Leaders in CYBERSECURITY
Watch in 2025
Doug Innocenti
“There's no silver bullet with cybersecurity; a layered defense is the only viable option.”
Aswestepinto2025,theever-evolvinglandscape
ofcybersecuritycontinuestochallenge organizations,governments,andindividualsalike. WiththeriseofAI-driventhreats,sophisticated cyberattacks,andanincreasinglyinterconnectedworld, theneedforvisionaryleadershipinthisspacehasnever beenmorecritical.
CIOLookinthisspecialeditionof Visionary Leaders in Cybersecurity to Watch in 2025,spotlightstrailblazers whoarenotonlyshapingthefutureofcybersecuritybut alsoredefiningresilienceinthefaceofrelentlessdigital threats.Theseleaders—fromCISOsandsecurityarchitects toresearchersandpolicymakers—arepushingthe boundariesofinnovation,championingproactivedefence strategies,andfosteringacultureofcyberawarenessthat extendsfarbeyondtheenterprise.
Leading the Charge MichaelWayne Visionaries Shaping Cybersecurity in 2025
Whatsetsthesevisionariesapartistheirabilityto anticipaterisksbeforetheyemerge,harnessthepowerof cutting-edgetechnologies,andcreatesecurityframeworks thatadapttoanunpredictabledigitallandscape.Their commitmenttosecuringdata,protectingprivacy,and ensuringbusinesscontinuityisnotjustaprofessional responsibility—it’samissionthatimpactsmillions worldwide.
Aswehighlighttheirstories,insights,andgroundbreaking contributions,wehopethiseditionservesasbothan inspirationandaguideforcybersecurityprofessionals navigatingthechallengesoftomorrow.Thefutureof cybersecurityisincapablehands,andtheseleadersare proofofthat.
Happy reading….
Doug Innocenti
AVisionaryLeaderinCybersecurityandFinTechInnovation
Ashish Vohra
Catalyzing Change in Cybersecurity Through Innova on 20
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Top Visionary Leaders in CYBERSECURITY
to Watch in 2025
AshishVohra
ExecutiveDirector, HeadofInformaonand CyberSecurity atSCVentures
DougInnocenti ChiefInformation SecurityOfficer
JariRasinen Information SecurityOfficer
MichaelBeaupre HeadofCyber Security
Brief CompanyName
StandardCharteredBank www.sc.com
Withover20yearsofexperienceacrossAsia,NorthAmerica, EMEA,andAustralia,I'velearnedthatsecurityisnotaonesize-fits-allsolution.
Withover30yearsofexperienceininformationtechnology andsecurity,Iampassionateaboutdeliveringinnovativeand scalablesolutionsthatenableandprotectenterpriseoperations. MoonPay www.moonpay.com Vaisala www.vaisala.com
Jari'smissionistohelpsecuretheproductsthatmake observationsforabetterworld,byincreasingthe organization'scybermaturityandresiliency
Beaupreisaseasonedleaderwithover30yearsofexperience inhumancapitalmanagement,programoversight,and operationsacrossvarioussectors,includingdefenseand technology Haysplc www.hays.de
Miorelliexperienceincludesfunctionalmanagementof contractmanagers,generallywithEnglishastheirsecondor thirdlanguage,aswellasM&Aduediligenceandpost-closure integrationworkonseveraldealsworthover$1B. SiemensEnergy www.siemens-energy.com FeaturedPerson
SamMiorelli Lawyer|Global HeadofIndustrial Cybersecurityfor OilandGas
Doug Innocenti
AVisionaryLeaderinCybersecurityandFinTechInnovation
“As a champion of proactive security measures, Doug has guided organizations toward building robust infrastructures that prioritize prevention, adaptability, and compliance.”
Doug Innocen Chief Informa on
Security Officer
MoonPay
“In finance and technology, security forms the foundation of trust and drives innovation.” – Doug Innocenti.
DougInnocentiisadistinguishedcybersecurity,
informationtechnology,andfinancialtechnology leader.Hebringsdecadesofexperiencetohisrole asastrategistandinnovator Withasharpfocusonbridging thegapbetweencutting-edgetechnologyandsecure, scalablesolutions,Doughasbeeninstrumentalinshaping thecybersecurityindustrywithinthecryptoandfintech industries.
Asachampionofproactivesecuritymeasures,Doughas guidedorganizationstowardbuildingrobustinfrastructures thatprioritizeprevention,adaptability,andcompliance.His leadershipextendsbeyondtechnicalexpertise,developing cross-functionalcollaborationandcultivatingacultureof transparencyandtrustwithinhisteams.
Doug’scommitmenttoadvancingsecureanduser-friendly financialsystemshaspositionedhimasadecentralized finance,regulatoryalignment,andenterprisesecurity leader.Hisabilitytoblendvisionarythinkingwith actionablestrategiesmakeshimadrivingforcebehind MoonPay'sglobalsuccessandcontinuedinnovation.
In this interview, Doug shares his thoughts on the evolution of cybersecurity in the crypto and fintech industries, strategies for balancing innovation with security, and the importance of nurturing cross-functional collaboration. Let’s dive into Doug’s vision for a secure and innovative future at MoonPay and beyond:
WithyourextensiveexperienceinITandsecurity,how hasthecybersecuritysectorevolvedovertheyears, especiallyinthefintechandcryptospace,andwhatdo youbelievearethebiggestchallengescompanieslike MoonPayfacetoday?
Cybersecurityisagameof3-Dchessbetweenthreatactors, governments,individuals,andcompanies.Itisacat-andmousegame—threatactorsgrowmoresophisticatedwhile organizationsconstantlyadapttonewmethodsofattack. Cryptoandfintechcompanies,specifically,areatthecenter ofthreatactors'attentionduetooursensitivefinancialand personalinformation.
AtMoonPay,ourcybersecuritystrategyrevolvesaround fourkeypillars:prevent,detect,respondandrecover. Preventionisourtoppriority.Bystayingaheadofpotential threats,wecreaterobustdefensesthatprotectourusersand systemsbeforeincidentsoccur
“Doug’s leadership extends beyond technical expertise. He develops crossfunctional collaboration and cultivates a culture of transparency and trust within his teams.”
Further,it'salsocriticalthatourusersknowhowtostay safeonline.Wewanttogivethemtheknowledgetheyneed toprotectthemselves,soweofferresourcesandtoolsto helpthemstayinformedandaheadofpotentialthreats.
Thesecurityteam’sultimatejobatMoonPayistoprotect theorganizationandourcustomerswhileenablingthemto protectthemselves.
AsMoonPay'sCISO,howdoyoubalancetheneedfor cutting-edgesecuritywiththeinnovativeandfastgrowingnatureofthecryptoandfintechindustries?
Canyoushareanexampleofwherethisbalancewas tested?
Ourconstantchallengeisbalancingtheneedtoinnovate quicklywiththeobligationtomaintainrobustsecurityin ourproducts.Tosupporttheproductandengineeringteams, ourteamfocusesonenablingdeveloperstomovefastwhile embeddingsecurityintothesoftwaredevelopment lifecycle.
Thekeyisto“shiftsecurityleft”—bringingsecurity considerationsintothedevelopmentprocessearlier.By integratingsecurityintoeveryphaseofthesoftware developmentlifecycle,fromplanninganddesigntocoding, testing,anddeployment,wecreateanenvironmentwhere developerscaninnovatewithoutbeingsloweddownby securitybottlenecks.Forexample,automatedsecurity checks,suchasstaticapplicationsecuritytesting(SAST) anddynamicapplicationsecuritytesting(DAST),arebuilt intoCI/CDpipelines,enablingdeveloperstoidentifyand resolvevulnerabilitiesasquicklyandefficientlyaspossible.
At MoonPay, we aim to implement automated security controls so that they are in practice 24/7.
Attheendoflastyear,welaunchedourlatestproduct, MoonPayBalance,whichenablesuserstoholdcash balancesintheirnon-custodialMoonPayaccount. Integratingsecurityreviewsintoeveryphaseofthe developmentprocesswascritical.
Oursecurityteamdevelopedaninternalmethodologythat automateddefectandvulnerabilitymanagement.This improvedsecurityengineeringengagementandresponse timesandensuredthatsecurityconsiderationsdidn'timpede developers.Ultimately,thistypeofapproachcultivatesa morecollaborativerelationshipbetweenengineeringand security,reinforcingthevalueofsecuritybeingatthecore oftheengineeringlifecycle.
MoonPayoperatesinahighlyregulatedenvironment. Howdoyouensurecompliancewithglobalregulations whilemaintainingagilityandinnovationwithinthe company'ssecuritystrategy?
Thecryptoindustryhasaverychallengingregulatory environment,andtherulesoftheroadconstantlychangeas thisrelativelynewindustrybecomesmoreestablished.
Asafoundation,ourteammusthaveadeepunderstanding ofglobalregulatoryframeworks,suchasGDPR,AML,and CCPA.Weworkcloselywithourcomplianceteamto monitorforanyupdatesorchanges.
Wealsoleverageautomationwherewecan.Automated toolshelpusmonitortransactionsforsuspiciousactivity, ensuredataencryptionstandardsaremet,andgenerate audit-readyreports.
Lastly,weconstantlycollaboratewithcompliance,legal, productandengineeringtoensurewestaycompliantwhile enablinginnovation.
InoverseeingITstrategyandsecuritygovernance,how doyoualignthecompany’sbroaderbusinessobjectives withthetechnicalandsecuritygoals?Couldyousharea specificinstancewherethisalignmentledtoasuccessful outcome?
Maintainingacertifiedinformationsecurityprogramat MoonPay,encompassingPCI,SOC2TypeII,andISO 27001,meansintegratingsecurityasafundamentalelement ofourculture.Asecurity-firstcultureincludesregular training,awarenessprograms,andacommitmentto proactivelyidentifyingandmitigatingpotentialrisks.We alsoinvestinadvancedtechnologiestosafeguardour systems,data,andcustomerassets,includingmulti-factor authentication,intrusiondetectionsystems,andcontinuous real-timemonitoringtorespondtothreats.
In2024,asMoonPayexpandeditsproductsandlicensing globally,theGlobalInfoSecprogramwastaskedwith adaptingtosupportmultipleregulatoryregions,allapplied toacommontechnologyinfrastructure.TheITandsecurity teamsnotonlyaddedadditionalcertificationswithISObut
alsometthechallengeofmaintainingtheglobalprogram withoutcompromisingoursecurityposture.Thiswasa greatexampleofourteam'sabilitytoadaptandenhance securitystandardswhilesupportingrapidbusiness expansion.
GivenyourexperiencewithdeployingSaaS,contact centers,andinfrastructureplatforms,howdoyouassess andmitigatetheuniquesecurityrisksassociatedwith thesetechnologiesinthefintechspace?
I'veworkedwithseveraldifferenttechnologies,andI've realizedsomethingimportant:eventhougheachonehasits ownuses,theyallsharethesamebasicbuildingblocks: thingslikedatastructures,algorithms,howthesystemis puttogether,etc.
ButoutofeverythingI'veseen,contactcenterarchitecture andsecurityarethetoughest.Contactcentersarethecentral hubforcustomerinteractions—phonecalls,emails,chats, socialmedia—sotheyhavetobesuperreliableandableto handlemassiveamountsofactivity Andtheydealwith sensitivecustomerdata.
Inaddition,customers'expectationsandtechnologyare constantlychanging,makingthingsevenmorecomplicated. Contactcentersmustbeflexibletokeepupwithnew communicationchannels,technologies,andcustomers' wants.
Ittakesadeepunderstandingofthetechnicalsideandhow thingsworkintherealworldtoensurecustomershavea goodexperienceandtheirdatastayssafe.AsI’vetold peoplebefore,ifyouwanttoknowabouttechnologyand
“Collaboration is most impactful during the planning cycle, where understanding each team’s roadmaps and key results is crucial.”
security,gointocontactcentertechnologies.It'saproving groundwhereyouneedtomasteralllayers.
Collaborationwithinternalteamslikeproduct, engineering,legal,andregulatorygroupsiscriticalin yourrole.Howdoyouensurethesecross-functional teamsworkeffectivelytoachieveyourITandsecurity goals?
Cross-functionalcollaborationisattheheartofsuccessful organizations.AtMoonPay,wecultivatethiscollaboration throughsharedOKRs(objectivesandkeyresults)andby trackingtheOKRsofotherteams.
Collaborationismostimpactfulduringtheplanningcycle, whereunderstandingeachteam’sroadmapsandkeyresults iscrucial.Byaligninggoalsandprioritiesacrossteams,we ensureeveryonehastherightobjectives,clearvisibilityinto others’goals,andopportunitiestoprovideconstructive feedback.
Ultimately,effectivecollaborationisaboutbalancing priorities.Ifanotherteamhasitemstheywanttoincludeon myroadmap,it’sessentialtoworktogethertodetermine whatneedstobeprioritized.Seniorleadersplayacrucial roleinthisprocessbyensuringthattheorganizationis alignedonthemostcriticalobjectivesandthatresources areallocatedeffectively
CanyoudescribeamajorITorsecurityinitiativeyou ledatMoonPay?Whatwerethekeychallenges,and howdidyouensureitssuccessfulimplementationand integrationacrossplatforms?
Overthepastthreeyears,MoonPayhasundertakena comprehensiveinitiativetooverhaulandfortifyitsITand securityinfrastructure.Achievingthisrequiredacomplete dismantlingandreconstructionoftheentireinfrastructure, encompassingeverythingfromendpointsandsecurity protocolstoauthenticationmechanismsandcloud platforms.Theoverarchingstrategyandmethodologyalso necessitatedathoroughreevaluationandredesign.
Thetangibleoutcomesofthisextensiveundertakingare reflectedinthenumerouscertificationsthatMoonPayhas successfullyattained,includingISO27001,ISO27018, SOC2Type2,andPCI.Thesecertificationsunderscoreour commitmenttoupholdingthehighestinformationsecurity anddataprivacystandards.
Ourcommitmenttosecuritystrengthenstheorganization's internaloperationsandpositionsMoonPayasaleaderin theindustry.Asthecryptoindustrycontinuestoevolve,our dedicationtomaintainingasecureandreliable infrastructurewillbeacornerstoneofoursuccessinthe yearstocome.
Withtheincreasingfocusonresilienceincybersecurity, whatkeystrategiesdoyouimplementtoensurethat MoonPay’sinfrastructureremainsresilientand operationalevenduringhigh-stakesincidentsor attacks?
Therearetwotypesofsecuritycontrols:automatedand manual.Relyingonmanualeffortstosecurenetworks doesn’tscale. AtMoonPay,weaimtoimplement automatedsecuritycontrolssothattheyareinpractice24/7. Automationistheonlyscalablesolutionforsecurityina company,whichiswhyit’sanintegralpartofoursecurity stack.Forinstance,bybuildinganddeployingsecure applicationframeworks,wecanpreventincidentsbefore theyoccur-removingvulnerabilitiesattheroot.
Whilepreventionistheidealfocus,withrobustframeworks andautomatedcontrols,wecanalsominimizethetime spentinresponseandrecovery.Byensuringdevelopersuse secureapplicationframeworks,wecreateasystemwhere specificsecurityissuesareeliminated,providinglong-term confidenceinourdefenses.
Asaleaderwithadeeptechnicalbackground,howdo younurtureacultureofcybersecurityawarenessand continuousimprovementwithinyourteamandacross theorganization?
SecurityandIToftenoperateas"blackboxes,"wherethe innerworkingsremainhidden.Tocultivatecybersecurity awarenessandacultureofcontinuousimprovement,it's essentialtoestablishatransparentframeworkwherethe rationalebehindsecuritymeasuresisopenlyshared.
Bydemonstratingthereasoningbehindpolicies,eventhe morestringentones,employeesgainadeeper understandingoftheirnecessityandaremorelikelyto embracethem.Ofcourse,certainaspectsofsecuritycannot alwaysbefullydisclosed.However,establishingatrustand opencommunicationbaselinemakesthesedecisionsmore likelytobeunderstoodandaccepted.
Lookingahead,whattrendsintheintersectionof fintech,crypto,andcybersecurityareyoumostexcited about,andhowisMoonPaypreparingforthese developmentsinITandsecurityinfrastructure?
I'mparticularlyexcitedabouttheconvergenceof decentralizedfinanceandtraditionalfinancialsystems. Ourlatestproduct,MoonPayBalance,willcompletely transformthedecentralizedfieldbymakingitmore approachabletonewusers—morelikethe “TradFi” experience.
Asdecentralizedprotocolsmatureandbecomemore interoperable,we'llalsoseeincreasedinstitutionaladoption andtheemergenceofhybridfinancialproductsthatblend thebestofbothworlds.Thiswillrequirerobustsecurity measurestoprotectagainsthacksandexploitsand regulatorycompliancetoensureconsumerprotectionand financialstability.IamproudthatMoonPayisactively investinginadvancedsecurityinfrastructureand complianceframeworkstosupportthesefutureinnovations.
MoonPayhadanincredibleyear.WepartneredwithVenmo andPayPal,openedournewLondonoffice,andbroke recordsfornearlyeveryfinancialmetric.What’simportant isthatwecanmaintainthisgrowthlevelwhileprotecting ourcustomersandpartners.That'sfundamentallywhatmy teamandIdoonaday-to-daybasis.
A Practical Guide to Best Practices and Essential Strategies for Organizations
Everycompanythatstrivestoprotectitsresourcesand
safeguardcustomersecuritywhilepreservingoperational stabilitymustfocusoncybersecurityriskmanagement. Networksandtheiruserstogetherwithdatafacecybersecurity threatsthatorganizationsmanagethroughidentificationthen analysisandevaluationandremediationsteps.
Thisarticleprovidesoperationalinformationregardingeffective cybersecurityriskmanagementmethodsandnecessaryimplementationsforsuccessfulexecution.
UnderstandingtheCybersecurityWorld
Goodcybersecurityriskmanagementstartsfromtheexisting securityenvironment.Organisationsmustbeintouchwithnew trendsamongcybersecuritythreatsaswellascybersecurity technologies.Emergingphishingattacks,ransomwareattacks, vulnerabilitiesamongIoTdevices,andthird-partyvendorthreats areafewprominentthreats.Copingwithsuchnewthreatshelps organisationspreparethemselvestocountersuchthreatsmore efficaciously.
BestPracticesandEssentialStrategies
1.RiskAssessmentFramework
Itisimperativetoestablishasoundriskassessmentframework. Theframeworkneedstoarticulatethescopeandpurposesofthe riskassessmentaswellasdefinestandardsforassessingrisks. Organizationsareabletoleverageprovenmodelsinconducting theirassessments,therebyaddressingallthethreatsandvulnerabilities.
2.AssetIdentificationandClassification
Itisimportanttoidentifyandcategorizeallassetsthatmaybe affectedbycyberattacks.Thesearehardware,software,data, systems,andhumanresources.Categorizingassetsaccordingto theirvaluetotheorganizationhelpsbusinesseseffectively prioritizeprotection.
3.VulnerabilityManagement
Aproactivestrategyforvulnerabilitymanagementincludes frequentscanningofnetworksforvulnerabilitiesand issuingtimelypatchesandupdatestosystems.Vulnerability assessmentsenableorganizationstodetectpotentialpoints ofentryforattackersandremediatethembeforetheyare exploited.
4.ZeroTrustArchitecture(ZTA)
HavingaZeroTrustArchitectureisapowerfulwayof reducingtheattacksurface.Theapproachfollowsthe policyof"nevertrust,alwaysverify"tomakesureall requestsforaccessareverifiedandauthenticated.Enforcing granularaccesscontrolsthroughuserbehaviorand contextualfactorsincreasessecuritypracticesevenfurther.
5.RiskScoring
Assigningriskscorestovariousactivitiesbasedon establishedbehaviorbaselineshelpsorganizationsidentify suspiciousbehaviorquickly.Byutilizingautomationto adjustpermissionsorterminatesessionswhenanomalies aredetected,organizationscanmitigaterisksinreal-time.
6.IncidentResponsePlan
Havingacompleteincidentresponseplanisvitalfor managingcybersecurityincidentseffectively Thisplan mustdefineactionstotakeimmediatelyduringanincident, havecommunicationprotocols,setrecoverysteps,and includelessonslearnedfrompastincidents.Continuous testingandmaintenanceoftheplanmakeiteffective.
7.
CybersecurityAwarenessandTraining
Creatingacultureofcybersecurityawarenessamongthe workforceiscritical.Department-specifictrainingprograms canimproveawarenessofpotentialvulnerabilities. Interactivetrainingtoolssuchassimulationsandquizzes promoteongoinglearningandalertness.
8.RiskManagementPlan
Adocumentedriskmanagementplandescribesthemethods anorganizationwillimplementtocounteractrecognized risks.Theplanmustdesignaterolesandresponsibilities, developpoliciesandprocedures,andhavecontingency plansforthoseincidentsthatcannotbeavoided.
9.CybersecurityControls
Deploymentofstrongcybersecurityisessentialforsecuring organizationalassets.Thisinvolvesthemaintenanceof assetinventories,minimizingattacksurfacesthrough configurationmanagement,constantmonitoringforthreats, endpointprotectionsystems,securitypatchmanagement, andthreatdetectionsystems.
10.AdvancedTechnologies
Modernorganizationaldefensecapabilitiesagainstcomplex cyberthreatscangetenhancedthroughtheadoptionof artificialintelligencesystems.Ngàyfoldssignificantdata quantitiesatextremelyhighspeedsthusenablingprompt cyberattackdetectionalongsideappropriateresponses.
TheCybersecurityRiskManagementProcess
1.Yourfirststepbeginswithassetinventorydevelopment followedbyfindingallcyberattackentrypoints.
2.Organizationsshouldevaluateboththevulnerability exposuretothreatsandforecastpotentialdamageto operationalfunctions.
3.Organizationsshouldevaluatetheirdiscoveredrisks throughseverityanalysistodetermineappropriatecountermeasures.
4.Runningassessmentsofriskresponseeffectivenessand securitycontrolsrepresentongoingmonitoringresponsibilitiesinpresentorganizations.
BuildingaRisk-AwareCulture
Anorganizationachievesbettercybersecuritysecurity whenemployeesreceivecomprehensiveeducationabout potentialrisksbecausethisdevelopstheirsecurityapproach towardsprotectingthecompanyassets.Threat-related briefingsheldatregularintervalsenableemployeestostay updatedwhilereceivingauthoritytoimplementtheir acquiredknowledge.
Organizationscanproperlydefendtheirdigitalassets againstcyberattackswhileestablishingsecurity-minded staffthroughtheimplementationofbestcybersecurityrisk managementpractices.Bytakingproactivemeasures companiescanprotectsensitiveinformationeffectivelyin additiontosecuringtheirbusinesssuccesswithinan expandingconnectedworld.
Ashish Vohra CatalyzingChangeinCybersecurityThroughInnovation
Thecybersecurityindustryisatthecoreof
protectingthedigitalfield,respondingtoanevergrowingrelianceoninterconnectedsystemsand data-driventechnologies.Ithasbecomeessentialfor protectingsensitiveinformationandenablingtrustindigital transactionsacrossindustries.Ascyberthreatsgrowmore sophisticated,theindustryisshiftingtowardsproactive approaches,integratingartificialintelligence,machine learning,andZeroTrustarchitecturestopredict,prevent, andmitigaterisks.Additionally,theemergenceofhybrid cloudinfrastructuresandtheexpandingInternetofThings (IoT)ecosystemhaveredefinedthescopeofcybersecurity, demandinginnovativeandadaptablestrategiestosecurethe expandingdigitalfrontiers.
AshishVohra,ExecutiveDirector,HeadofInformation andCyberSecurityatSCVenturescharacterizesthe transformativeleadershipshapingthefutureofthisdomain. Apragmaticandforward-thinkingprofessional,Ashish balancestechnicalexpertisewithstrategicvision.His leadingapproachcultivatescollaboration,empowering teamstoalignsecurityinitiativeswithbroaderbusiness objectives.Knownforhismeticulousapproach,heensures thatsecurityframeworksareproactive,effectively addressingemergingthreatswhilesupportinginnovation, andalsoincludethereactiveaspecttobeabletorespondto andmitigatesecurityincidentsastheyoccur.Ashish’s abilitytoarticulateintricatesecurityconceptsinabusinesscentriclanguagedemonstrateshiscommitmenttodriving impactfulandmeaningfulchangewithintheindustry.
SCVentures,theinnovationandfintechinvestmentarmof StandardCharteredBank,catalyzesrevolutionaryideasin financialtechnology.Itsmissionistonurtureinnovationby investingindisruptivetechnologiesandexploring alternativebusinessmodels.Withsecuritydeeply embeddedintoitsprocesses,SCVenturesoffersaplatform thatintegratesresilienceandscalabilityseamlessly.By employingarisk-alignedsecurityframeworkandusing advancedmethodologieslikethreatmodelling,the
organizationensuresitsventuresareequippedtothrive whilemaintainingthetrustandsafetyofstakeholders.This commitmentpositionsSCVenturesasaleaderinredefining secureinnovationinfintech.
Let’s explore Ashish’s transformative leadership for driving cybersecurity innovation:
LearningandGrowingwithCybersecurity Advancements
Ashish’scybersecurityjourneybeganin2002whenthe fieldwasstillnascent.Hewasfortunatetolearnfrom pioneers,buildingasolidfoundationinriskmanagement, networksecurity,andsecurecoding.Thedial-upandfloppy diskeraseemsquaintnow,butitprovidedavaluable baseline.Hewasintherightplaceattherighttime.The cybersecurityfieldhasshifteddramaticallysincethen.
TheriseofcompliancestandardslikePCI-DSSandHIPAA intheearly2000swasacruciallearningcurve.Thencame thecloudrevolution,offeringachancetodesignand implementsecurecloudarchitecturesfromthegroundup andgainhands-onexperiencewithplatformslikeAWS.
EventsliketheSnowdenleaks,majorbreachesatSonyand Target,andthedevastatingWannaCryandNotPetya ransomwareattacksalsomarkedthisera.Theseincidents underscoredthegrowingimportanceofrobustsecurityand ledtostricterregulationslikeGDPR,shiftingthe informationsecuritylandscapefurther
Morerecently,theCOVID-19pandemicacceleratedremote work,highlightingtheneedforadaptablesecuritysolutions. TheemergenceofIoT,ZeroTrustarchitectures,andthe increasinguseofAIandmachinelearningincybersecurity presentednewchallengesandopportunities.Eachmilestone hascatalyzedgrowth,drivingAshishtolearnthrough hands-onprojects,professionalcertifications,continuous education,andactiveparticipationinthesecurity community
Ashish Vohra Execu ve Director, Head of Informa on and Cyber Security at SC Ventures Standard Chartered Bank
A pragmatic and forward-thinking professional, Ashish balances technical expertise with strategic vision.
TheseeventshaveshapedAshishintothesecurity professionalheistoday.Hiscareerhasbeenacontinuous learningprocessinvolvinghands-onexperience, certifications,formaleducation,andnetworking.Hehas witnessedfirsthandtheevolutionofcybersecurityfromits nascentstagestotheintricatefielditistoday
InnovatingSecurelyinFintech
SCVenturesprovidesaplatformandcatalystforStandard Charteredtopromoteinnovation,investindisruptive financialtechnologies,andexplorealternativebusiness models.Intoday’sfast-pacedinnovationfield,securityisno longerjustaboutprotection—it’saboutenablinggrowth.
AstheHeadofInformationandCyberSecurityatSC Ventures,Ashishensuresthatventuresarebuiltona foundationofresilience,empoweringthemtoinnovate securelyandscaleconfidently.Inhisworkwithstartupsand high-growthventuresthatrequireagilityandspeedto succeed,hiscorefocusistodesignandimplementa pragmatic,risk-alignedsecurityframeworkthatallows theseventurestothrivewithoutbeingweigheddownby unnecessary securitycompliancerequirements.
Bydefiningclearpolicies,metrics,andapragmatic informationsecurityriskappetite,heensuresthatventures canstriketherightbalancebetweeninnovationand protection.SCVenturesusesahybridqualitativeand quantitativeriskassessmentmethodology,incorporating threatmodellingandbusinessimpactanalysis.
Acorepartofhisroleisriskoversight.Fromincubationto commercialization,hecollaboratescloselywithventure teamstoguidethemthroughtheirjourney,ensuringtheygo livesecurelyandoperatesafely.Securityistightly integratedintotheirprocesses,enablingthemtomeet stakeholderexpectationswhilebuildingtrust.
Crucially,heisconstantlyseekingefficiencies.Hisgoal isn’tjustsecurity;it’sefficientsecurity.Heoptimizes processesandcosts,ensuringSCVenturescanlaunch securelyandthrivewithoutunnecessaryoverhead.
CelebratingSuccessandEncouragingGrowth
Effectiveleadershipdemandsmorethanaone-size-fits-all approachintoday'sbusinessenvironment.Ashish’s leadershipphilosophyblendssituationaland transformationalleadershiptoaddresstheintricaciesof modernorganizations.
Headjustshisstyletomatchtheteam’smaturityandthe task’sdemands,employingdirecting,coaching,supporting, ordelegatingasneeded.Bysettingaclearvision,he motivateshisteam,encouragingthemtoexceedtheir expectationsthroughintellectualstimulationandpersonal consideration.
Creatinganenvironmentwhereteammembersfeelvalued promotesownership.Ashishensuresthatmistakesarenot penalizedbutviewedaslearningopportunities,promotinga fearlesscultureofinnovation.Victories,bigorsmall,are celebratedtoboostmorale,andopenlinesof communicationaremaintained,ensuringeveryonefeels heardandintegraltocollectivesuccess.
Lastly,headvocatesforcontinuouspersonaldevelopment, stayingabreastofleadershiptrends,anddevelopingatwowayfeedbackculture.Thisapproachleadstothegrowthof theorganizationandeachteammember'spersonalgrowth.
TranslatingSecurityintoBusinessImpact
Securityisoftenconsideredaconstraintbutcanbea powerfulcatalystforbusinesssuccess.
Earlyinhiscareer,Ashishlearnedthatsecurityleadersmust “speak the language of business,” translatingtechnical concernsintobusinessimpactandopportunities.Integrating securityintoacompany’sDNA,notjustasanafterthought, iskeytothrivingintoday’sdigitalage.Thismeansaligning securitystrategieswithbusinessgoals,creatingaculture wheresecurityiseveryone’sresponsibility,andbuilding strongstakeholderrelationships.
Thegoalisn’tjustprotection—it’s weaving security into the company’s fabric to create resilient, innovative organizations Whenproperlyaligned,securitybecomes morethanadefensivemeasure;itemergesasastrategic asset,drivingbusinesssuccess.
ProactiveStrategiesforWork-LifeBalance
Ashishbelievesmaintainingawork-lifebalanceintoday’s threatenvironmentisnoeasytask,anddemandsproactive strategies.Theconstantneedtostayupdatedonnew technologies,breaches,andadversarialtacticscanfeel overwhelming.However,settingclearboundariesand prioritizingself-carehasbeencrucialinhelpingAshish remaingroundedandpractical.
Hemakesitapointtoreservetimeforpersonalactivities thatpromotephysicalandmentalwell-being.Taking regularbreaksandpursuinghobbiesoutsideofworkallows himtorecharge.Oneofhismostvaluablelessonsisthe powerofsaying“no.”Bybeingmindfulofhisworkload andpriorities,heavoidsovercommitmentandstaysfocused onhigh-impacttasks.
Automationanddelegationareessentialtoolsheusesto streamlinerepetitivetasks,freeingtimeforstrategic initiatives.EveryFridayevening,hededicatesanhourto reviewingtheweekandplanning.Thissimplehabitkeeps himorganizedandensureshecanfullydisconnectand enjoyqualitytimewithfamilyovertheweekend.
StayingUpdatedonThreatIntelligence
Stayingaheadininformationsecurityrequiresamultifacetedapproach.Ashishprioritizescontinuouslearning, activecommunityengagement,andhands-onpractice.He regularlypursuescertificationsandfollowsindustryreports fromMandiant,CrowdStrike,andSANS.Subscribingto threatintelligencefeeds(AlienVaultOTX,CiscoTalos) keepshimupdatedonvulnerabilities.Heengagesinforums likeRedditandattendssecurityconferences.Collaboration withpeers,researchers,andauthoritiesfacilitates informationsharingandjointthreatmitigation.
Inaddition,heisafirmbelieverinthepracticalapplication ofknowledge.Hemaintainsvirtuallabsfortestingtools andemergingtechnologiestofacilitatethat.
Bycombiningeducation,collaboration,andreal-world practice,hestayspreparedtoaddressevolving cybersecuritychallenges.
EffectiveCommunicationforSecurityProfessionals
Aspiringinformationsecurityprofessionalsmustbecome business-savvytoalignsecuritywithbusinessobjectives, i.e.,developstrongbusinessacumen.Theyshoulddeeply understandtheorganization’soperations,industry,and financialdrivers.Securityinitiativesshouldbeframedas riskmanagement,quantifyingpotentialimpactsinbusiness terms(e.g.,revenueloss,reputationdamage).
Effectivecommunicationiscrucialintranslatingtechnical jargonintoclear,business-relevantlanguage.Building relationshipsacrossdepartmentsisessential,becominga collaborativepartnerratherthanaroadblock.Keyfocuses areprioritizingsecurity enablement,streamliningprocesses,
andusingautomationtosupportbusinessgrowth.Reducing thebusinessimpactisparamount.
Continuouslearning,stayingupdatedonindustrytrendsand regulations,andobtainingrelevantcertifications(CISSP, CISM,etc.)areessentialforlong-termsuccess.Insteadof saying, “We need MFA,” say, “MFA reduces account compromise risk by 90%, protecting customer data and preventing financial loss.” Insteadofsaying, “This vulnerability has a high CVSS score,” say, “This vulnerability could cost X in lost revenue per hour.” This approachhelpsarticulatetheimpactofsecurityonthe businesswithoutconfusingthebusinessaudience.
Combiningtechnicalexpertisewithbusinessunderstanding andstrongcommunicationskills,securityprofessionalscan ensuretheirinitiativesdirectlycontributetothe organization’soverallsuccess,movingfromreactiveto proactivesecuritystrategies.
VisionforaSecureandInnovativeEnvironment
Ashish’svisionforSCVentures’informationsecurity centresoncreatingasecure,innovative,andresilient environment.Keyaspectsincludeenhancingtheexisting securityframeworkforrobustnessandagilitytosupport rapidgrowthandscalabilityastheportfoliogrows; embeddingsecuritybydesignintoallventures,products, andservices;utilizingthreatmodellingtoidentifyand mitigatesecuritythreatsthroughoutthedevelopment lifecycleproactively;andevolvingintoastrategicpartner andtrustedadvisor.
ThistransformationwillenableSCVenturestointegrate securityfromthegroundup,enablingthefulfilmentof businessgoalswhileprotectingassetsandstakeholders.It willalsoempowertheventurestocreatevaluewithout compromisingonsecurity,ultimatelybuildingasecurity consciousandinnovativeculture.
CAN DEFENSIVE AI STOP AI-POWERED ATTACKS?
AsAIadvances,itsincorporationintobothoffensiveand
defensivecybersecuritymeasuresbecomesmoreandmore important.CybercriminalsareusingAItomaketheirattacks moresophisticatedandeffective,necessitatinganurgentneedfor organizationstoimplementAI-baseddefensivesystems.
This article discusses how defensive AI can neutralize AI-driven attacks, outlining the challenges that such threats pose and the strategies that can be used to counter them.
TheEmergenceofAI-DrivenCyberAttacks
AIhastransformedthecybercrimescenariobystreamliningprocesses andenhancingtheaccuracyofattacks.Theattackersusemachine learningalgorithmstoscanlargedatasets,whichenablesthemtofind vulnerabilitiesandadapttheirmethodsefficiently.Forexample,AIcan producemalwareatrecordratesandcreatehighlyrealisticphishing messagesbystudyingpatternsofcommunication.Thisabilitynotonly raisesthenumberofattacksbutalsotheirstealth,anditbecomeshardfor conventionalsecuritysystemstoidentifythembeforetheycause extensivedamage.
MajorFeaturesofAI-PoweredAttacks
GreaterAutomation:AIenablesattackerstoautomatemanypartsof cyberattacks,resultinginquickerexecutionandagreaternumberof attacks.
BetterTargeting:Throughdataanalysis,attackerscantailortheir methodstoparticularindividualsorentities,raisingthechancesof success.
IncreasedStealth:SophisticatedmalwarecreatedwithAI canbypasstraditionalsecuritysystems,makingitharderto defendagainst.
DefensiveAI:ACountermeasure
TocountertheincreasingthreatofAI-drivenattacks, enterprisesincreasinglyrelyondefensiveAIsolutions. Thesetechnologiesutilizemachinelearninganddata analyticstoenhancethedetectionofthreats,response times,aswellasoverallsecuritystance.
CoreFunctionsofDefensiveAI
• AutomatedDetectionandResponse:DefensiveAI systemsconstantlyscannetworkactivity,creating behavioralbaselinesfornormalbehavior.When anomaliesaredetected—likesuspiciousdatatransfers orunauthorizedaccessattempts—thesesystemscan automaticallyrespondwithactionssuchasisolating infectedendpointsorblockingsuspicioustraffic.
• PredictiveAnalytics:Throughexaminationofpast dataandpresenttrends,AIcanforecastpossibleattack vectorspriortothembeingused.Thisanticipatory capabilityallowsorganizationstofortifytheirdefenses inpreparationforimpendingattacks.
• BehavioralAnalytics:DefensiveAIusesbehavioral analyticstodetermineanomaliesthatcouldrepresenta breach.Withknowledgeaboutwhatisregularbehavior inanetwork,suchsystemscanidentifyabnormalities thathumananalystsmightmiss.
• VulnerabilityManagement:Artificialintelligencebasedsolutionscanscanforvulnerabilitiesinthe network,prioritizetherisksintermsofexploitability andbusinessrisk,andsuggestremediationactions. Thisfeaturehelpssecurityteamsaddressthemost importantproblemsfirst.
FrameworksforEffectiveDefense
Organizationsneedtousesystematicframeworkstolead theircybersecurityapproachesinordertoeffectivelydeal withAI-poweredthreats.TheNISTCybersecurity Framework(CSF)andISO27001aretwowell-known frameworks.
NISTCybersecurityFramework(CSF)
TheNISTCSFoffersanintegratedmethodfor organizationstodealwithcybersecuritythreats:
• Identify:Organizationsneedtorecognizekeyassets andpotentialweaknesses.
• Protect:Havegoodaccesscontrolsanddata encryptioninplace.
• Detect:UseAI-basedtoolstodetectanomaliesthat signalattacks.
• Respond:Createincidentresponseplanstolimitand recoverfrombreaches.
• Recover:Periodicallyupdatesystemstoclosethe vulnerabilitiesusedbyattackers.
LeveragingAIAgainstItself
Oneofthemostpromisingapproachestodefensive cybersecurityisemployingAIagainsttheverymethods usedbyattackers.Byutilizingadversarialmachinelearning methods,defenderscanmodelattackscenarios,better comprehendpotentialvulnerabilities,andstrengthentheir defensesinresponse.Thismethodnotonlyassistsinthe detectionofweaknessesbutalsointhecreationof countermeasuresspecifictoparticularattackvectors.
ChallengesAhead
InspiteofthepromiseofdefensiveAI,thereareanumber ofchallengesthatremain:
• ComplexityofIntegration:Theintegrationof sophisticatedAIsolutionswithexistingsecurity infrastructuresmayberesource-intensiveandcomplex.
• EvolvingThreatLandscape:Withtheconstant innovationbycybercriminals,defensivesystemsneed todevelopquicklytokeepupwithnewstrategies.
• DataPrivacyConcerns:AItypicallyrequires processingsignificantamountsofdata,whichraises issuesregardingprivacyandregulatorycompliance.
Conclusion
ThefightbetweenhackersusingsophisticatedAImethods andrespondersutilizingthesametechnologycontinues. ThoughthedangerspresentedbyAI-basedattacksare serious,therearestrongdefensesavailabletoorganizations intheformofdefensiveAIpractices.Utilizingend-to-end frameworkssuchasNISTCSFandISO27001,predicting usinganalytics,andturningAIagainstitselfcanhelp organizationsbebetterpreparedtowithstandemerging threatsfromcyberattackers.Astechnologycontinuesto advance,stayingaheadinthisarmsracewillrequire continuousadaptationandinnovationincybersecurity practices.
"Privacy is not an option, and it shouldn’t be the price we accept for just getting on the internet.”
