Most Expert Security Leaders Creating a Global Impact, 2025 by CIO Business World

Security Leaders Creating Global Impact

Intoday’sfast-evolvingworld,wheredigitallandscapes

andphysicalinfrastructuresareunderconstantthreat, securityleadersstandasthevanguardsofresilience, innovation,andprotection.AtCIOBusinessWorld,weare honoredtofeaturethetrailblazersinsecurity—those shapingtheglobaldiscourseoncybersecurity,risk management,andcrisisresponse.Thisspecialfeature, “SecurityLeadersCreatingGlobalImpact,”highlightsthe individualsandorganizationsthatarenotjustmitigating risksbutpioneeringtransformativesolutionstosafeguard businesses,governments,andcommunitiesworldwide.

Securityleadershiphastranscendedtraditionalboundaries. NolongerconﬁnedtoboardroomsorITdepartments, securityexpertsnowoperateattheforefrontof technologicaladvancements,geopoliticalstability,and corporategovernance.Fromdefendingagainstsophisticated cyberthreatstodeployingAI-drivensurveillancesystems andstrengtheninginternationalsecurityframeworks, today’ssecurityleadersareredeﬁningwhatitmeansto protectpeople,data,andcriticalinfrastructures.

Ascyberthreatsbecomemoresophisticated,security leadersareadoptingcutting-edgesolutionssuchasAIpoweredthreatdetection,ZeroTrustframeworks,and blockchain-basedsecurityprotocols.Theseinnovationsare notjustreactivemeasures;theyareproactivestrategies designedtooutmaneuvercybercriminalsandsafeguard sensitivedata.Meanwhile,physicalsecurityhasalso undergoneadigitaltransformation,integratingbiometrics, smartsurveillance,andIoT-enabledsecuritysystemsto ensureaseamlessandadaptivedefensemechanism.

Beyondtechnology,thehumanelementinsecurity leadershipremainspivotal.TheroleofCISOs,security strategists,andethicalhackershasneverbeenmorecritical. Theseprofessionalsaredrivingconversationsarounddata privacy,ethicalAIimplementation,andglobalsecurity

collaboration.Theriseofcross-borderpartnerships—such asINTERPOL’scybercrimeinitiativesandinternational cybersecurityalliances—exempliﬁesthecollectiveeﬀort requiredtocombatthreatsthattranscendnationaland corporateborders.

Moreover,securityleaderstodayarenotjustproblemsolvers;theyarevisionariesinfluencingpolicy-making, complianceregulations,andcorporatesecurityculture. Theircontributionstoregulatoryframeworkssuchas GDPR,CCPA,andindustry-specificcompliancelaws ensurethatsecurityisembeddedintheDNAofmodern businesses.Theyalsoplayacrucialroleinfostering securityawarenessprogramsthatempoweremployees, stakeholders,andthepublictobecomeactiveparticipants inglobalsecurityefforts.

AtCIOBusinessWorld,werecognizethatsecurityisnota staticdiscipline—itisadynamicforcethatevolves alongsideemergingtechnologiesandglobalchallenges. Thisfeaturecelebratestheresilience,adaptability,and innovativespiritofsecurityleaderswhoarenotonly respondingtothreatsbutalsoshapingasafer,moresecure future.Theirworkisinstrumentalinensuringbusiness continuity,protectingconsumertrust,andreinforcingthe foundationsofastableglobaleconomy.

Asweshineaspotlightontheseindustrypioneers,we inviteourreaders—businessleaders,technology executives,andsecurityprofessionals—toengage,learn, andcollaborateinthissharedmission.Securityisnolonger justafunctionofIT;itisastrategicimperativethatdeﬁnes thesuccessandsustainabilityoforganizationsinthedigital era.

Joinusinexploringhowsecurityleadersaremakinga globalimpact,drivinginnovation,andfortifyingthefuture ofbusinessandsociety

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Josean Siqueira Santos: Pioneering Cybersecurity Leadership at Sapore SA's

April, 2025

Informaon Security Oﬃcer

Delaware Valley University

Michael Pilch

Michael Pilch

Visionary Cybersecurity Leader | Driving Innovation and Mentorship

ForMichaelPilch,leadership,cybersecurityinnovation,andlifelonglearning aren’tjustambitions—they'reawayoflife.Whileadvancinghiscybersecurity career,mentoringfutureprofessionals,andmanagingfamilycommitments,he pursuedarigorousmaster’sdegreeatUMassLowell,dedicatingearlymornings,late nights,andweekendstomasteringgovernance,riskmanagement,andsecuritystrategy ThatsamerelentlessdedicationcarriedhimthroughthegruelingCISSPexam, demonstratinghowpassion,discipline,andstructuredexecutionturnchallengesinto achievements.

Now,astheInformationSecurityOﬃceratDelawareValleyUniversity,Michael applieshisstrategicvisionandexpertisetotackleevolvingcyberthreats,enhance organizationalresilience,andmentorthenextgenerationofsecurityprofessionals.His journeyisatestamenttoresilience,forward-thinkingleadership,andthetransformative powerofdedicationintheﬁeldofcybersecurity

Threats,Challenges,andtheRoleofLeadership

Michaelisahighlyrespectedcybersecurityleaderand servesasDelawareValleyUniversity'sInformationSecurity Oﬃcer Withover15yearsofexperience,hisexpertise spanscybersecurity,riskmanagement,governance,cloud workloads,virtualization,systemsengineering,andnetwork administration.Committedtoprotectingtheuniversity’s digitalinfrastructure,hecontinuouslyworkstoenhanceits securityposture.

Heholdsindustry-recognizedcertifications,includingthe CertifiedInformationSystemsSecurityProfessional (CISSP),reflectinghisdeepcybersecurityexpertise.His academicbackgroundincludesabachelor’sdegreein BusinessAdministrationfromMansfieldUniversityanda master’sdegreeinInformationTechnologyfromthe UniversityofMassachusettsLowell.Dedicatedtostaying aheadofemergingcybersecuritythreats,Pilchactively engagesincontinuouslearning,research,andindustry collaborationtodriveinnovationandimprovecybersecurity bestpractices.Asarecognizedthoughtleader,hefrequently speaksatconferences,leadsroundtablediscussions,and appearsonpodcaststoshareinsightsoncybersecurity trends,strategies,andemergingthreats.

Cybersecurityiscriticalinprotectingsystems,networks, applications,anddatafromcyberattackswhileensuringa rapidandeﬀectiveresponsetosecurityincidents. Cyberattackshaveledtothedownfalloflong-standing organizations,suchasLincolnCollege,SaintMargaret’s Health,andKNP,with60%ofsmallbusinessesclosing withinsixmonthsduetoﬁnancialandoperationaldamage.

Cybersecurityisalsoamatterofnationalsecurity.Modern conflictsnowinvolvecyberwarfare,withadversaries targetinginfrastructure,intelligence,andpublicperception. Russia’shackingofUkraine’spowergridprovideda significantstrategicadvantage,whileUkrainecountered throughsocialengineeringtactics,identifyingthelocations ofRussiantroopsandlaunchingsuccessfulairstrikes. DuringtheonsetoftheHamas-Israelconflict,cybersecurity firmCloudflaremitigatedlarge-scaleDDoSattacks designedtodisruptwebsitesprovidingcriticalrocketalerts forcivilians.

Cyberthreatscomeinmanyforms.Nation-statesandstatesponsoredhackersengageincyberespionage,sabotage, andwarfare.Organizedcrimegroupsexploitcyberattacks forﬁnancialgainthroughransomware,fraud,anddata breaches.Hacktiviststargetorganizationsandgovernments

forideological,social,orpoliticalreasons.Evenless-skilled attackers,knownasscriptkiddies,poserisksbyleveraging pre-madehackingtoolstoexploitvulnerabilities.With adversariesconstantlyevolvingtheirtacticsandleveraging sophisticatedtools,cybersecurityremainsanongoingbattle thatdemandsvigilance,expertise,andproactivedefense strategies.

TheRoleofAIinCybersecurity

ArtificialIntelligence(AI)isrevolutionizingcybersecurity asaweaponforattackersandasadefensetoolforsecurity professionals.Traditionally,phishingemailshavebeen easilyidentifiedduetopoorspelling,grammar,andunusual language.However,AIcaneliminatetheseredflags, makingphishingemailsandtextmessagesfarmore convincinganddifficulttodetect.

Deepfaketechnology,anotherAI-driventhreat,enablesthe creationofhighlyrealisticvideos,images,andvoice recordingsusingonlyashortsampleofaperson'svoiceor appearance.Thistechnologyhasbeenexploitedin fraudulentschemes,suchasimpersonatingaCEOtotrick employeesintomakingunauthorizedpayments,phonecalls forﬁnancialscams,andusingfakevideosandvoice recordingsinromancescams.Additionally,AIenables attackerstodevelopmoresophisticatedmalware, potentiallyelevatingnovicehackersintohighlycapable cybercriminals.

Onthedefensiveside,AIandmachinelearning(ML)tools playacrucialroleinenhancingthreatprevention,detection, andresponse.Thesetechnologiesanalyzenetworktraﬃc, systemactivity,anduserbehaviortoestablishnormal baselinesandidentifyanomalies.Byprocessinglarge volumesoflogdata,AIcandetectindicatorsof compromiseandattackpatterns,signiﬁcantlyimprovingan organization’sabilitytorespondtocyberthreats. Furthermore,predictiveanalyticshelporganizations anticipateandpreventattacksbeforetheyoccur, strengtheninganorganization’soverallcybersecurity posture.

PreparingfortheQuantumThreat

Ifgiventheopportunity,MichaelPilchwouldprioritize enhancingsecurityawarenesstraining.A2024Fortinet researchreportindicatesthat67%ofcompaniesare concernedabouttheiremployees'lackoffundamental securityawareness.Despitethis,manyorganizationsfailto implementsecuritytrainingprograms.Yet,social

engineeringremainsoneofthe mosteﬀectiveattack vectors—trickinganindividual intograntingaccesstoanetwork isofteneasierthanbypassinga ﬁrewall.

Acommoncybersecurityprinciple statesthatendusersarethe weakestlinkinsecurity.However, withpropersecurityawareness training,employeescanbecomea company’sgreatestdefense.Welltrainedindividualsaremorelikely torecognizeandpreventsocial engineeringattacks,suchas phishing,USBdropattacks,and thedangersofunsecuredpublic Wi-Fi.Additionally,securityconsciousemployeesadopt strongercybersecurityhabits, includingusingpassword managers,creatingcomplex passwords,andenabling multifactorauthentication(MFA).

Lookingahead,quantum computingposesamajor challengetocybersecurity,with themostsigniﬁcantthreatbeing itsabilitytobreak encryption—thebackboneof moderndataprotection. Encryptionconvertsplaintextinto ciphertext,ensuringthatdata remainssecureinstorageand transit.Itsafeguardseverything frompersonalinformationto criticalinfrastructure.Historically, asencryptionstandardshavebeen broken,newandstrongermethods havereplacedthem.However, withtherapidadvancementsin quantumcomputingandAI,the paceatwhichencryptionis brokencouldsoonoutstripthe developmentofnew cryptographicdefenses.This highlightstheurgentneedfor organizationstopreparefora post-quantumsecuritylandscape

byadoptingquantum-resistantcryptographicsolutions beforeexistingencryptionmethodsbecomeobsolete.

Governments,researchers,andcybersecurityprofessionals arealreadyworkingonpost-quantumcryptography (PQC)—encryptionalgorithmsdesignedtowithstand quantum-basedattacks.However,organizationsmust proactivelyassesstheircryptographicdependencies, monitoradvancementsinPQC,anddevelopmigration strategiestoensurelong-termsecurityinthequantumera.

CommittedtoExcellence,Mentorship,andCommunity Service

Inmanagingcybersecuritypriorities,Pilchupholdsthe highestethicalstandardswhilebalancingmultiple competingresponsibilities.Aboveall,theprotectionof humanliferemainsparamount.Ensuringbusiness continuityiscritical,ascybersecurityshouldsupport operationsratherthanhinderthem.Securitycontrolsmust alsobecost-eﬀectiveandpractical—investing$1,000to protecta$100assetisnotareasonableapproach.His philosophycentersonmakingcybersecurityabusiness enabler,ensuringthatsecuritymeasuresalignwith organizationalgoalswhileeﬀectivelymitigatingrisks.

Michaelbelievesthatpassion,dedication,andhardwork areessentialforsuccessincybersecurity.Throughouthis career,hehasbeenfortunatetoworkalongsideexceptional mentors,managers,andleaderswhohavesupportedand guidedhim.Theirinﬂuenceplayedapivotalroleinshaping hissuccess,andheisdeeplygratefulfortheirinsightsand encouragement.Withastrongdesiretopayitforward,he activelymentorsandsupportsthenextgenerationof cybersecurityprofessionals.

Pilchiscommittedtogivingbacktohiscommunitythrough mentorship,education,andservice.Asamemberofthe OccupationalAdvisoryCommitteefortheLackawanna CountyCareerTechnologyCenter,hehelpsshapethe ComputerNetworkingInfrastructureandCybersecurity programbyadvisingoncurriculumdevelopmentandlab equipment.Lastyear,heengagedwithstudents,providing careerguidance,industryinsights,andhands-onexperience throughapenetrationtestingexercise.

Beyondhisprofessionalcontributions,heregularlyspeaks atindustryconferencesandappearsonpodcasts,sharing expertiseoncybersecuritytrends,threats,andbest practices.Throughtheseengagements,heaimstoeducate, inspire,andstrengthenthecybersecuritycommunity.

Outsideofcybersecurity,Pilchisdedicatedtocommunity service.Asanadultleaderinhisson’sBoyScoutTroop,he participatesincommunityserviceprojectssuchasreplacing ﬂagsongravesforMemorialDay,assistingwithﬂag retirementceremonies,fooddrives,andlocaleventsupport.

Hisfamilyhasalsoopenedtheirhomeasfosterparents, providingastableandsupportiveenvironmentforchildren inneed.Whetherthrougheducation,mentorship,or communityservice,Michaelispassionateaboutmakinga lastingimpact,bothprofessionallyandpersonally.He believesthatcybersecurityisnotjustaboutprotecting systems—it’saboutprotectingpeople,businesses,andthe futureofourdigitalworld.

SAFEGUARDING THE Future

Securityleadersplayacrucialroleinshapingasafer world.Intoday'sdigitalage,wherecyberthreats, geopoliticalrisks,andorganizationalsecurity challengesareevolvingrapidly,securityprofessionalsare steppinguptocreateaglobalimpact.Whetherin cybersecurity,physicalsecurity,orriskmanagement,these leadersaredrivinginnovations,inﬂuencingpolicies,and strengtheningglobalresilience.Theircontributionsextend beyondindividualorganizations,aﬀectingentireindustries andevennationalsecurityframeworks.

Securityisnolongerjustabusinessconcern—itisaglobal priority.Withcyberattacksontherise,corporateespionage increasing,andinternationalconﬂictsimpactingsupply chains,theneedforstrongsecurityleadershiphasnever beengreater.Securityleaderstodaymustnavigatecomplex globalchallenges,includingcyberthreats,corporate securityissues,geopoliticalrisks,andphysicalsecurity concernssuchasterrorism.Theseprofessionalsarenotonly defendingagainstattacksbutalsoproactivelydesigning strategiestomitigaterisksbeforetheyarise.Byaddressing theseconcerns,securityleadersareshapingpolicies, implementingrobustdefensestrategies,andfostering globalcollaboration.

Cybersecurityisattheheartofmodernsecurityeﬀorts. Industryexperts,governmentoﬃcials,andethicalhackers areworkingtogethertostrengthendigitaldefenses. OrganizationsareadoptingAI-drivensecuritymeasures, ZeroTrustarchitectures,andmulti-layereddefensesto combatevolvingthreats.Internationalalliances,suchas INTERPOL’scybercrimetaskforcesandcybersecurity partnershipsbetweencountries,ensurefasterresponse timestothreats.Additionally,securityleadersareinvesting ineducationandawarenessprogramstoensurethat employeesandindividualscanrecognizeandpreventcyber threats.Byfosteringacultureofcybersecurityawareness, theyarehelpingtobuildstrongerdefensesatboth individualandorganizationallevels.

Beyondthedigitalrealm,securityleadersarealsofocused onphysicalsecurity.Largecorporations,governments,and securityagenciesareworkingtoensuresafetyin workplaces,publicareas,andcriticalinfrastructures.Crisis preparednessisatoppriority,withsecurityprofessionals designingemergencyresponseplansforincidentssuchas naturaldisasters,terroristthreats,andworkplaceviolence. TheintegrationofAI-poweredsurveillance,biometrics,and smartsecuritysystemshassigniﬁcantlyimprovedthreat detectionandresponse.Moreover,organizationslikeISO (InternationalOrganizationforStandardization)setsecurity standardsthatcompaniesworldwideadhereto,enhancing globalsecurityresilience.Theseinitiativesnotonlyprotect peopleandassetsbutalsoensurethatbusinessescan operatewithoutdisruption.

Securityleadersdon’tjustrespondtothreats—theyshape thefutureofsecuritypoliciesandinnovation.Many inﬂuentialﬁguresinsecurityadvocateforstrongerdata protectionlaws,internationalcybersecuritytreaties,and

improvedriskmanagementstrategies.Theyworkalongside governmentstodraftcybersecurityandprivacylaws, ensuringthatdigitalandphysicalsecuritymeasuresare backedbysolidlegalframeworks.Additionally,ethical securitysolutions,suchasresponsibleAIusageand biometricdataprotection,arebeingdevelopedtobalance securitywithprivacyrights.Adiversesecurityworkforce alsoplaysacrucialroleinbringingfreshperspectivesand innovativesolutionstocomplexchallenges,makingthe industrymoreinclusiveandeﬀective.

Assecuritythreatsevolve,securityleadersmust continuouslyadapt.Thefutureofglobalsecurityleadership willlikelyfocusonAIandautomation,leveraging advancedtechnologiesforpredictivethreatanalysisand automatedsecurityresponses.Globalcooperationwillalso beessential,withcountriesandorganizationsstrengthening internationalalliancestocombatsecurityrisksmore eﬀectively.Furthermore,ethicalsecuritypracticeswill remainatoppriority,ensuringthatprivacyandhuman rightsarenotcompromisedinthepursuitofstronger securitymeasures.

Securityleadersareshapingtheworldinprofoundways, creatingsaferdigitalandphysicalenvironmentsfor individuals,businesses,andnations.Theirglobalimpactis undeniable,andaschallengesgrow,sowilltheirinﬂuence insecuringthefuture.Bystayingaheadofthreats, implementinginnovativesolutions,andfostering internationalcollaboration,theseleaderscontinuetomakea lastingdiﬀerenceinglobalsecurity.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

The Innovative Spirit of Security Leaders: Shaping a Safer World

Securityleadersaremorethanjustprotectors—theyareinnovators,

visionaries,andarchitectsofasaferfuture.Inaworldwherethreatsare evolvingatanunprecedentedpace,theseprofessionalsareredeﬁning securitythroughgroundbreakingsolutions,technologicaladvancements,and strategicforesight.Theirabilitytoanticipatechallenges,adapttonewrisks,and integratecutting-edgeinnovationsistransformingtheglobalsecuritylandscape. Fromcybersecuritytophysicalsafetyandcrisismanagement,securityleaders arerevolutionizinghowweapproachprotectioninaninterconnectedworld.

PioneeringCybersecurityAdvancements

Oneofthemostpressingsecurityconcernstodayistheever-growingthreatof cyberattacks.Securityleadersareattheforefrontofdevelopingnewstrategiesto combathacking,databreaches,anddigitalespionage.Theyareleveraging artiﬁcialintelligence(AI)andmachinelearningtocreatepredictive cybersecuritymodelsthatcandetectandneutralizethreatsbeforetheyoccur.

ZeroTrustArchitecture,agroundbreakingapproachtocybersecurity,ensures thateveryuseranddevicemustcontinuouslyverifytheiridentitybefore accessingcriticalsystems.Thisinnovationhassigniﬁcantlyreducedtheriskof unauthorizedaccessanddataleaks.Additionally,ethicalhackers,alsoknownas "whitehat"hackers,areworkingalongsideorganizationstotestvulnerabilities andstrengthendigitaldefenses.Bythinkinglikecybercriminals,these professionalsstayaheadofmaliciousthreats,ensuringbusinessesand individualsremainprotected.

SmartTechnologyandtheFutureofPhysicalSecurity

Securityleadersareembracingthepowerofsmart technologytoenhancephysicalsecuritymeasures. AdvancedsurveillancesystemsnowincorporateAIpoweredfacialrecognition,behavioralanalysis,and biometricauthenticationtodetectpotentialthreatsinreal time.Theseinnovationsareparticularlycrucialinhigh-risk areassuchasairports,governmentbuildings,andlarge publicevents.

Moreover,dronetechnologyisbeingutilizedforborder security,disasterresponse,andfacilitymonitoring. Autonomousdronesequippedwiththermalimagingand high-resolutioncamerascanquicklyassesssecurity situations,providingreal-timeintelligencetoresponse teams.Smartlocks,IoT-connectedsecuritysystems,and geofencingtechnologyarealsotransforminghomeand corporatesecurity,ensuringgreaterprotectionwithminimal humanintervention.

RevolutionizingCrisisManagementwithPredictive Analytics

Securityleadersaretakingcrisismanagementtoanew levelwiththeuseofpredictiveanalyticsandsimulation technology.Byanalyzingpastincidentsandglobalrisk factors,AI-drivensystemscanforecastpotentialsecurity threatsandenableorganizationstoprepareinadvance.This proactiveapproachminimizestheimpactofnatural disasters,cyberattacks,andterroristthreats.

Forinstance,digitaltwintechnology—virtualreplicasof physicalenvironments—isbeingusedinsecurityplanning. Thesedigitalmodelsalloworganizationstosimulate emergencyscenarios,testdiﬀerentresponsestrategies,and reﬁnetheircrisismanagementplans.Thisinnovativetool hasbeeninstrumentalinimprovingdisasterpreparednessin industriessuchasaviation,healthcare,andenergy.

InnovativeLeadershipinRiskIntelligence

Securityleadersarenolongerjustreactiveforces;theyare proactivestrategistswhorelyondata-drivenintelligenceto makeinformeddecisions.Riskintelligenceplatformsuse bigdataandAItoanalyzegeopoliticalrisks,supplychain vulnerabilities,andemergingsecuritytrends.Theseinsights helpbusinesses,governments,andinternational organizationsmitigaterisksbeforetheyescalate.

Cyberthreatintelligencesharingisanotherkeyinnovation. Securityexpertsfromdiﬀerentsectorscollaboratethrough globalalliances,sharingreal-timethreatinformationto preventlarge-scalecyberattacks.Organizationssuchasthe CyberThreatAlliance(CTA)andInformationSharingand AnalysisCenters(ISACs)enablesecurityleadersto respondfasterandmoreeﬀectivelytoglobalsecurity challenges.

BalancingSecuritywithPrivacy

Assecuritytechnologiesevolve,ethicalconsiderationshave becomeamajorfocusforsecurityleaders.Theriseoffacial recognition,biometricauthentication,andAIsurveillance hasraisedconcernsaboutdataprivacyandindividual rights.Innovativesecurityleadersaredevelopingsolutions thatbalancesecuritywithethicalresponsibility.

Privacy-enhancingtechnologies,suchashomomorphic encryptionanddecentralizedidentityveriﬁcation,allow userstoprotecttheirpersonaldatawhilestillbeneﬁting fromrobustsecuritymeasures.Securityinnovatorsarealso advocatingfortransparencyandaccountabilityinAI-driven securitysolutions,ensuringthatthesetechnologiesareused responsiblyanddonotcontributetomasssurveillanceor discrimination.

AFutureBuiltonInnovation

Thefutureofsecurityisbeingshapedbyleaderswho embraceinnovationandadapttoanever-changing landscape.TheintegrationofAI,blockchain,quantum encryption,andbiometricsecuritywillcontinueto revolutionizehowweprotectdata,people,and infrastructure.

Securityleadersarenotonlyaddressingtoday’s threats—theyareanticipatingtomorrow’schallenges.Their innovativespiritisdrivingthedevelopmentofsmarter, moreeﬃcientsecuritysolutionsthatwilldeﬁnethefuture ofglobalprotection.Throughcollaboration,technological advancements,andethicalleadership,thesepioneersare ensuringthatsecurityisnotjustareactivemeasure,buta proactiveforceforasafer,moreresilientworld.