as the IT manager at a community energy agency, doing a lot with very little. Years and a CIO title later, that is still who I build this practice for: leaders who carry a lot, answer to a board or funders, and need someone senior in their corner without hiring a full time CIO.
The leader without an IT department
You run programs, not servers. I help you decide what matters now, what can wait, and what a vendor is overselling.
The agency facing a new requirement
MFA mandates, audits, funder and state rules. I turn them into a plan your staff can follow, on a budget that makes sense.
The healthcare team adopting AI
You want AI scribes and copilots without putting patient data at risk. I have built that governance before, from policy to board approval.
The executive who wants a second opinion
Before a big contract, hire or migration, get an independent review from someone with no product to sell.
Two community energy assistance agencies
Own technology strategy across network, security and systems. Hardened security, secured remote access, trained staff on cybersecurity and launched modern websites.
Regional food distributor
Lead network infrastructure and day to day technology decisions, plus a new website that showcases the business.
Human services nonprofit
Helped deploy a document management platform to streamline intake and speed up application processing.
Bay Area moving and storage company
Delivered multiple Ubiquiti network and security camera deployments, with wireless coverage and ongoing support.
California organization
Deployed a professional video surveillance system to protect people, property and day to day operations.
Not sure you fit? Ping me anyway.
Ping me.
Low latency, high availability. Tell me what you are working on and expect a reply within hours, not days.
akrom@zakhidov.ai