Guardians of the Digital Frontier
Protecting the Digital World and Inspiring the Future
ASIA'S Most Expert
RONAK MANIAR
AI Cybersecurity Beyond Defense Engineering Trust for a Quantum & AI Future
RONAK MANIAR
Editor’sNote Note
The Unseen Stewards of the Digital Age
Intherelentlessworldofcybersecurity,the
headlinesarerarelykind.Wereadofdatabreaches compromisingmillions,ransomwarehalting hospitals,andnation-stateactorsprobingcritical infrastructurewithunnervingprecision.Thenarrative canfeelapocalypticasifthedigitalrealmisperpetually onthebrinkofcollapse.
Andyet,everycrisiseventuallyfades.Systemsare restored.Vulnerabilitiesarepatched.Confidence, thoughshaken,returns.Thisisnotacoincidence.Itis theresultofunseen,relentlessworkbycybersecurity leaders,thestewardsofourdigitalage.
Theseleadersinhabitaparadoxicalspace:theirbest victoriesareinvisible,theirfailureshighlypublic.When abreachisstoppedintime,itrarelymakesthenews. Butwhendefensesfalter,theworldwatches.They shoulderthisasymmetrywithquietresilience, understandingthattheirmissionisnottobecelebrated, buttoprotect.
Themosteffectiveamongthemembodyaunique combinationoftraits.Theyhavetheforesightto anticipatethreatsthatmostcan'timagine,the decisivenesstoactunderextremepressure,andthe humilitytoknowthatperfectsecurityisanillusion. Theyleadwithempathy,recognisingthatthehuman factorisoftentheweakestandthereforemostvitallink inanysecuritychain.
Thepastdecadehastestedtheseleadersasneverbefore. TheriseofAI-drivenattacks,theexploitationofzero-
dayvulnerabilities,andtheblurringlinesbetween cybercrimeandgeopoliticalwarfarehaveraisedthe stakes.Yet,historyshowsareassuringconstant:every breach,nomatterhowdevastating,hasabeginning,a peak,andcruciallyanend.Recoveryisnotagiven,but itisalwayspossiblewhenguidedbycapablehands.
Theendofacybersecuritycrisisisrarelyareturntothe oldnormal.Instead,itisthebirthofamoreresilient state.Eachincidentleavesbehindhard-earnedlessons abouttechnology,processes,andaboveall,people.True leadersensurethoselessonsareinstitutionalised,turning scarsintoshields.
ForbusinessleadersreadingCIOBusinessWorld,there isacleartakeaway:investinyourcybersecurity leadershipasyouwouldinyourmoststrategicgrowth initiative.Toolsandplatformswillevolve,butthe humancapacityforstrategicthinking,ethicaljudgment, andcrisismanagementremainsthedecisivefactor. Cybersecurityleadershipisnotaboutpreventingallbad thingsfromhappening.It'saboutensuringthatwhen theydohappenandtheywill,thedamageiscontained, therecoveryisswift,andtheorganisationemerges stronger Thestormalwayspasses;thequestionis whetheryourshipisstillseaworthywhenitdoes.
Aswespotlightthecybersecurityleadersshaping today'sdigitalfrontier,letusremember:theyarenotjust fightingoffthethreatsofthemoment.Theyarebuilding thequietcertaintythat,nomatterhowdiretheattack,it willcometoanendandontheotherside,thereis opportunitytobesafer,smarter,andstrongerthan before.
-Editor in Chief
In a world where digital trust is fragile, and the stakes of innovation are higher than ever, cybersecurity is no longer just about defense. It's about building the foundation for human progress. We sat down with Ronak Maniar, Founder and Managing Director of St. Fox, to discuss his vision of cybersecurity as a catalyst for trust, resilience, and well-being.
Ronak,yourphilosophycenterson“reimagining cybersecurityasacatalystfortrust,resilience,andhuman progress.”Whatdoesthatmeanintoday'sdigitalworld?
Cybersecuritytodayissomuchmorethanfirewallsand compliance.ThinkaboutPost-QuantumCryptography (PQC).Quantumcomputerswillonedaybreaktheencryption werelyontoday.Ifwedon'tactnowtoupgradeour cryptographicsystems,weriskunderminingtheverytrustthat powersdigitalbanking,healthcare,andgovernance.AtSt. Fox,weseePQCaspartofbuildingresilienceintothefabric; it'sourcurrentpriorityforafuture-proofapproach. Andthenthere'sAgenticAI—AIsystemsthatdon'tjust respond,butactautonomously Theycanhelpusachieve incredibleefficiency,butwithoutcarefuldesign,theycanalso introducebias,makeopaquedecisions,orcreatenew vulnerabilities.It'sourresponsibilitytoguidehowthese
systemsareintegrated,ensuringtheyreflecthumanvalues, inadditiontotechnicalcapabilities.
Youspeakofshiftingfrom“threatresponse”to“trust engineering.”Howdoesthatlookinpractice?
It'sacompletemindsetshift.Traditionalcybersecurityis oftenreactive;wewaitforsomethingtogowrong,thenwe fixit.Butwiththespeedofchangetoday,fromAI-driven phishingtoquantumthreats,that'snolongergoodenough. Trustengineeringmeansdesigningsystemsthatanticipate theserisks.Itmeansembeddingcryptographic-agilityso organizationscantransitionseamlesslytoquantum-resistant algorithms.ItmeanscreatingAIframeworkswhere decisionsaretransparent,auditable,andalignedwith ethicalstandards.Anditmeansalwaysasking: Are we protecting people as much as we're protecting systems?
HowdoyouseeAgenticAIreshapinghumanbehavior andmentalhealth,especiallyintheworkplace?
AgenticAIwillsignificantlychangeworkplaces,offering bothopportunitiesandchallengesforemployees'wellbeing.Whilethesesystemsfreeuptimebyautomating repetitivetasks,theycanalsoleadtodecisionfatigue, stress,andasenseofdetachmentasemployeesshiftto overseeingAI.
OrganizationsmustdesignAItoolsthataugmenthuman judgment,notreplaceit.Crucially,theyneedtosupport theirworkforcethroughmentalhealthresources,AI collaborationtraining,andfosteringacultureofcritical inquiryandcontinuousimprovementinAIintegration. AndPost-QuantumCryptography—whyshouldleaders carerightnow?
Becausetheriskisn'ttheoretical.Quantumcomputingis advancingrapidly,andonceitcrossesthatthreshold, today'scryptographicprotectionscouldbeundone. Sensitivedatathat'sstolentodaycouldbedecrypted tomorrow.
PQCisaboutfuture-proofing.We'rehelpingclientsstart thattransitionnowbyadoptingalgorithmslike “CRYSTALS-Kyber”and“Dilithium,”anddesigning systemsthatcanevolveasstandardsmature.Thisisn'tjust atechnicalupgrade,butalsoaboutpreservingthedigital trustthatunderpinsbusiness,government,andsociety.
Howcanleadersbalancethedriveforinnovationwith theneedtoprotectwell-being?
Leadersneedtofindwaystobalanceinnovationwithwellbeingbyrecognizingtheinherentconnectionbetween technologyandhumanity
EveryAIandcybersecuritydecisionimpactspeople,so well-beingsafeguardsmustbeintegratedintotechnology strategies.Thisinvolvesdesigningtransparentand accountableAIsystems,offeringmentalhealthsupportfor teamsincomplexdigitalenvironments,andfostering workplaceswhereindividualsfeeltrusted,empowered,and includedaswecollectivelynavigatethesetransformative changes.
IfyoucouldleaveboardsandCXOswithonemessage aboutcybersecurityinthisnewera,whatwoulditbe?
MycoremessagetoboardsandCXOsaboutcybersecurity inthistransformativeeraissimpleyetprofound: “Cybersecurityisn'tjustacostcenter—it'sthebedrock offearlessinnovationandanenablerofgrowth.
Aswenavigatethecomplexitiesofquantumcomputingand generativeAI,thestrategicchoicesyoumaketodayin cryptography,AIgovernance,andworkforcesupport willdetermineyourorganization'sfutureresilienceand success.Cybersecurityisfarmorethanmerecompliance; it'sthevitalenablerthatempowersyoutoconfidentlyseize newopportunitiesanddrivegroundbreakingadvancements inthisevolvingdigitallandscape.
TellusabouttheVIGILEFrameworkandwhyit's centraltoyourvision.
VIGILEFramework:Validate,Identify,Guard,Implement, Learn,Enhance
TheVIGILEFrameworkatSt.Foxisourwayofcombining globalbestpracticeslikeNISTCSF,MITREATT&CK,and CISControlswithAI-driventhreatintelligence,predictive analytics,andgenerativeAIremediation.It'saproactive systemdesignedtoadapttoevolvingthreats,validaterisks continuously,andenhanceresilienceinreal-time.Ithelps organizationsshiftfromstaticsecuritytodynamic,adaptive defense
Whatisthe3RapproachatSt.Fox,andwhydoesit matter?
Cybersecurityisnowaboardroomconversation,andthe BoardisaskingtheCIOs,CISOs(CDPOs,DGOsnow) thesesimpleyetdifficulttoanswerquestions:
1.What'sourcurrentCyberRiskProfileandhowsureare weaboutit?
2.Ifwe'rebreached,what'sourorganization'sResilience? What'stheimmediateimpactwewillseeonourbusiness andhowtheOrganizationwillreact?
3.Finally,what'stheBusinessValueorReturnofour company'sinvestmentsinCybersecurity,Data,Auditand Privacyprograms?
AtSt.Fox,wehavealignedandmappedourProfessional Services,ConsultingandDeliveryOrgstoanintegrated3R layeredapproachwhichhelpsourtechnicaldecisionmakers confidentlyaddresstheseboardroomconversationson: “Risk,ResilienceandReturn.”
YouoftenrefertoSt.Foxasatriberatherthana company.Whatisthephilosophybehindthat?
Wechosethetermtribebecauseitreflectshowwework:as aclose-knitcommunityboundbysharedvalues,mutual respect,andasenseofresponsibilityforoneanother.Ina tribe,everyonematters,andeveryonecontributesto collectiveresilience.Thatspiritiscoretohowwebuild securitysolutionsandhowwesupporteachotherasateam.
Andfinally,whythenameSt.Fox?
ThenameSt.Foxrepresentsablendofagilityandintegrity Foxissymbolicofadaptabilityandintelligence,traitsthat arecrucialtocybersecurity.The“St.”reflectsour commitmenttoethicalactionandtrust.Together,itcaptures ourvisionofbeingbothsharpandprincipledindefending thedigitalworld.
Andyourpersonallegacy,whatdoyouhopeitwillbe?
IhopeI'llberememberedforhelpingpeopleseethat cybersecuritycanbeaforceforgood.Thatitcanprotect dignity,enableinnovation,andbuildafuturewhere technologyandhumanitymoveforwardtogether.
Guardians of the Digital Frontier
InthedigitalheartofAsia,cybersecurityleadership isn'tjustaboutmakingplans—it'saboutlivingwith volatility,actinginmomentsofbrightnessand darkness.Here,expertleadersworkquietlyandrelentlessly toprotectbillionsoflivesandbusinesses,knowingthat anything—abreach,adataleak,adisruptiveattack—can unfoldintheblinkofaneye,transformingcertaintyinto chaosinaflashoflight.
ThePulseofDefenders
CybersecurityleadersinAsiahavelearnedthatdigital threatsareswiftandunpredictable.Over57,000 ransomwareattacksstrucktheregioninjustsixmonthsof 2024,targetingcriticalinfrastructureandupendingfuel supplies,healthinsurance,andpublictransitwithout warning.Theseeventshappensuddenly—likeaswitch flippedinadarkenedroom—causingeconomic shockwaves,dataloss,andbusinessdisruption.
LeadersacrossAsia-Pacific—frombustlingtechhubsto emergingmarkets—areconstantlyrefiningtheirtactics, nevertakingtherelativecalmforgranted.Theirvigilance definesregionalsecuritystrategy;everyday,simulations anddrillsreplacetheoutdatedclassroom,immersingteams inreal-worldcyberemergencieswheredecisionsaremade innanoseconds.
TheNewTerrain
2025marksanepochwhereartificialintelligencechanges everything.Thedigitalattacksurfaceiswiderthanever, andbadactorswieldtoolslikedeepfakesandgenerativeAI againstorganizations.Asia-Pacificrecordeda1,530%surge indeepfakeattacksfrom2022to2023,withmillionslostin minutesthankstomanipulatedvoicesandvideos.
Asia'scybersecurityexpertshavebecomemastersof responseandadaptation.AsthreatactorsuseAItoscaleup theirattacks,theseleadersharnessAIforrapiddetection, automateddefense,andintelligentthreathunting—arace wherevictoryhingesonreactiontimeandanticipation.
ARegiononHighAlert
Asia-Pacific'sdiversitymeansthatregulatoryenvironments shiftatnationalborders,andcyberculturesvaryfromcity tocity.Nosingleplaybooksuffices.Thefragmented approachtolegislation—datalocalizationhere,opendigital tradethere—makesitimperativeforsecurityleadershipto nurturestrongnetworks,forgealliances,andsharethreat intelligenceacrosspublicandprivatesectors.
Thiscultureofcollaborationevolvesinflashes—during high-profilebreaches,taskforcesunitegovernments,banks, andbusinessesforcoordinatedcountermeasures.Leaders worktoturnlessonslearnedincrisisintopoliciesandbest practices,shapingtheirorganizationsandcountriesfor resilience.
BuildingSmart,FlexibleTeams
Expertcybersecurityleadersknowthatteamsareonlyas strongastheirweakestlink.Theregionfacesamassive talentgap—over84%offirmsstruggletohirequalified specialists.Asdigitalthreatsaccelerate,leadersinvestnot justintechnology,butincontinuoustraining,awareness campaigns,andmentoring.Skilledteamscanpivot instantlyduringanincident,restoringorderfrom uncertainty
Simulation-basedtrainingreplicatesflashes—the suddennessofanintrusion,therushtopatchsystems,the scrambletocontaindataleaks.Inthesemoments,leaders emergewhoenabletrust,clarity,andfocusedaction.
ResilienceThroughInnovation
Asia'sexpertcybersecurityleadershipismarkedbythe abilitytoinnovateunderpressure.Whetherdottingthe skylinewithstate-of-the-artcybercommandcenters, implementingnext-generationsolutionstostrengthen supplychains,orleveragingAIforinstantthreatanalysis, leadersaredefinedbythespeedandflexibilitywithwhich theyadapttonewrisks.
Fortheseexperts,innovationisthelightthatcutsthrough thedarknessofcyberthreats.Ithappensinmomentsof crisis,aswellasinproactivedesign—renewingpolicies, infrastructure,andorganizationalculturetowithstand tomorrow'sattacks.
IntheBlinkofanEye
InAsia'sdigitalworld,cybersecurityleadershavebecome custodiansoftheregion'sprogress.Theyunderstandbetter thananyonehowquicklyfortunescanshift—howthe reassuringhumofonlinebusinesscansilenceinasplit secondanddatacanflashfromprotectedtovulnerableina breath.
WhatsetsAsia'scybersecurityexpertsapartisn'tjusttheir technicalacumen;it'stheirreadinessfortheflash—the preciseinstantwhenanythingcanhappen,andtheworld mustbesteadiedagain.Theirstoryisoneofvigilance, adaptability,anddeterminationamidconstantlychanging lightandshadow—amodelfordigitalresilienceinanera wheresecuritymeanseverything.
Ad 7
Protecting the Digital World and Inspiring the Future
Inourincreasinglyconnectedworld,cybersecurity leadersarethesilentguardianswhokeepourdata, businesses,andpersonallivessafe.Theymaynot alwaysmakeheadlines,buttheirworkisthebackboneof ouronlinesafety Theseleadersaremorethanjusttechnical experts—theyarevisionaries,problem-solvers,and teachers,shapingthewayweprotectandtrustthedigital world.
WhyCybersecurityLeadershipMatters
Technologyhastransformedthewaywelive,work,and connect.Fromonlinebankingtohealthcaresystems,critical partsofourlivesnowdependondigitalnetworks.This conveniencecomeswithagrowingchallenge:cyberthreats areevolvingfasterthanever.Everyday,cybercriminals attempttoexploitweaknessesinsystems,targeting individuals,organizations,andevengovernments.
Here'swherecybersecurityleadersstepin.Theirrolegoes beyondinstallingfirewallsorupdatingpasswords.Theyare responsibleforbuildingstrategies,anticipatingfuturerisks, andleadingteamsthatsafeguarddigitalassets.Without theirforesightandleadership,ourdigitalinfrastructure wouldbefarmorevulnerable.
QualitiesofaGreatCybersecurityLeader
Thebestcybersecurityleadersshareauniqueblendof technicalskills,vision,andemotionalintelligence.Someof theirkeyqualitiesinclude:
1.StrategicThinking–Cybersecurityleadersmustseethe bigpicture.Theybalanceimmediatethreatswithlong-term planning,ensuringsecuritymeasuresarefuture-proof.
2.Adaptability–Threatschangedaily.Leadersmuststay aheadbyembracinginnovation,adoptingnewtechnologies, andstayinginformedaboutglobalcybertrends.
3.CommunicationSkills–It'snotenoughtounderstand cybersecurity;leadersmustexplainitinclear,relatable termstostakeholders,employees,andthepublic.
4.TeamEmpowerment–Aleader'sgreateststrengthlies intheirteam.Successfulleadersinspire,train,andsupport cybersecurityprofessionalstoexcelintheirroles.
5.EthicalIntegrity–Cybersecurityisbuiltontrust. Leadersmustupholdthehighestethicalstandardstoensure theirworkprotectsratherthanharms.
TheEvolvingRoleofCybersecurityLeaders
Inthepast,cybersecurityleadershipwasmainlyabout reactingtobreaches.Today,theroleismuchbroader. Leadersarenowinvolvedinriskmanagement,regulatory compliance,dataprivacy r agencies,andtechnologypartnerstoensuresecurityisa sharedresponsibility
Forexample,manycybersecurityleadersworkcloselywith CEOsandboardsofdirectors,explainingnotjusthowto preventcyberattacks,butalsohowtorespondeffectivelyif oneoccurs. technologieslikeartificialintelligence,zero-trust architectures,andcloudsecuritysolutions.
BuildingaCultur
Oneofthemostimportant contributionscybersecurity
leadersmakeisfosteringacultureofsecuritywithin organizations.Technologyalonecannotstopcyberthreats —peopleplayahugerole.Leadersencourageemployees tofollowbestpractices,suchasusingstrongpasswords, beingalerttophishingattempts,andreportingsuspicious activity
Thiscultureofawarenessextendsbeyondcompaniesto communities.Manycybersecurityleadersparticipatein publiceducationcampaigns,schoolprograms,and nonprofitinitiatives,teachingeverydaypeoplehowtostay safeonline.Bydoingso,theyhelpclosethegapbetween technicalexpertsandthewiderpublic.
ChallengesCybersecurityLeadersFace
Evenwiththeirskillsanddedication,cybersecurityleaders facesignificantchallenges:
• RapidlyChangingThreatLandscape–Cybercriminalsareconstantlyadapting,makingit difficulttopredictandpreventeveryattack.
• TalentShortage–Thedemandforskilled cybersecurityprofessionalsfarexceedssupply,putting pressureonleaderstorecruitandretain talent.
• BalancingSecurityandUsability–Security measuresmustbestrongbutnotsorestrictivethatthey slowdownbusinessoperations.
• GlobalComplexity–Cybersecurityofteninvolves navigatingdifferentlaws,regulations,andthreatactors acrossmultiplecountries.
Overcomingthesechallengesrequiresresilience,creativity, andcontinuouslearning—qualitiesthatthebest cybersecurityleadersembody
InspiringtheNextGeneration
Cybersecurityleadershipisnotjustaboutsolvingtoday's problems—it'saboutpreparingforthefuture.Leaders mentoryoungprofessionals,encouragediversityinthe industry,andadvocateformorecybersecurityeducation. Thisworkisessentialbecausethefieldneedsfreshideas andnewperspectivestostayaheadofthreats.
Bysharingtheirstories,successes,andevenfailures, cybersecurityleadersinspirethenextwaveofexperts.They showthatthiscareerisnotonlyabouttechnologybutalso aboutprotectingpeopleandmakingapositiveimpacton theworld.
TheHumanSideofCybersecurityLeadership
It'seasytopicturecybersecurityleadersaslonegeniuses behindcomputerscreens,butinreality,theyarehighly collaborative.Theybuildrelationshipswithgovernment agencies,lawenforcement,techcompanies,andeven competitors—becauseincybersecurity,cooperationcanbe thedifferencebetweensafetyanddisaster.
Theyalsounderstandtheemotionaltollofcyberincidents. Whenabreachhappens,it'snotjustdatathat'satrisk— jobs,reputations,andtrustareontheline.Astrongleader guidesteamsthroughthesemomentswithcalm,clarity,and compassiGuardiansoftheDigitalAge
Cybersecurityleadersmayworkbehindthescenes,but theirinfluencetoucheseverypartofourdigitallives.They defendagainstinvisiblethreats,createsafersystems,and inspireacultureofvigilance.Inaworldwheretechnology changesrapidlyandthreatsgrowmoresophisticated,their leadershipisessential.
Whethertheyareguidingglobalcorporations,advising governments,ormentoringstudents,cybersecurity leadersstandasguardiansofthedigitalage—andasrole modelsforthefuture.
