The 10 Most Influential Leaders in Security, January 2021

ISSUE 01 I VOL 03 2021

Leadership and Digital Advancements Leading the holistic digital future Advancement in Health The Global Pandemic Technology and Innovators Rise to a Challenge

BAI Security Leading the IT Security Space with Cutting-Edge Solutions

EDITOR’S NOTE Aiding Businesses Head the Change

A

s the world is dealing with the spreading virus, the entire work and learning culture has been impacted dramatically. Not only the question on continuation of business was raised, but protection of workforce was also a concern. Businesses had to pivot to remote working and adopt digitalization as an option.

The COVID-19 outbreak has put businesses at higher risk, as a plethora of data has been transferring and communicating through digital mediums for business purposes.

Hackers and cyber criminals see such situations as an opportunity, as they always come up with newer methods of breaching data. In fact, many organizations witnessed the unique set of cyberattacks during the ongoing pandemic.

The survey conducted by Analytics Insights states that as of April 2020, 41 % of respondents witnessed at least one cyberattack related to COVID-19 in the last 12 months.

As a result, organizations had to reconsider the upgradation of their IT infrastructure which involves their data servers, cloud storages, video teleconferencing systems, Virtual Private Network (VPN) capacity, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), etc. Other than making cyber security a personal priority, no alternative was left for them. This is where organizations look for reliable security practitioners, who with their immense knowledge and strategic business acumen can predict all the vulnerabilities and lessen the chances of cyber-attacks.

Taking this dilemma into consideration, some influential business leaders in security took the charge during such critical time, stood tall in the light of increasing risks, and helped businesses secure their IT infrastructure.

With an intent to acknowledge and admire such leaders CIO Look is pleased to announce “The 10 Most Influential Leaders in Security, 2021”. This edition sheds light on the top-notch solutions of security companies and ingenious mind behind them.

Featuring on the cover of this edition is BAI Security and its President and CEO, Michael Bruck, along with Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Michele Wilkens. BAI is taking on the challenges of today’s IT security threats with unmatched expertise and innovation. With its array of truly groundbreaking IT security assessment and compliance services, BAI is providing essential protection for their clients, who are in the most highly regulated – and therefore most vulnerable – sectors, such as banking and finance, healthcare and pharmaceutical, utilities, insurance, legal, and more.

While flipping through the pages, make sure to scroll through the articles written by our in-house editorial team and CXO standpoints of some of the leading industry experts to have the knowhow about the industry.

Let’s start Reading!

Sumita Sarkar Editor-in-Chief

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COVER STORY

Leading the IT Security Space with Cutting-Edge Solutions

Article

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Leadership and Digital Advancements Leading the holistic digital future

CXO

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Advancement in Health The Global Pandemic Technology and Innovators Rise to a Challenge

CONTENTS Anita D'Amico Envisioning the Future and Making it Happen

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Eron Heard Holistic and Innovative Approach to Cyber Security

Kathrin Asmuth Securing the Digital Future

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Sebastian Stranieri Make Operations Easier, Simpler and more Secure

Stelios Valavnis A Technovert with Incomparable Leadership

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Steven Russo With a Passionate Team, Revolutionize, Cyber Security

Sumita Sarkar Editor-in-Chief CONTENT

Senior Editor Alan Swann Executive Editors Rohit Chaturvedi Alex Spellman

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January, 2021

Featuring Person

Company Name

Brief

Anita D'Amico CEO

Code Dx, Inc codedx.com

Code Dx, Inc. was founded on the principle that application vulnerability management should be an integral part of the software development process, which can only happen if it is convenient and logical.

Beenu Arora Founder and CEO

Cyble cyble.io

Cyble is a Digital Risk Management Platform that provides Intelligence against Imminent Threats

Eron Heard CRO

Cyber Forza cyberforza.com

Cyber Forza is the world’s first leading Unified Cyber Defense platform designed from ground-up to defend your entire organization with holistic visibility.

James Morris Founder & Principal Consultant

Central InfoSec centralinfosec.com

Central InfoSec leads cyber security initiatives with businesses and stakeholders to protect information security assets.

Kathrin Asmuth Managing Partner

Achelos GmbH achelos.de

achelos is a leading specialist supplier of manufacturerindependent, high-performance products, solutions and services in security-critical fields of application.

Michael Bruck President & CEO and Dr. Michele Wilkens Chief Strategy Officer

BAI SECURITY baisecurity.net

BAI Security is a nationally recognized cybersecurity auditing & compliance firm serving Healthcare, Banks, Credit Unions, Financial Services, Pharmaceutical, Legal, Insurance, Utilities, & more.

Ron Teicher Founder and CEO

EverC everc.com

EverC is a pioneer in technologies that illuminate the darkest corners of the internet and enable data-driven decision-making within organizations.

Sebastián Stranieri Founder

VU Security vusecurity.com

VU Security is a multinational company focused on fraud prevention and identity protection.

Stelios Valavanis CEO

onShore Security onshore.com

onShore Security is one of only a handful of managed cybersecurity providers, nationwide, that provide 24/7 real-time monitoring, correlation, and analysis of organization-wide network data.

Steven R. Russo Executive Vice President

Eclypses, Inc. eclypses.com

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, the nationwide center for cybersecurity, Eclypses delivers solutions for a wide array of industries, including Critical Infrastructure, Healthcare, Fintech, and Government and Defense.

Leading the IT Security Space with Cutting-Edge Solutions

“

The most robust, cutting-edge assessment on the market at a highly competitive price point.

Michael Bruck & Dr. Michele Wilkens BAI Security

Dr. Michele Wilkens Chief Strategy Ofcer BAI Security

COVERSTORY

I

T security in today's dynamic business environment has become paramount. Thanks to an everexpanding population of malicious and persistent cybercriminals, organizations large and small are facing unprecedented challenges around network compromise, data theft, ransomware, and social engineering of personnel. The risk these types of breaches pose to organizational operations, regulatory compliance, and reputation are greater (and more costly) than ever… and there is no sign of hackers letting up.

Rising above this cyber-fury is the team at BAI Security, who are taking on the challenges of today's IT security threats with unmatched expertise and innovation. With their array of truly ground-breaking IT security assessment and compliance services, BAI is providing essential protection for their clients, who are in the most highly regulated – and therefore most vulnerable – sectors, such as banking and finance, healthcare and pharmaceutical, utilities, insurance, legal, and more.

In an exclusive interview with CIO Look, President & CEO, Michael Bruck (MB), along with Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Michele Wilkens (MW), share thoughts and details about the company's and their journey in the IT security space: What is your role in the company, and what did you do before you started or came into this business?

MB: As President/CEO with a dual CTO function, I have served as the architect of our methods and offerings since our founding in 2007. Thanks to an extensive technical background, I am able to vision and build our tools and services from the inside out -- not what all CEOs can (or want) to do, but something I relish to this day. It keeps me grounded in clients' needs and emerging technologies – and as a bonus, it gives me 'street cred' with our audit team, who have impressive backgrounds of their own! I also rely on my partnership with Dr. Wilkens for our growth strategy and driving new partnership efforts.

MW: As Chief Strategy Officer, I spearhead our trajectory into new sectors to meet the growing crossindustry demand for truly expert IT security services.

Part of this is leading talent acquisition, bringing gifted, experienced, certified folks in-house to bring our vision to fruition. I am also responsible for employee learning and development, communications and outreach, and managing organizational change. I have over 20 years'

experience spanning business, education, and mental health as a leader, professor, clinician, researcher, published author, and federal government advisor.

Most recently, I was CAO with a five-time INC 5000 education corporation and served on an international association Board of Directors.

What experiences have influenced and impacted your professional direction?

MB: When studying computer science in college, the business owners of my part-time job tapped me to help them transition their entirely manual operations to an automated digital environment. Over the two-year project, I got involved in every aspect of IT – mainly because no one there knew anything about IT or how to convert this sizable organization from being a completely manual operation to a fully digital one. Still a student myself, I had to figure out everything from scratch and entirely on my own (no internet or YouTube back then!).

Being with the company before, during, and after this immersive experience allowed me to see what technology did for the company. Before the conversion, they were completely stalled; but with technology, they experienced exponential growth and catapulted into their future. It gave me a deep appreciation for what efficiencies can be created for businesses via proper use of technology.

Subsequently, the empathy I developed from this small business' reliance on systems got me into security, because I also saw first-hand how an enterprise can be instantly paralyzed by a significant security event. For me, there was no way I could experience a company from this vantage point and not come out wanting to protect them.

What are the operating philosophy and leading services/solutions that the company has been built on?

MW: IT security is just too important to be priced out of anyone's reach, so our mission has always been about providing top-shelf services that are still affordable for the average business. Upon our founding, Michael focused on smaller and mid-sized organizations that could not afford in-house experts or quality audits. BAI then evolved operating extremely efficiently, allowing us to keep costs down for clients while innovating with agility to meet market needs.

Michael Bruck President/CEO BAI Security

Fast-forward to today - while we now serve organizations of all sizes, we have never stopped endeavoring to provide the most robust, cutting-edge assessments on the market at a highly competitive price point. Here in 2021, we find this mission has become critical in what has proven to be a perfect storm threatening our clients. Many organizations on the frontlines of the pandemic in banking, finance, and healthcare are struggling with revenue and budget repercussions of COVID-19; meanwhile, the same sectors have become hackers' biggest targets. As a result, comprehensive services that are both customizable and affordable have become more vital than ever in protecting our clients.

What is your vision for the company in the next five years?

MW: We are presently witnessing the most aggressive and well-funded generation of hackers ever. Perhaps the singular upside of this is that news about damaging breaches is helping organizations worldwide grasp the serious risk cybercrime poses to their data, operations, and market standing – things that can go down fast, and then take a long time and a lot of resources to recover.

We're now seeing decision-makers, instead of viewing IT security as a regulatory box to check once a year, beginning to show great care in choosing a security partner who is truly expert and exhaustive in their approach as a key preventative play.

This is where BAI Security comes in– bringing to the market in-house expertise to tackle the constantly

changing threat landscape – folks who cut their security teeth at major corporations and financial institutions, as well as the FBI, the Pentagon, U.S. State Department, etc. So even as you-get-what-you-pay-for generalist firms with outsourced novice staff and open source tools enter the space to provide bare minimum audits (the kind that satisfy regulators but skim over the expanse and severity of present-day threats), we believe BAI Security is, and will continue to be, uniquely appealing to those who take their IT security seriously.

MB: That’s right – and meanwhile, where technology goes, so go hackers and costly breaches. That means our audit team is innovating at warp speed to keep our clients safely ahead of emerging threats. Our vision is to continue mimicking cybercriminals' methods to build out tools and methods that prepare our clients for worst case scenarios, while empowering them to proactively defend their unique environments 247/365.

According to you, which upcoming/current technology is going to be a disruptive force for security industry in the near future?

MB: The development of new hard- and software in 2021 will make plenty of new year lists, but we'd like to avoid the distraction of those by encouraging folks to consider this: Whatever the latest and greatest invention in, it won't matter if organizations continue to fail on the basics of IT security. The vast majority of companies and institutions are falling short with the three areas most critical to security posture: proper

COVERSTORY

endpoint protection, vulnerability/patch management, and social engineering.

In other words, if your network perimeter is continually permeable, then some cool new multi-factor authentication is not going to help. And while we would like to say we are recommending folks get ‘back to basics,’ the truth is, most organizations have never done these basics well. So, we would love to see the 2021 'disruption' be attention to IT security basics like never before.

How do you sustain your leadership spirit in this changing technological era?

MW: With technology central to all we do, we embrace the evolving landscape perhaps more than those in other industries. Still, advances in technology are a double-edged sword for us – they provide us more pathways to protect against present-day cyberthreats as we continually innovate tools and methods, but they also broaden the attack surface that threatens our clients. Because Michael founded BAI Security on a combined spirit of innovation and service, we are seeing 13 years later the incredible value this blend brings to our ability to stay ahead of hackers and keep our clients secure.

Over the past year, while the pandemic pushed everyone rapidly into new and more virtual ways of working, we managed to stay focused on what matters most – people. Our employees. Our clients. As a result, our team adapted beautifully, both in service quality, remote offerings, and internal teamwork – and our

strong client relationships did not miss a beat. We're so enthusiastic about 2021 and supporting our clients' ongoing security, as well as their pandemic recovery.

What advice would you like to give to emerging business leaders?

MB: Take risks to innovate. You'll succeed, you'll fail, but either way, you'll learn from it and end up with a better product or service. The worst thing you can do is stay where you are when you're successful, because the market will most certainly copy and then pass you by.

MW: Manage change with discipline. Not the sexiest answer, but boy, can you save headaches and avoid wasting resources following this advice! There's really no reason to have clunky rollouts or failed initiatives.

There are solid change models with thoughtful, strategic execution that ensure across-the-organization success. And as a bonus, each time you succeed with implementation, it will elevate your team's trust in your decisions, making the next new venture even more quickly received and smoothly deployed.

What words best describe your vision and approach to business?

MB: We have an imperative to help people who need high quality services but can't otherwise get it.

MW: It's about people. Next question. (But really – aligning your business what, why, and how with all stakeholders - employees and clients alike - makes for joyful work, meaningful impact, and success in all the ways that truly matter!)

Photo credits: Elinor Melvin

COVERSTORY

Client Testimonials “We found Michael and his firm knowledgeable, honest and well-organized, and a committed business partner, not merely a vendor during our engagements.” AVP of IT, CA “Price was right, service was excellent, and the final deliverables were outstanding. Great team.” CIO, DE "Far more extensive test than any we have had in the past... the reps are 100% on your project and always available to give you feedback." CISO, TX “They go out of their way to be helpful, offering their guidance and suggestions (as opposed to a cookie-cutter approach). Initially, we chose BAI because of their reputation. We went back to them the next few years because of their people and their professionalism, the depth of their technical and procedural knowledge, and friendliness.” IT Director, GA “BAI specializes in security. The other firm we were using was more of an MSP. I like that BAI is a company just for security.” IT Manager, IL “The professional experience and technical expertise made the choice an easy one… exceptional results. We are completely satisfied.” IT Director, NC “Outstanding platform for vulnerability remediation.

Everyone I talked to from sales folks to technical experts were all great to work with and very knowledgeable.” VP of IT, PA “There are many players in this field. I contacted some of my industry peers and asked who they used. BAI came in at the top.” IT Supervisor, IN “Although we are a smaller organization, BAI has not made us feel small. We are always treated with respect. BAI has always provided superior service, so we keep coming back.”

VP of IT, TX “The highest degree of professionalism and service.” SVP of IT, WI

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Advancement in Health

The Global Pandemic Technology and Innovators Rise to a Challenge

T

he ramifications of COVID-19 have been many, but in the words of Albert Einstein, “in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.” In this case, a chance to adapt and change for the better, specifically with the rapid adoption of cutting-edge technology.

Responding deftly to the pandemic, leaders in most all verticals have leaned on technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), in particular.

adoption and innovation – and more! The future for Connected Health is bright and the key trends include: (i) caring for patients remotely, (ii) bringing better efficiency and efficacy to clinical trials, even while bringing the related treatments and drugs to market faster, and (iii) fine-tuning medical wearables to deliver biomedical data to providers or indeed more analysis at the edge to empower self-administration in chronic disease patients.

Connected Health Takes a Significant Step Forward Healthcare is an incredibly innovative industry, and the pandemic proved no exception to the industry’s adaptation. Healthcare providers, technology developers, patients, and clinical trial participants have been not just heroes but also champions in adopting technology in response to the pandemic.

Assets and Logistics See Technology Overhaul Another industry the pandemic took a significant swing at is assets and logistics. The supply chain was shaken as global manufacturing was disrupted while, simultaneously, e-commerce sharply peaked. Already a complex industry, assets and logistics needed to shift even further towards a technology-driven approach into visibility and analytics to make highly informed, real-time decisions.

The industry overcame challenges in continuing to provide safe care for non-COVID patients by swiftly adopting telemedicine. One company, Dexcom, leveraged IoT to uphold steady monitoring of hospitalized diabetes patients while minimizing the use of critically in-demand PPE. Nurses did not need to get close to aging diabetes patients just to monitor glucose levels, which would have endangered everyone, and the solution was designed and installed in a matter of days.

The pharmaceutical sector raced with phenomenal speed towards vaccine development, utilizing the IoT ecosystem to perform a hybridization of virtual and onsite clinical trials.

A spotlight was also trained on cold chain monitoring as vaccine development forged ahead. With vaccines nearing approval, the need arose for global, multimodal transport of vaccines that were required to be kept cold or extremely cold and shipped in not just one, but two doses. This resulted in the need for even more granular visibility and the ability to monitor viabilitycritical temperature and condition, as well as uphold regulatory compliance. Deploying condition monitoring sensors, GPS, and analytics platforms has aided greatly in the ability to move life-saving assets efficiently.

Adoption of Connected Health technology has been slow and steady until now, but since the pandemic has started, each month has led to a year’s worth of

Enabling Remote Education and a Remote Workforce Through Today’s Technology

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Romil Bahl, President & CEO at KORE

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The high bandwidth of cellular and Wi-Fi/local networks and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) enabled the workforce to rapidly shift to remote locations in response to the pandemic. In the not-too-distant past, the economy could have shuddered to a more dramatic halt without these critical components. Similarly, children were able to maintain a mostly normal schedule in many school systems with the rapid provisioning of virtual classes.

Forward Thinking and Leadership These technology-driven solutions did not appear overnight to aid in pandemic response. Remote patient monitoring, decentralized clinical trials, analytics and condition monitoring in logistics, cloud computing and VPNs – they all had a place in the market from forwardthinking innovators. It then took leadership and inspiration to adopt these technologies swiftly and leverage them for the crisis at hand.

Once more, a technology trend that was essentially thrust upon organizations of all kinds is likely to continue in the future, though perhaps with less density. Technology enhancements will aid in the permanence of remote work. The rollout of 5G will lend the speed and reduced latency required for edge computing and faster endpoint analysis. Artificial intelligence will give rise to augmented reality of offices, offering a more immersive teleconferencing experience.

And now a world of possibility will ride on the coattails of this widespread IoT adoption. As artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the power of 5G become more pervasive in the market, the same futurefocused innovators will undoubtedly continue to leverage technology for good. The decade of IoT ahead promises to be hugely exciting, as we move towards a more intelligent and connected planet.

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Eron Heard CRO Cyber Forza

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ERON HEARD Holistic and Innovative Approach to Cyber Security

K

eeping business data and digital assets safe and secure is harder with more and more potential weak spots being identified. Today, hacking is becoming more sophisticated and there are industries springing up around data theft and sabotage prevention. IT security may build a bigger fortress around data & networks and limit access wherever it can make a breach unlikely but, a determined cybercriminal can find a way around it. Therefore, to ensure Cyber security, aligning with a skilled leader in cyber security solutions is a huge advantage for the organization.

Eron Heard is one such skilled and innovative leader. He has worked on various large cybercrime and cyberterrorism initiatives for Government and business entities. Eron is the Chief Revenue Officer at Cyber Forza, a company with unparalleled expertise in designing and executing critical cyber security protection solutions globally.

Eron has used his 25+ years of IT experience to help everyone, from Small Business to large Multi-National Enterprise organizations, to understand the industry need for a more agile, unified, scalable, integrated and interoperable methodology in the pursuit of overcoming a constantly changing, brutally persistent and highly skilled global adversaries.

Below are the highlights of the interview between Eron and CIO Look wherein he shares his journey and valuable insights about Cyber security solutions through Cyber Forza: Brief us about your role at Cyber Forza and your journey as a business leader.

I am currently the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) with an ownership position at Cyber Forza.

After serving in the US Air Force and earlier attending Loyola University in Chicago with emphases in Business and Communication, I have over two decades of experience in the IT sector.

Have held Sr. Sales, Director, General Manager, SVP, Executive Director and CEO level positions at Norstan, Toshiba, Inter-tel, Fujitsu, Source One, Sentinel Technologies, Carousel Industries, Altura Communication Solutions and Cyber-Tek.

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What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

Cyber Forza is positioned to begin sales activities within 100 countries beginning Q1 2021.

I was raised in an upscale Chicago suburb in a positive, 'can do' household with a father, mother and 3 siblings.

My father was part of the honor guard detail for President Kennedy and the 2nd man carrying his casket and has always maintained an entrepreneurial spirit.

My sisters are in the entertainment business and have thrilled audiences from Broadway to The Australian Theater Company. My brother has also had a successful career as an entrepreneur. My mother has been our backbone and gave us the love and support to believe that despite being raised as a minority in the 70's, we can achieve anything we put our minds to.

The market is estimated to reach $230 billion (US) by 2021. Advanced cyber-attacks will never go away, and it is the need to defend these attacks which will continue to drive the market. We feel the future is very bright for Cyber Forza and the best days are ahead for the direction of our company.

We've developed an Integrated technology that can provide greater network situational awareness, faster response, require fewer tools & resources and provide significant cost savings.

We are here to help!

These are the people on this planet that have always been my inspiration and continued driving force towards success. I am in the process of writing 2 books but those that have influenced me: Way of the Superior Man, When – The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Selling the Invisible, Farsighted – How we make the decisions that matter the most.

According to you, which upcoming/current technology is going to be a disruptive force for security industry in a near future?

The evolution of the intelligent digital mesh & digital technology platforms and application architectures means that security must become adaptive. In the vast landscape of cyber security companies, our Silicon Valley based business has taken an integrated & holistic approach to network security and developed a "Market Disruptive" technology that is unparalleled in the industry.

What is the operating philosophy and cutting-edge services/solutions that the company has been built on?

Cyber Forza's operating philosophy and mantra is “Disrupting Cyber Security Through Intelligence.”

Adaptive AI Cyber Security Architecture focuses on monitoring for emerging attacks with a continuous feedback loop of intelligence-gathering, learning, and improving. Adaptive AI enhances the security posture by preventing threats as they evolve. Cyber Forza has built solutions and services to address this market.

Cyber Forza has developed an Innovative NextGeneration Cloud Cyber Intelligent Security Software (CISS) Cyberspace Security and Defense Platform. CISS technology is the single solution needed to power your entire Enterprise as a “Core” cybersecurity Infrastructure.

What is your vision for the company for the next five years?

Our team leveraged years of experience and research related to NASA, defense satellites, networks & advanced microprocessor design to develop this robust solution. We are the first company in the industry to apply Adaptive & Cognitive Artificial Intelligence Algorithms & innovative security methodologies and created a completely integrated, “End to End”, Cloud based, Unified Multi-Threat/Multi-Layer cybersecurity protection and Threat Hunting application.

Built on a breakthrough, the CISS Adaptive AI Platform serves as the foundation for Enterprise-Wide External, Internal and End Point infrastructure protection. The company's advanced products, CISS Defender (External), Interceptor (Internal & SIEM), Forza Client (End Point) and Vulcanor (Risk & Vulnerability) protect,

It is an exciting time at Cyber Forza! As the market continues a deeper adoption into the use of Cloud computing solutions, this requires a move from traditional hardware only based offerings. This is the area where Cyber Forza's Next Gen, Unified AI-Cloud platform provides maximum impact into the network security market and is the single solution needed to power your entire enterprise as a “Core” Cybersecurity Infrastructure. Our technically superior product is scalable from 1 to 1M+ users and is a cybersecurity tool for use in Terrestrial, Aerospace, Defense & Commercial Satellite and Space Program applications.

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I like to learn as much as I like to lead. quickly and accurately identify what is benign and what is a threat. Our technology prevents a secured network's “attack surface” from simultaneous multithreat or Remote Worker Endpoint Security intrusion, Ransomware, and advanced malicious code from ever executing on a targeted system. By integrating all network security components to include SOC, SIEM and SOAR capabilities into a “State of the Art” Unified Artificial Intelligence Platform, Cyber Forza provides solutions and services that are truly predictive and preventive against the most sophisticated global threats.

Push your teams not to lose hope and to be more creative and strategic in your approach to your existing and potential client opportunities. Now is a great time to tighten up internal processes and procedures to insure maximum production. We will get through this and we will be better because of if it in the long run.

Interpersonal family and business relationships will flourish and become more substantial. Clients will continue to require your services.

As a leader, describe a challenge you overcame.

Learning what I call “The Art of the Lost Deal”. How to support your team that has put their heart and soul into the identification, sale and closure of a large transaction they have dedicated over a year into to only to have it fail through no fault of their your own. How do you encourage them to come back and sell the next day with the same level of energy and enthusiasm?

What advice would you like to give to the emerging business leaders?

Focus on Culture, Creativity, Liquidity and Longevity and this begins with an emphasis on your People Process and Procedures. Build a business based on service with highly trained teams, a well thought out business strategy and you can win and win big!

How do you sustain your leadership spirit in this changing technological era?

I live by the credo that “It's not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. From a business perspective, you must remember that we are all in this together and that the business success playing field has been flipped upside down for everyone. We are all playing on the same remote worker landscape for the foreseeable future.

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Kathrin Asmuth Managing Partner achelos GmbH

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KATHRIN ASMUTH Securing the Digital Future

W

hether companies, individuals, or organisations, whether at national or international level, everyone is required to ensure data protection and the security of their associated systems. It was this belief that inspired Kathrin Asmuth to come up with achelos GmbH in 2008. Currently, Kathrin is the Managing Partner of the company.

Kathrin Asmuth has an expertise in the field of security technology for embedded systems and has been able to incorporate this in many national and international customer projects and expert committees.

Below is an exclusive interview between Kathrin and CIO Look: What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

There are two essential impacts in my life:

With a team of approx. 75 employees, she developed the company as a manufacturer independent software company specializing in products, solutions, and services.

When we became parents, a door opened to a previously unknown space full of new emotions, tasks, joys, and responsibilities. It re-adjusted our values on which our actions are based and focused on the essentials in life.

achelos helps to ensure cross-sector security of digital identities and embedded technologies in securitycritical fields of application, be it Security, Health, Mobility, IoT or Public Administration.

I had to learn what influence the sale of a company can have on the teams in the company. High company valuations please the seller, but the burden on the sold company can be so enormous that it cannot recover from it. I have experienced how important it is to have fun at work and how quickly this gets lost when the value system for daily interaction is changed. achelos exists only in the light of these experiences.

The company is highly recognized for its outstanding performance in developing security specifications, security evaluation of products or processes according to international security standards like Common Criteria and automatic conformance testing of security critical products.

Prior to founding achelos GmbH Kathrin held the position of General Manager, Product Development worldwide at Sagem Orga GmbH (today Idemia) until 2008. There, she managed all international development units with around 235 employees.

What is the operating philosophy and cutting-edge services/solutions that the company has been built on?

We work in an agile, open, fair, and collaborative

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“

“

ere is no such thing as low-tech

industry – just low-tech management, hence lifelong learning is a must!”

environment based on collegial management decisions by making the personal responsibility of our staff members a principle.

According to you, which upcoming/current technology is going to be a disruptive force for security industry in a near future?

First examples of quantum computers are being explored already and this technology will change the current use of cryptography substantially, as quantum computers can be used to break e.g. commonly used elliptic curve cryptography for data and communication security.

“Working time is lifetime”, therefore we arrange this time in such a way that it gives us joy, brings fulfilment and is positive in its balance. And this is how we provide top performance.

What is your vision for the company for the next five years?

The near future will show increasing challenges to secure data and communication between people and things as well as things and things. The buzzwords are AI, Digital Health, Industrial IoT, Car 2 Car, etc. Our vision for this technologically foreseeable future is to be at the forefront of companies delivering subject matter expertise to our worldwide customers in their domain combined with our continuously broadening expertise in the design and implementation of the necessary security level.

As a CEO/leader, describe a challenge you overcame.

Change is the biggest challenge in business. We tend to become comfortable with what we are used to and close our eyes to change.

“Who moved my cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson is a nice narration about this phenomenon and how to overcome it.

How do you sustain your leadership spirit in this changing technological era?

There are two aspects to be considered sustaining our leadership: 1. Our company culture.

As said above we live collegial leadership principals in an agile environment which result in joint solution finding and decision making with practically as little hierarchy intervention as possible. Personal responsibility is the key success factor not only for timely project development and deployment but also for the further development of our own competences.

2. Our experience and expertise.

We are security enthusiasts, always looking for new and unconventional solutions, combining our subject

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matter expertise with solutions that we experience at national or international conferences or elaborate in working groups of standardization bodies and industry associations.

Satisfied Clientele “With the professional support of achelos we successfully passed Common Criteria Certification in time.” (Terminal Manufacturer)

What advice would you like to give to the emerging business leaders? Ÿ Look for shareholders who understand the business you are in Ÿ Know Your Customers and make their problems your challenges Ÿ Be among the leaders of the technology used in your business Ÿ Define your company ethics and values and live them Ÿ Trustworthiness and reliability are not only a reputation, treat them as your asset Ÿ Strive to be leading domain specialist, powered by the know-how of your expert team

“Through the partnership with achelos we successfully met a critical milestone in our vision of creating a seamless and independent orchestration layer for IoT connectivity.” (Communication Service Provider) “In our partner-based business model we work extremely flexible with achelos and always find the right solution or product to serve our customers.”

(Business Sales Partner) “We are happy to work in a close partnership with achelos, their speed and flexibility are perfectly aligned with our core values.” (Network Operator)

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LEADING TH DIGITAL Y

ou’ll succeed, you’ll fail, but either way, you’ll learn from it and end up becoming a better product or service. But the worst thing you can do is stay where you are because the world will then pass you by. In the view of innovation and disruption, the evolution of the digital technology platforms and applications has become adaptive in the companies.

Being a security enthusiast, always looking for new and unconventional solutions is considered asstrength. The main weakness lies in the lack of knowledge. A network security leader must be curious and one step ahead of the client’s needs, which allows them to continuously offer new solutions. Secondly, he must be resilient to adversities and trust his team so they can work together to achieve the desired goals.

Today’s buzzwords are AI, Virtual, Big Data, IoT, Cloud Computing, etc. An IT security leader should see this foreseeable future to be at the forefront of the market and continuously broaden expertise in the implementation of these necessary security challenges.

In the tech and cybersecurity industry, thriving good talent is a huge challenge, especially in cybersecurity.

Although there is a need for talent and there are many opportunities for skilled experts. The desire to keep the business as well as the clients safe and secure should be the ultimate goal.

So, for Cybersecurity Leaders, building relationship with organizations and clients is essential for the growth of the organization. Building trust with technical partners those who support the company’s infrastructure, such as financial and technology providers, give the organization a solid foundation to operate. A Leader in Cybersecurity must be able to stay focused on the big picture and not react too quickly to smaller incidents or opportunities – always keeping the larger vision in mind. To be successful and to grow, it is important to be open to new ideas.

Staying informed is crucial. Any influential leader in security will make sure to stay invested in education and broadening his knowledge and expertise. Attending events, classes, workshops, and seminars, as well as regularly reading news is of a great deal. Constantly staying up-to-date and communicating with peers and experts is also a good way to learn. Most importantly, he listens to everyone but uses that information to chart his own course.

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Leadership and Digital Advancements

HE HOLISTIC FUTURE Cybersecurity leaders should have a high degree of expertise in cybersecurity and IT. They have to have expertise in risk management, legal matters, and guide their organization and the clients through complex problems with many potential solutions, and make the best choices for all.

things. Building a business based on service with highly trained secure teams and a well-thought business strategy lead you win big!

In order to keep up with the times, staying connected to other industry leaders participating in open forums is a great start. As a leader, He /She must listen to what others are saying., Also it is essential to verify the information being disseminated, and then trust the results. Leaders must keep their heads up to read the market and ensure that the team is aligned with the technology trends as well as the needs of the customers and future clients. Additionally, it is important to stay on top of what your competitors are doing to ensure that both you and your company remain at the top of your game.

In cybersecurity, a leader should be well-versed in best practices, tested methods, and also be able & willing to explore and try new things. The problem is that cybersecurity is becomingmore complex every day, and it is the job of the cybersecurity leader to simplify and solve that problem.

The leader must be able to use his vision and must portray persistence, maintain integrity and form trust both in the internal and the external aspects of the organization. He is expected to be self-motivated and should be able to motivate others, along with a strong work ethic and desire for success. Above all, a network security leader needs to approachable, while using his high levels of intelligence to overcome the many daily obstacles that keep coming on an endless basis.

The near future will show increasing challenges to secure data and communication between people and

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Stelios

Valavanis A Technovert with Incomparable Leadership

E

degree, he again had that same lack of clarity for understanding ambitions towards entrepreneurship.

After that he worked on several entrepreneurial ventures, as much in art and media as tech and IT. When he founded onShore as a software development company, it took landing a few larger clients to finally realize what he actually needed to focus on. Since then, he fully embraced the business world and was able to rebuild onShore as a prominent cybersecurity company.

very leader must have patience, discipline, vision, opportunism, adaptability, calmness under pressure and steadfastness. Staying the course when the path seems difficult or unknown, but the willingness to explore and act as a pathfinder for the community. These traits are necessary for selfimprovement but the most difficult job is to induce people to follow and inspire them by setting good examples. Stelios Valavanis, CEO at onShore Security, is one such proficient who is bringing changes with his extensive experience ranging from OS and development to network design.

onShore Security has its own proprietary platform, which allows for a good amount of customizability. But so much of what a particular client needs has to do with categorizing and weighing criticality for events and that's embedded in rule-sets that the company fully manage and tune on an ongoing basis. In addition to that, there are varying compliance needs, and onShore Security offers add-ons to satisfy those.

Below is his story: Stelios has always been interested in science and technology. He started learning to program at the age of 9 years but didn't recognize his entrepreneurial spirit, even though his parents were entrepreneurs. In high school, he thought it would be a good idea to start a software company and identify as a technologist, rather than a businessman. After getting his physics

All of the company's clients share one thing: the desire to do what they do best, in a way that keeps their

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Stelios Valavanis CEO onShore 41

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business as well as their own clients as safe and secure as possible. Beyond that, clients are a truly diverse pool of organizations and businesses. The platform was developed, in house, with this diversity in mind. The platform itself is highly customizable, but the staff must also be prepared to serve every kind of customer. In the company, the team manages and tune rule sets that are as unique as clients, as well as compliance requirements and additional services and equipment.

In the tech industry, developing good talent is a huge challenge, especially in cybersecurity. There is a large need for talent and there are many opportunities for skilled experts. Employee retention is directly tied to building culture, which can be challenging to do from the top. As a CEO, it can be a challenge to find the right balance between process and flexibility. Having a well-designed process will make it easier when flexibility is necessary, and to adapt the process to meet changing obstacles. Stelios advises emerging leaders, “not to do it unless you're willing to make a very big commitment.” Being the CEO of a company can put undue stress on a CEO's family. As a CEO, there is a feeling that there is always more that can be done, and doing anything not related to the company is at its expense.

Staying informed is crucial. Stelios makes sure to stay invested in education and broadening his knowledge and expertise. He still attends events such as classes, workshops, and seminars, as well as regularly reading news and developing theoretical material. He constantly stays up-to-date on fast moving topics, such as new regulations or ongoing issues in the space and also learns a great deal from his own staff and their experience. Communicating with peers and experts in other parts of the same field is also a good way to learn.

According to Stelios “I'm always willing to experiment to further my own understanding of cybersecurity and we test out a lot of ideas and hypothetical solutions in-house. Many of our passion projects have informed us and become onShore Security products.”

For budding entrepreneurs Stelios advises “Before you do anything, you should know why you're doing it. If you're goal is to make money, stop right there. Climb the corporate ladder instead. It's safer and easier. If you want to do something amazing, don't think small and safe. Do something big, bold and if it fails, fail fast, learn the lessons, and move on.” Build a leadership team around by choosing carefully additional effective leaders or by finding people that can be groomed and trained for leadership roles. Most importantly, listen to everyone, but use that information to chart own course. Don't be afraid to dilute equity if investors brings additional leadership to the table. One has to be prepared to take

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the good with the bad and see it all as part of a rocky, but rewarding adventure.

Stelios believes cybersecurity CEOs must absolutely have a high degree of expertise in cybersecurity and IT in general. They have to have expertise in things like risk management, and legal matters. They have to guide their organization and their clients through complex problems with many potential solutions, and make the best choices for all parties. Sometimes, it isn't immediately clear what the best solution may be, and CEOs will need to draw on both past experience and new ideas. In many other kinds of companies, CEOs don't have to be as much of an expert in their company's offerings. In cybersecurity, a CEO should be well-versed in history, best practices, and tested methods, but also able and willing to explore and try new things. The problem that cybersecurity solves grows more complex every day, and it is the job of the cybersecurity CEO to simplify and solve that problem. onShore Security leads by example. It believes that analysis and detection are the most important tools in the box, and the company has developed the capabilities in these areas to put it at the very top of the security maturity stack. To get best results, it pushes peers and competitors both so they develop their own technology, as well as their people. The company values its analysts and considers that technological development is all ultimately to serve experts and solving evolving obstacles in cybersecurity by applying experience and adapting the company's hardware, software, and process. onShore Security wants to continue to be part of the national cybersecurity community in a meaningful way and increase its outreach. It believes that members of a community care for each other and care for the community as a whole, and that this is a uniquely dangerous time for the community. Stelios asserts, “we, as a country, are at tremendous risk. I feel both a personal responsibility as well as a financial responsibility to my company to elevate the security posture of every single company that we can.”

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