Cyberriskscanoriginateatanylevelofyourcompany Simplesocialengineeringschemeslikephishingmustbe taughttoyouremployees,aswellasmoreadvancedcyber securitythreatslikeransomware(thinkWannaCry)and othersoftwareaimedtostealintellectualpropertyor personaldata.
BecauseofGDPRandotherrules,businessesofallsizes cannolongeraffordtoneglectcybersecurity.Security eventsstrikeorganisationsofallkindsonadailybasis,and theyfrequentlyhitthefrontpageofthenewspaper, causinglastingreputationalharmtotheenterprises concerned.
Tohelpourreadersofunderstandingtheimportanceof cybersecurity,World'sLeadersinitslatestedition “World's10MostInfluentialBusinessLeadersin CyberSecurity,”bringingleadeingcyberleadersfrom aroundtheworldandclarifyingthedifferentelementsof cybercrimebusinessleadersmaynotbeawareof.
TheCoverfeatures,ShannonWilkinson,CEOand FounderofTegoCyber,wholovesusingtechnologyto findnewwaystosolveoldissuesandenhance effectiveness,growth,andnewpossibilities.Thecompany isdeliveringanintelligent,state-of-the-artthreat intelligenceplatform,combiningproprietary,automated softwaresolutionsthatassistcompaniesindeployingthe rightresponsetoadetectedthreatbeforeitcompromises theenterprise.
TheotherlistingshaveNitaWhite-Ivy;ChiefHuman ResourcesOfficeratBlackBerry,MohammedMubin Mallick;CEO&FounderofKiranSmart,JennyJohanson; SeniorAdvisoratRSMAustraliaPtyLtd,Bhavani Thuraisingham;ExecutiveDirectorofTheUniversityof TexasatDallas'CyberSecurityResearchandEducation Institute,ShamaneTan;ChiefGrowthOfficeratPrivasec, GarethHawkins;DirectorRiskAdvisoryatDotcom SecuritySolutions(Pty)Ltd,andMeghaR.Ahuja; ProgramHead-DepartmentofCyberAffairsatWorld CyberSecurityForum(WCSF).
Inthisspecialedition,letuspresentsimilar,storiesand interviewsofsuchdedicatedleaders inordertoraise awarenessabouttheircontributionstomakingtheworlda betterplace.Also,don'tforgettoreadthearticleswritten byourin-houseeditorialstaffandindustryexpertsasyou flipthroughthepages.
HappyReading!
World's Leaders Magazine is a Media Company that covers stories of business leaders around the globe. Consistent updates to our online publication, internet based life and master sentiment give a substance rich pursuing knowledge loaded up with fascinating perspectives and remark on the issues of the worldwide business. World's Leaders Magazine inspires readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business. Everyone wants to know the journey of a successful personality or a venture. They want to know more about the establishment, about the path that led them to the pinnacle, about the obstacles overcome, and the all hard work about the Success. World's Leaders Magazine is the platform, where we are unwinding the untold stories of business leaders and the stories of startup turning into the venture. World's Leaders Magazine is a trustworthy and honesty acquiringacknowledgmentfrombusinesspioneersuniversally.
EDITOR IN CHIEF STEVE SANCHEZ ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR JACK ANDERSON SALES MANAGER MEGAN MORGAN, KATE ANDERSON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER GRACE NELSON, ANNA CARTERFOR EDITORIAL ENQUIRES | info@worldsleaders.com
Inthishigh-techworld, organizationsrelyontechnology forcompetitiveadvantagesand productivity.Globalcyberthreats havebeenexpandingwith increaseddigitalization,andin ordertosafeguardallcompanies andtheirpeople,cybersecurity mustbeconsideredasastrategic businessrequirement.Today's moderncorporationhasa responsibilitytosecureitsdata, servers,software,anddigital credentialstoprevent compromiseandbusiness disruption.Cyber-attackshave increasedinfrequencybutalso complexityinrecentyears.Itis estimatedthatransomwareattacks occurevery11seconds.TheFBI foundthatbusiness-email compromiseorphishingscams resultedinlossesof$1.8billion in2020.Databreachesare runningrampantandaccordingto researchbyRiskBasedSecurity, breachesexposed18.8billion recordsinthefirstsixmonthsof 2021.Itisessentialthat organizationstreatcybersecurity seriouslyandtakemeasuresto securecriticalbusinessassets.
MeetShannonWilkinson,CEO andCo-founderofTegoCyber Inc.,wholovesemploying technologytofindwaystosolve issuesandenhancesecurity, effectiveness,andnew possibilities.Thecompanyis deliveringanintelligent,state-ofthe-artthreatintelligenceplatform thatassistcompaniesindetecting threatsandallowingsecurity operationsteamstohave increasedspeedtodecisionwhen incidentsoccur.
ShannonWilkinsonbeganher careerworkingfortheUnited Nationsasasoftwaredeveloper Whilesheenjoyedsoftware development,shewantedtodo morethansimplycode,soshe beganleadingdevelopmentteams andeventuallymovedupto architectureanddesign.Her husband,TroyWilkinson,andshe co-foundedAxiomCyber Solutionsin2015afterseeinga needforcybersecurityservices andsolutionsforsmalland mediumenterprises.Inmid-2019, theysoldtoprivateequity,butshe haddevelopedatruelovefor entrepreneurship,cybersecurity, andusingherdevelopment expertisetosolvechallenging issues.InSeptember2019,Troy andShannonco-foundedTego CyberInc.withthebeliefthat theircombinedskillsandvision couldsolvegapsincyberthreat
intelligenceandsecurity operations.
TheTeamandtheCompany
Severalyearsago,Troywasgiven acopyof "The Collaborative Way," whichhesharedwith Shannon.Shesays, "The ideals of collaboration, honest communication, honouring commitments, and acknowledging and appreciating those within the organization are all things that I have carried with me throughout my career."
ThenumberofstaffatTego CyberInc.israpidlyexpanding. TherearetimeswhenShannon wishesshehadmoretimeinthe daytospendwithhercolleagues. Shebelievesinthecompany's employees'talentsandcapacities tomovetheproductand organisationforward.Shannon asserts, "We have all been working remotely since the formation of the company. We had plans for a corporate get-together in early 2020, but due to the pandemic, that never happened. " Shegoesontosaythatseveralof theteammembershaveonlyever spokenwitheachotherviavideo conferencesandhavenevermet inperson.Shedreamsofhavinga corporateretreatwhereshecould gathertheentirecompanyonone siteforalongweekend.Butfor thetimebeing,sheis concentratingonthecommercial launchofthecompany'sfirst
integrationofitsthreat intelligenceplatform,whichis expectedtotakeplaceinlate 2021.
EnhancedCyber-threat IntelligenceServicesand Solutions
TegoCyberInc.isacyber-threat intelligenceSaaS(software-as-aservice)firm.Thecompany'score productisathreatintelligence platformthatinteractswith leadingSIEM(system informationeventmonitoring) platformstoallowsecurity operationsteamstoswiftly identifyandrespondtothreats withintheirnetworks.The company'ssolutionempowers
securityteamsbyprovidingthem withreliable,timelyinformation thatisintegratedintothetools theyalreadyuse,allowingthem tomakefasterdecisions.
TheTegoThreatIntelligence Platformcuratesthreatdata, aggregates,analyses,andthen providesthatdatatoan organizationinatimely, informative,andrelevantwayvia itsintegrations.Thethreatdata providesadditionalcontext, includingprecisedetailsneeded toidentifyandmitigateattacks, allowingsecurityprofessionalsto spendlesstimelookingfor fragmenteddata.Throughits integrated,aggregatedreal-time threatfeed,thecompany's
platformgivescontexttothreats inthecustomer'senvironmentand allowsbetterspeedtodecision capabilitiestosecurityoperations teams.Real-timeupdates,aswell ascontext,arecriticalintoday's environmentbecausethreat vectorsarealwayschanging.
Shannonasserts, "Through our integration into the client's SIEM platform, Tego Cyber Inc. lives where the client's data lives and we are able to quickly show the client's security team when we detect a threat in their environment."
AGreatRiskforAchieving Dreams
To deliver high‐quality, innovative cybersecurity solutions and services that reduce risk, prevent cyber-attacks, and protect intellectual property and data.
At Tego Cyber Inc, our core company values are: Innovation Integrity Trust Accountability Commitment to Customers
Bring continued innovation in cybersecurity solutions.
ThegreatestriskthatShannon tookwassteppingoutofthe comfortofbeingacorporate employeetobecomingan entrepreneur.Atthetime,sheand Troyhadthreeveryyoung children,buttheywereconfident intheirabilitytoexecutetheir visionandsucceed.Shesays, "Looking back today, while there were difficult times, I am very glad to have taken the leap to become an entrepreneur."
Today,thatoncedreamhas changedintoasuccessstory. Shannonopines,"Wearerapidly growingthroughourcommercial productlaunch,butatthistime, weareabletokeepupwithour corporateresponsibilities."Tego CyberInc.isveryinvolvedin supportingwomeninSTEMas wellasencouragingyoungadults tolookintocareersinSTEM.The companyhasactivelybeen supportingtheinitiativesofthe NevadaaffiliateofNCWIT (NationalCenterforWomenin Technology)aswellas contributingtothecybersecurity community.
TegoCyberInc.isposedfor exponentialgrowthoverthenext fewyears.Theorganizationhasa veryaggressivetimelinefor productdevelopmentthatseesthe companyintegratingover10 differentSIEMplatformsinjust twoyears.Inordertodothat,the
companyislookingtoquickly scaleitssoftwaredevelopment teamsaswellasknowledgeable salesandcustomersuccessstaff whowillcarryitsvaluesof providingoutstandingsupportto clients.
Asapublicly-tradedcompany, TegoCyberInc.alsoenvisions upliftingfromtheOTCQB markettotheNYSEinthenext year.Shannonwouldliketotake theopportunitytopersonally thankallherfriendsandfamily whoparticipatedinherpublic offeringandeveryonethathas joinedthejourneytogetTego CyberInc.towhereitistoday "We appreciate all of you and your continued support of our vision," saysShannon.
Shannonisastrongadvocatefor morewomenpursuingSTEM degreesandprofessions.Inher book"Ripping-Off the Hoodie: Encouraging the Next Generation of STEM Girls," shelookedat howweasasocietystartguiding younggirlsawayfromSTEMata youngage,aswellasthevarious reasonswhywomencontinueto beanoverwhelmingminorityin manySTEMareas.Accordingto her,theworldhastochangeafew criticalthingsinorderstart closingthegendergap.Oneof themostimportantaspectsisto recogniseandaccepttheworld's
ongoingunconsciousbiasagainst womeninSTEM,whichbeginsat ayoungage.Sheopines, "If you think about clothing and toys for young children, you'll discover active gender stereotyping where boys have the clothing designed with NASA logos and STEM themes, whereas girls are encouraged to be princesses, drama queens, and post selfies on social media."
In sharing advice, Shannon adds, "No one can make you feel inferior without your permission," quo ng Eleanor Roosevelt. She goes on to say that they are words to remember not just in one's personal life but also in one's professional life. She asserts, "Believe in yourself. Remember that you worked hard to get to where you are in your career and that you deserve to be where you are. If someone has a problem with you as a female in your profession, that is their problem, not yours. "
Operatinganefficientbusiness requireseffectivecommunication,a skilledworkforce,andeffectivework culture.Theseallcanbeachievedby havingaproficientHRteamthatis alsoresponsibleformoderating errors,increasingemployee engagement,formingthefoundation forbetterclientrelationships, stimulatinginnovationandcreativity, andhelpinginbuildingapositive culture.MeetNitaWhite-Ivy,Chief HumanResourcesOfficerat BlackBerry,whoholdson experienceinbest-in-classglobalHR practices/managementandinterface withthecompensationcommitteeof company'sboardofdirectorsmostly intheareasofofficers'andboardof directors'compensation,incentives, andbenefits.
AtBlackBerry,Nitaisresponsible forleadingtheHRteamtodesign anddeliverglobalprograms, initiatives,partnerships,solutions, andservicesinallfacetsofHR,to supporttheachievementofthe company'soperationalgoalsand strategicobjectives.Thisincludes HRbusinesspartnerships,talent development,talentacquisition,total rewards,employeerelations& compliance,DE&I,HRIS/HRIT& analytics,HRoperations,supportand services,andstrategicprograms.
Nitaconsidersherenteringthehigh
NtechnologyindustryasHRmanager ofprofessionalemploymentand compensationforanotable mainframecomputercompanywas thetruebeginningofherHRcareer PriortojoiningBlackBerry,Nita spent15yearsastheheadofglobal HRwithSybaseInc.,untilitwas acquiredbySAP.Shesays, “We became part of SAP and I concurrently served as Chief People Officer for SuccessFactors (another SAP-acquired company) until I joined BlackBerry.”
Atthebeginningofhercareer,she wastermed“thefeisty”and“most productiverecruiter”fordeveloping anddrivingsuccessfuluniversity relationsandrecruitmentprograms whichacceleratedrecruitmentoftopnotchcollegegraduatestofill engineeringanddevelopment employmentrequisitions.Nitawas alsofortunatetobeselectedatthat timeasoneofthehigh-potential employeesforthecompanythereby receivingapromotiontothenext gradeevery15to18months.She asserts, “It was my desire to be in high demand, energized, and forward-looking-industry and work environment. I always aspire to be where technology addresses current global requirements plus the foresight for the future.”
Nitawasasinglemomatavery youngage.Then,shewastakingthe responsibilityaloneforthechild,and beinganewimmigranttotheU.S. andlivingwiththesolepurposeto provideagoodlifeforhersonasa responsibleparent.Shesetouther “togettheproperacademic preparation”tobeabletocompetein thejobmarketandqualifyforagood jobandpay.Itwasanunwavering goalforhertosecureastronger
futureforbothofthem(forherand herchild.)Thechallengesofnot havingfriendsorfamilymembersto assisther,workingfull-timewhile goingtoschoolfull-time,didnot derailherfromthegoal.
Nitaconsidersthatthereasonsheis thrivingandfeelingstrengthenedin thesectorisbecauseofbeingan activeparticipantandcontributorina turn-aroundorganization.BlackBerry isthethirdturn-aroundcompanythat shehadbeenfortunatetojoin.There istheultimaterewardandthe sweetnessofsuccesswhenthe companysucceedsinachievingits transformationobjectives.She deems, “Employee morale, performance and retention, recruitment of talent, and company stock price all get the positive boost just to name a few.”
ForNita,successishavingastrong purposetoachievewithfocusand perseverance,overcoming challenges,acknowledginganyfear offailure,andmanagingituntilthe completionofwhatonesetsoutto accomplish.
inMale-Dominated Sector
Nitastates, “Challenges, setbacks, roadblocks, and the lessons we learn from them do make a person stronger.” Fromherjourney experiences,shepointsthatasa woman,andaminority,enteringthe high-technologyworldand succeedinginitwasmost challenging,tosaytheleast.
Nitarecallsthatsheworkeddoubly hardeverystepoftheway,didher “homework”todemonstrate knowledgeandproficiency,and earnedprofessionalrespect
accordingly.Sheasserts, “Being a corporate officer for three companies in the last 20+ years has its own set of challenges. But they are just thatchallenges to overcome and to navigate with purpose and determination for one to succeed and make a difference.”
ThebiggestlessonsofNita's professionaljourneyare:
(1)Abilitytojuggle,prioritizeand re-prioritizewhatneedstogetdone asdaysusuallydonotgoasplanned;
(2)Understand,keepuptodate,and delivertothecompany'sbusiness needs/requirements;and
(3)Balancemindandheartwhen leadinganddevelopingyourteam members.Acceptthattherewillbe somefailuresanddisappointments, butwitnessingmenteesgrow,and blossomprofessionallyarethe preciousrewardstosavour
TheBrand;BlackBerry
BlackBerryisdeliveringthenext generationofcloud-based,AI cybersecuritysolutionstoaddress
todayandtomorrow'scybersecurity threatsandensureorganizationsof allsizesremainsafe.
BlackBerryispoisedtoextendthis positionbyacceleratingtheadoption ofemergingautomotiveconnected serviceswithitsBlackBerryIVY platform,co-developedwithAWS,as wellasbyexpandingitsfootprintin safety-criticalconnectedendpoints foundinindustriessuchas transportation,medical, manufacturing,androbotics.
AccordingtoNita,integrityand innovationarefullyembeddedin BlackBerry'scorevalues,whichare wellcommunicatedtoitsglobal employeesandpostedontheinternal websiteasshownbelow.Shesays, “HRmodelstheseCoreValuesin everythingthatwedo.”
Innovation:TheCompanyleadsin itschosenmarketsbyconstantly innovating.“Welearnequallyfrom oursuccessesandfailures,andnever restonourlaurels.”
Integrity:Thebusinessisbasedon thetrustcustomersplacein
BlackBerrytosecuretheirmost valuableinformation. “We conduct ourselves at the highest level of business ethics by complying with our internal controls and procedures.”
CustomerFocus:BlackBerryis successfulbecausecustomerstrustit tosecuretheirmostsensitive information.“Eachdaybeginsby focusingonourcustomersfirstand beingasresponsiveaspossibleto theirsecurecommunicationsneeds.”
Accountability:Theteamsare knowledgeable,fullyengaged,and accountable. “By cultivating and rewarding individual passion, creativity, and achievement, we meet and exceed our commitments to our colleagues and the business.”
TeamworkandMutualRespect: Allemployeesworkasoneteam, unitedbehindthesamegoals,and alwayswithrespectforeachotheras professionals. “We have each other's backs and do whatever we can to support each other, including colleagues in other workgroups.”
EnsuringtheCompanyLeadswith BestWorkPractices
Thepandemichasalteredthe “normal”orregularworkday.Nita leadstheHRteamtoensurethe companydeliverswhatisbest practiceintheindustryintermsof programs,systems,processes,and policiestoservethebusinessneeds andincompliancewiththe employmentlawsofthecountries whereBlackBerrydoesbusiness.She mentionsthatduetoCOVID-19, thereisno“best-practicebox”to drawfromforHRpractitionersto meetandsolvethechallenges, uncertainties,andissueseachday brings.Atthistime,anduntilthe teamsreturntoanear-normalor normalcompanyoperation,sheis leadingtheHRteaminprotectingthe healthandsafetyofemployeesand maintainingongoingandcloseHR communicationwiththepeople leadersandemployees.Furthermore, theteamisalsokeepingabreastof
localgovernmentandhealth authorities'directives/mandatesand ensuringcompanycompliance.
Nitaseesherselfasa'tenacious' leader.Prioritizing,beingresilient, andtakingtimetorechargeincluding takinga'mentalhealthdayoff'isher mantraofhavingabalancedlife.
Atthecompany,shekeepseveryone motivatedbyhavingandsharinga commonpurposeandfocus, maintainingongoingcommunication andcollaboration,andrecognizing teammembersfortheircontribution andsupportofeachother.She asserts, “I am committed to seeing, and be a part of, the completion of BlackBerry's successful turnaround.”
“Have a sense of purpose that is
strong enough for you to not yield to challenges, roadblocks, and setbacks, each of which carries a lesson to be learned for future reflection and draw from as a useful tool,” saysNita.She furthersuggeststhatdoyourbestto achieveabalancebetweenmindand heart.Shethinks, “Applying emotional intelligence, especially in today's world of pandemic fatigue and mental stress, will connect you positively closer to your colleagues and customers.”
MohammedMubinMallickisthe CEO&FounderofKiran Smart.ItisanInformation Technology&Servicesprovider companythatoffersawiderange ofproducts,solutionsand servicesstartingfromITto DigitalTransformationto RoboticstoAiandFintec.The companyalsohasrentalservices onitsdifferentcorporateand homeproducts.Mohammed asserts,“At the same time we do provide annual maintenance contract too. Our offerings are not limited to any industries due to our multiple choices of product and services.”
AccordingtoMohammed,every journeyhasadifferentpattern whetheroneconsidersbusiness lifeorpersonallife.Thejourney islikeaseasonthatcomeswith differentenvironmentswhether winterorsummerisandeveryone needstopreparethemselvesas pertheseasontoprotect themselves. “Same ways there are many different problems we will come across in our life as professionals which will make us strong each day as we resolve the
Mproblem. Each time you handle the problem it teaches you some lesson, and that valuable lesson would make you the Leader if you are leading the team or the company. However every journey is not easy which can make you the leader,” saysMohammed.
Heasserts, “I have faced many challenges which made me strong today and able to stand up successfully which are emotional, mental, and financial and of course the market challenges to survive in the market in the initial stage.”
TheteamatKiranSmartalways triestostandoutofthecrowdso thatpeoplecanidentifythe company'sofferings.Thereare certainstrategiesandpolicies whichmakethecompany differentfromothersandbringa betterimpactonitsservices.As anITserviceandsolution provider,thefocusisalwaysona smartsolutionandinnovative products.Theteamtriestooffer thebestsuitableproductstothe customer'sproblemwhichis affordableandbestintermsof qualityaswell.
Mohammedstatesthattheteam loveschallengesbecauseit motivatesthemtoperformwell andbeuniquebyfacingthe challengesinthemostinnovative
way.Hesays, “Our challenges that we have every day are to follow our mission and come close to our vision.” However, thebiggestchallengeismaking thecustomerhappywhentheyare inpainthatmeanstheyhavea problemandcalledthecompany toprovidethesolutions.Theteam mentions, “Delivering our product and solutions on time that is promised for At the end of the team, I would like to see that Kiran Smart team going home after work happily.”
Mohammedisnotveryfondof readingbooks,however,has learnedfrommanypractical examplesofhiselders'life.He believesthattheircharacterand traitshavereallyinfluencedhima lotthewaytheyleadtheirlife whicharepersonalfamilylife, sociallifeandbusinesslifethat involveproblems.These experienceshaveimpactedhimto beastrongandmorechallenging persontoovercomeanykindof problemthatcanberelatedto anything.
Theentireworldhasbeen affectedbythePandemic,andfor this,noonewaspreparedtoface it.Itcameasashocktoeveryone andcreatedpanicinbusinesslife andpersonallife.Company operationwasinterruptedbadly
duetofullylockdownandpartial lockdowninthecountry Itisa greatchallengetosurvivenow duetouncertainties.Mohammed haslookedintocost-cutting strategiesbutnotlayingoffsthe employees.Therewasamuchunwantedexpensethecompany hadtobornelikeinternational travelswhichhavebecomean onlinemeeting,expoparticipation whichisalsonowonlineor virtual.Thecompanyhas increaseditsonlinesupportand serviceslocallyand internationally.Atthesametime, disinfectionandservicerobotsare playingamajorroleinthe organization'ssustainability strategy.AsperMohammed,most oftheemployeesareworking fromhomeandremotely.But thosewhoarecomingtooffice, followingthecountryHealth SafetyProtocolandWHO precautionsandmeasuredefined.
Mohammedismuchfocusedand describeshimselfasoneofthe leadersofthefuturewhowillbe servinghumanitywithrobots.He wouldliketoseeKiranSmarton thelistofoneofthemost innovativesolutionsandservice providersintheworld.Hesays, “We are Kiran Smart so we would like to solve all the problems smartly around the world and we always believe in equality, togetherness, flexible, motivating, fair chances and responsibilities which defines the task of each one that supposed to execute.”
“Self-confidence is the key to every success. No matter how big is the problem but you can resolve it if you think innovatively. So be different from others and make yourself unique while providing the best solutions and services to humanity. Success never comes in a day, but it takes a year to develop the skills to have patience,”
‘‘
An Experienced People Leader with a Background in Business, Auditing, Risk Management, and Information Technology
Senior Advisor & Proven People Leader
JennyJohansonisaSenior Advisorandaprovenpeople leaderwithcombinedknowledge ofbusiness,audit,risk,andIT. Withtheabilitytotalktoall disciplinesandapplyevidencebasedjudgement,Jennycandeliver assurancetoboardsandexecutive managementteams.
JennyworkedatHastingsFunds Managementincomplianceand internalaudit,andatANZshewas theHeadofAuditServicesanda GeneralManagerofAudit–Technology.Jennyformerly workedatTelstraasaSenior ManagerofInformationSystems andTechnologyRiskManagement andAssurance.
RSMAustralia'sCyberSecurity& Privacyservicesincludethe following,deliveredbytechnical specialistsinInformation&Cyber SecurityRisk,CloudSecurity, SecurityTransformation,Technical SecurityAssessment,Privacyand DigitalForensics&Incident Response.
Belowarethehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetweenthe World'sLeadersandJenny Johanson.
JHowdoesyourbackgroundand experiencealignwiththeroleat RSMAustralia?
Ihaveacombinedknowledgeof business,auditservices,risk advisoryandinformation technology,andhavebuiltthe abilitytotalktoalldisciplinesand applyevidence-basedjudgement thatassistsinthedeliveryof assurancetobothboardand executivemanagementteams.
Priorrolesincomplianceand internalaudit,predominantlyinthe financialservicesindustry, contributetomyroleatRSM.
Howwouldyoudescribeyour managementstyleand philosophy?
Forme,thebestapproachto managementistoswitchbackand forthbetweenstyles.ButwhenI havethedowntime,Iliketo encouragetheteamtobond.A goodmanagerisonethatinvestsin buildingaclose-knitteamthat workswelltogether.Formore immediatecrisissituations,I choosetoreassigntasksorpickup theslackmyself.
Itrytogivecleardirectionsand stayhands-offbutbereadyand availabletojumpintooffer guidance,expertise,andhelpwhen needed.
Ialsogooutofmywaytomake sureIknowwhenmyteamneeds help.Idon'thangaroundandwait tobecalledupon—Igotothem. Thatmeansplentyofinformal check-ins,bothontheworkthey're
doingandontheirgeneraljob satisfactionandmentalwell-being.
Whatprocessesdoyouuseto monitorthesecuritythreatson yourclient'snetwork?
Ourexperiencecoversboththe implementationofpoliciesand standards,andtheindependent auditandassuranceofcompliance. Wehavehelpedorganisations identifyandprioritisesecurity needsaspertheindustry recognisedstandardssuchasISM, PSPF,CPS234,ISO27001, VPDSS,COBIT,NIST,Essential Eight.Weexaminedcorporate networkandprivilegedaccountsto determinehow,why,and,tothe greatestextentpossible,wherethey areused.Wehavehelped organisationsidentifythe deficiencieswithintheir VulnerabilityManagement(VM) procedures.Thisincludesboth technicalandprocessassessments ofexistingandproposed vulnerabilitymanagement processes.
Whatarethethreethingsyou wouldliketoimproveinthe organization?
Ÿ Juniorstaffdon'tgettolead veryoften,atleastnotformally. I'dlovetogivethemthe opportunityoftakingonmore responsibilitiesasaleader This couldbeleadingmeetingsor projects,mentoringortraining newerteammembers,andother taskslikethat.
Ÿ
I'mworkingonimprovingmy team'sskillswithproject
management Thiswillmake meandmyteamevenmore productive.So,I'mtryingtoget ourteamtogofrom'good'to 'great'intheseareas.
Ÿ Recognisingthatouremployees don'tjustexistinaprofessional capacitytoserveour organisation.Forthemtoevolve bothpersonallyand professionally,employee developmentshouldbeholistic Thisincludesemotional balance,intellectualgrowth,and physicalhealth.
Accordingtoyou,whatisthe mostsignificantbarrierfor femaleleadersinthetechsector?
Womenarevastlyunderrepresented intheglobaltechnologyworkforce. Thisisnotonlyasocietalconcern, butalsoaworkforceproblem, giventhecriticalshortageofskilled technologyprofessionalsfacedby manyenterprises.Women specificallyneedmentors,role modelsandstrongnetworking opportunities.It'scleartomethat womenhungertolearnandbenefit fromthepresenceofotherwomen intechnology.
What'sthegreatestriskyou've takenasaprofessional?
I'vetakenseveralrisksbyhiring candidateswhodidnotmeetallthe requirementsforthejob;however, theyshowedmoreinitiativeand gritthanIhadseeninalongtime.I trainedthemontheareasinwhich theywerelacking,andtheyended upoutperformingsomeofourmore tenuredstaff.Runningacyber securityandprivacyteamaspartof
amoretraditionalaccountingfirm isnotaseasyasitmightseem!
Doesyourorganization's corporateresponsibilitystrategy matchtheavailabilityofyour currentresources?
Cyber-attacksareincreasingin numberandsophisticationevery year.Thepotentialdamageto businesseshasgrown,alongwith thesizeoffinesfornon-compliance inmanysectors.Andthenyouadd theimpactofCOVID-19tothe mix,whichcybercriminalsare seekingtomakethemostof,and youhavetheperfectstorm.As such,cybersecurityprofessionals areinhighdemandandthe competitionfortalentisfierce.
RSM'ssocialpurposeistoconsider thefinancial,social,and environmentalimpactofour businessdecisionsandactivitiesto positivelycontributetoour community Wedefinethe principles,ethicsandvaluesthat guideRSMinourbusiness
conduct,toproduceapositive impactonsociety."BeyondRSM" isournationalcorporatesocial responsibilityprogrammewhich buildsuponlocalofficeactivitiesto enhanceouroverallsocialimpact.
Wheredoyouseeyourcompany inthenextfiveyears?
Ican'treallytalktoRSMAustralia, butmyvisionfortheCyber SecurityandPrivacyRiskServices teamistocontinuetogrowand developtheteam,withafocuson recruitment,training,leadership, andculture.Iwouldlovetoseeour teamhavingarealimpactonthe broaderRSMAustraliabusiness, byelevatingthediscussionsour clientshavearoundcybersecurity.
Whatissomeoftheadviceyou sharewithyoungwomen enteringamale-dominatedtech fieldoranyprofession?
IloveSherylSandberg'squote: "Believeinyourselfandownyour ownsuccess"–don'tbeshyabout toutingyouraccomplishments. Learnaboutandgainexperiencein arangeofroles.Butdon'tletwork overtakeyourlife–makesureyou stillfindtimeforfamilyand friends.Andlastly,establishgood networksandrelationships,builda publicprofile,andtake opportunitiestospeakandwrite aboutwhatyouknow
The University of Texas at Dallas
Aroundtheworld,menpredominate inthetechnologysector Thelackof rolemodelsandmentorsisthemost importanthurdleforfemaleleaders. Womenhavesofewpositionsof authority.Asaresult,womenwho arejuststartingoutintheirjobshave norolemodelstolookupto.Dr. BhavaniThuraisingham,Executive DirectorofTheUniversityofTexas atDallas'CyberSecurityResearch andEducationInstitute,hasworked diligentlyforover20yearstomentor femalestudentsandcolleaguesso thattheymaybecomeleadersin technology.Shehasrecentlybegun workingwithhighschoolpupils.She says, "Women should also be encouraged to get into management positions."
Shebelieves, "We need more women at all levels in tech and for that we have to start educating the girls at a very early age. Women at senior levels have so much to do."
Belowarethehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetweenthe World'sLeadersandBhavani Thuraisingham.
Howdoesyourbackgroundand experiencealignwiththeroleat TheUniversityofTexasatDallas?
WhenIjoinedtheUniversityof TexasatDallas(UTDallas),Ihad24 years'experienceinthecommercial industry(HoneywellinMinneapolis),
AFederalResearchLab(theMITRE CorporationinBoston)andthe FederalGovernment(theNational ScienceFoundationNSFin Washington).Myworkhasfocused ontheintegrationofcybersecurity anddatasciencesince1985.AfterI finishedmythreeyearassignmentat NSF,UTDallasrecruitedmeto establishandheadtheCyberSecurity ResearchandEducationInstitute (CSI)assecuringcyberspacewas oneofthestrategicareasforthem. Ourinterestsalignedverywell.Also, beinginacademiawouldallowmeto workwithstudents,thefederal government,thecommercial industry,andfederalresearchlabs. It'sthebestofallworlds.
Howwouldyoudescribeyour managementstyleandphilosophy?
Icomewithextensiveleadershipand managementexperience.WhenIwas atMITRE,Iwasheadofa department,andIgrewthe departmentfrom8to28staff,and thismeantfindingworkforthestaff whosespecialtiesincludedmainly datascienceandcybersecurity. Therefore,Ihadtheskillstobuilda verysuccessfulCyberSecurity Institute.Tosucceedinmanagement, firstandforemost,youhavetoget thebesttalent.
Ibelieveinmotivatingthefaculty andstudentsandencouragingthem sothattheyexcelintheirwork.I stressthatinnovationisthekeyto oursuccess.
WhatareTheUniversityofTexas atDallas'cybersecuritysolutions forhardwareandsoftware?How efficientisyourorganisationfrom anoperationalstandpoint?
Therearetwodifferenttypesof answerstoyourquestion.Oneisthe research,developmentand
technologytransfereffortsthatwe carryoutasprofessorstogetherwith ourstudents.Theotherisourwork withtheOfficeofInformation Technology(OIT)attheuniversity, wherewegiveinputonthesecurity strategies.
Wedevelopsolutionsbothin hardwareandsoftwaresecurity What isuniqueaboutCSIisthatwehave excellenttalentinbothhardwareand softwaresecurity.Withrespectto hardware,ourcolleaguesin ComputerEngineeringfocuson providingsolutionstohardware Trojansaswellassecurityatthechip level.Withrespecttosoftware,we focusonseveralaspectsincluding malwareanalysisanddataprivacy
WithrespecttoourOIT,wehavean excellentorganisationprovidingus withstateoftheartsolutionstothe cybersecurityproblemsthatoccurin mostorganisationsandprovidingup todatetrainingmaterialsfor employeesandstudents.
Whatprocessesdoyouuseto monitorthesecuritythreatson yourclient'snetwork?
Ourclientsareourstudentsandthe sponsorswhofundourresearchand educationactivities.Wedonot providesecurityservicestoour clients.Weeducateourstudents aboutthestate-of-the-artsecurity solutionsandtools,andconduct researchwiththestudentstosolve challengingproblemswearefaced withtoday,suchassecuringthe InternetofThings,includingthe InternetofTransportationSystems andthePowerGrids.Ourresearchis transferredtooursponsorsto developcommercialproductsaswell asoperationalsystems.Wealso createstart-upcompaniesto commercialisethetechnologieswe develop.
Here,IspeakastheFounding ExecutiveDirectorofCSI.Oneof themajorchallengesIhavefacedis competingfortalentwithotherareas astheresourcesarenotunlimited.
MembersofCSIarepartofvarious departmentsandeachmembertries hisorherbesttorecruittalentin variousaspectsofcybersecurity AnotherareaIwouldliketoimprove istohaveclosertiestotheDFW industry.
Therearethousandsoftechnology companiesinDFWandwedohave strongconnectionswithquiteafew ofthem.Thethirdaspectishiring moreUScitizenstudentsintoour programs.
IamaTamilfromSri-Lankaand completedmyundergraduatedegree inMathandPhysicsatage20back in1975.Becausemyfatherhad passedawayfouryearsprior,my maternalunclewantedmetoget marriedrightawayandarrangedmy marriagetomyhusband,whowas eightyearsolderatthetime.That wasarisk,asmygraduateeducation andcareeressentiallydependedon myhusband.
Iwasveryfortunateasmyhusband, whowasfinishinghisPhDatthe UniversityofCambridgeinEngland atthattime,wasverysupportiveof myeducationandcareer.Ireceived mygraduateeducationinEngland overfiveyearswhilemyhusband heldresearchpositions,andthenwe movedtotheUSin1980soonafterI finishedmyPhDandthat'swhenI startedmycareerintech.
Thesecondriskwastomovefrom industrytoacademia.Therefore, mid-careerIswitchedtoacademiaas atenuredprofessorandstartedthe CSI.
Mymaingoalnowistomotivateand mentorwomenandunderrepresented minoritygroupstopursuecareersin tech.
Doesyourorganisation'scorporate responsibilitystrategymatchthe availabilityofyourcurrent resources?
IhaveworkedatUTDallasfor17 yearsandhavebeenverypleased withoursenioradministration.More importantly,ourProvostandDeanof Engineeringarebothwomen.Iam seeingmoreandmorewomenin leadershippositions.Whileour administrationisfiscally conservative,theyprioritise resourcesandfundimportant initiatives.Iamalsoseeingmore peoplefromtheunderrepresented minoritycommunitiestake leadershiproles.Fairnessisstressed atalllevels.WhenIfirstmovedto DallasfromBostonafterathreeyear stintinWashington,Ithought,What amIdoinghere?Overtheyears,I havegrowntoreallylikeTexas,and thatismainlybecauseofthe environmentprovidedbyUTDallas.
Wheredoyouseeyourcompanyin thenextfiveyears?
Wehavemadetremendousprogress incybersecurity,including integratingcybersecurityanddata science.Therearethreeareasweare focusingonforthenextphaseasI transitionCSItomyjunior colleagues.First,tomotivatethe professorstoobtainmorepatentsand beinvolvedinmorestart-upsto commercialisethetechnologiesthey develop.Second,tofocuson
interdisciplinaryresearchand education.
Lastbutnotleast,ensurethata significantproportionofourstudents arefemaleorfromunderrepresented minoritygroups.
Whatissomeoftheadviceyou sharewithyoungwomenentering amale-dominatedtechfieldorany profession?
Myadvicetoyoungwomenisto developtechnicalexcellence.Thisis amust.Next,findmentorswhowill motivateandencourageyou.The mentorcouldbeaseniormanora womanwhowillalsoeducateyouon thecorporateculture.More importantly,nevergiveup.Don'tlet anyoneundermineyou,whichis sometimeseasiersaidthandone. Initially,itwasnoteasyforme.ButI madeeveryattempttoworkhard, findamentor,andtrymybestto ignorenegativecomments.Over time,Iwasabletothrivebothin industryandacademia.Lastbutnot least,duringeverytalkIgiveto women'sgroupsinComputer Science(e.g.,cybersecurity,data science),Imakeitapointtostate thatComputerScienceisalucrative fieldandFinancialIndependenceisa MUSTforeverywoman.
Whatarethethreethingsyou wouldliketoimproveinthe organisation?
What'sthegreatestriskyou've takenasaprofessional?
Manysocietieshavealwaysheldthe beliefthataslongasvirtualcrimes areoutofsight,theyareoutofmind. TheCovidstorm,ontheotherhand, hashadamoretangibleimpact. CybersecurityVenturesestimatesthat cybercrimewillbea$6trillion business,andcybersecurityis alreadyuniversallyacknowledgedas aseriousproblem.Individualsand familiesareaffectedaswellas corporations.
Intoday'sworld,cybersecurityisa vitalinvestmentfororganisations,as wellasarequiredcollaboration acrossallindustries.Withherteam ofstrategicadvisers,riskassessors, andethicalhackers,ShamaneTan, ChiefGrowthOfficeratPrivasec (nowSekuro),isresponsiblefor identifyingissuesfacedbyvarious CISOsorsecurityexecutivesin organisationsandassistingthemin bridginganyknowledgeorskillgaps. Shesays, "We have a whole army who contributes to maturing an overall organisation's security posture.”
Privasec(nowSekuro)isoneofthe APAC'sfastestgrowingcyber securitycompany.IthasaREDTeam thatconductsethicalhackingfor organisationsandaGRCteam specialisinginGovernance,Risk,and Compliance.
MShamaneTan,Sekuro'sChiefGrowth
Officer,isinchargeofthecompany's outreachstrategy,whichaimsto assistC-levelexecutivesinachieving valuepreservationandcorporate growthgoalsthroughcyberrisk management.Shebeganhercareer withabachelor's(hons)degreein computerengineeringandevenasa keynotespeakertoday,bringsthe bestperspectivesofbothworlds, technicalandbusiness,toassist executivesbridgecomparable barriers.
Thefollowingarethehighlightsof theinterviewbetweenWorld's LeadersandShamaneTan:
Howwouldyoudescribeyour leadershipstyleandphilosophy?
Havingexperiencedthebenefits myselfofbeingunderleadershipthat empowersandencouragestheirstaff totakeownershipofwhattheydesire toachieve,Iamastrongbelieverin thesame.Greatleadership influences.Itdoesnotlookat clippingpeople'swings,but empowers,equipsandsupports peopleinexpressingtheirpotential onablankcanvasthat'slaidbefore them.Adisruptiveleaderiscreative, challengesboundaries,andcelebrates diversityinthinking.Itisalso importanttohaveaculturethatdoes notcondemnmistakesbutdisplays empathy
Whatarethethreethingsyou wouldliketoseeimprovedinmost businessesinaddressingcyber risk?
Inordertoimpactaculturalchange acrossanorganisation,weneedto pivottheawarenessandthinkingat theleadershiplevelthatcyberrisk affectseveryone.Thishastobeatthe
frontofmindacrossalllevelsofthe organisation,andweneedtohelp makeitpersonalandrelevanttothe individuals.
ThesecondthingIwoulddoisto challengethemindsetofthe business,especiallytheexecutive leaders,iftheyhavetakena proactiveapproachwiththeircyber riskstrategy,insteadofbeing reactive.Aspartofgrowthand securitymaturity,itmakessensefor businessestostartlookingatan offensivestrategywhichwillgive themforesighttoplantheirnext tacticalmove,ascomparedtojust beingonthebackfootplaying defence.
Finally,executiveleaderswilltakea verydifferentapproachtopreparing theirorganisationiftheystartfrom theassumptionthatacyber-attackor breachisboundtohappen.Ibelieve ifbusinessesstartpreparingforthe inevitablecyberdisruptions,they willbelookingatrunningmorewar roomexercisesandmaturingtheir businesscontinuityprocessesaspart ofcrisismanagementdrills. Companiesneedtobetalkingtotheir peersmore,especiallyacross industrysectors.Informationand experienceexchangeareinvaluable incontributingtothegrowthand upliftofourecosystem.
Accordingtoyou,whatisthemost significantbarrierforfemale leadersinthetechsector?
Ihavealwaysgrownupinamaledominatedindustry.Evenin university,whenIwasdoingmy Bachelor'sHonoursinComputer Engineering,therewereonlytwoof uswomeninawholeclassfilledwith men,anditcouldbequiteadaunting sighttoentertheroom.
Asignificantbarrierforwomen wouldbetheexistingstigmafrom societythattechnologyisamale dominatedindustry,whichhasalso perpetuatedanyinnerdoubtsthat womenmightalreadyhave.
Iwouldsaythekeychallengefirstis inovercomingthecriticsinourown mind,andtheimpostersyndrome thatwe'vealwayshadtobattlewith whichpersuadedustoletthe extroverts,strongerpersonalitiesand theloudervoicesdominatetheroom.
Strivingtoachieveyouraspirations willalwaysbeanon-goingjourney.I wouldliketoencourageourindustry topivotandaspireforgreatness together.JustlikewhatIsharedin myTEDxtalk,'TheImpostor SyndromeoftheTallPoppy',let'sbe anationoftallpoppiestogether.
What'sthegreatestriskyou've takenasaprofessional?
Itwouldbebeingvocallyunafraidto goformydreamsandcombiningthat withauthenticityandvulnerabilityat thesametime.Ichallengedmyselfto stepoutofmycomfortzonewhenI sawaneedintheindustry,whichled tomefoundinganinternationalcyber riskmeetupcommunity
Ibelieveinthepowerofbuilding stronganddeeprelationships,andin reachingouttomentors,whohave helpedmenavigatethecorporate landscapeovertheyears.Theyhave contributedtoacceleratingmy growth,andIrealisedthatas professionals,weshouldnotonlybe vocalaboutourachievements,but evenmoreimportantly,vocalabout cheeringthepeoplearounduswho havemadepositivestridesaswell.
Doesyourorganization'scorporate responsibilitystrategymatchthe availabilityofyourcurrent resources?
Wetakegreatcareandpridein curatingaculturewhichpromotes ourdiversity,individualpassions, anddevelopmentaspirations.Our collectivevaluesbringustogetheras oneteamtoexecuteourmission.
Aswearepassionateinadvancing thesecurityindustryandsupporting communitymentorshipinitiatives, werecognisetheneedtobe intentionalincreatingspaceandtime fortheteamtogiveback.Oncea quarter,theteamisalsoencouraged tospendadayonus,contributingto acharitableassociationoftheir choosing.
Wheredoyouseeyourcompanyin thenextfiveyears?
Asthelandscapeofcybersecurityis constantlyevolving,Sekurowill continuetogrowwithexceptional focusonpeopleandquality.Our missionistoprovideafully integratedend-to-endsecurity servicescateringtothemodernways ofdoingbusiness,fromstart-ups, futureunicornstoenterprises,while maintaininghighstandardsof accountabilityandcare.It'sabout offeringanunprecedentedcustomer experienceasweaimtoturnevery customerintoaclientforlife.
Whatissomeoftheadviceyou sharewithyoungwomenentering amale-dominatedtechfieldorany profession?
Sometimes,whenyoungwomen entertheirprofession,theycanfind thejourneymorechallengingto navigate,especiallywhentheirview ofthetopoftheladderisthatofan overcrowdedmaleleadership. However,myadvicewouldbeto ownthefactthatwemightbea minoritybutbeproudofit.We shoulduseouruniquenessand differencestoouradvantage.Let's seeourdifferencesinthewaywe approach,thinkaboutandseethings, asacomplementaryvalueaddtothe currentwaythingsarebeingdonein organisations.
Also,surroundyourselfwith mentors,andacommunityofhealthy andpositivelymindedpeoplewho willinspireyouforgreatness.Just don'tfallintothetrapofexpecting perfectionfromyourselves,because ifyoudo,thenyoumightneverdare toattemptit.
Acoachoncetoldmethatthesky wasthelimit,andithasjuststuckin mymind.Whenmylimitingbeliefs arisewithinme,Isimplyremind myselfthatitisonlyIwhocanlimit myownpotential.
Transmuting his Passion for Cyber Security into a Way to Shield Organizations
Director Risk Advisory Dotcom Security Solutions (Pty) Ltd
GarethHawkinsDirectorRisk AdvisoryatDotcomSecurity Solutions(Pty)Ltd,ispassionate aboutcybersecurity,particularly thepaceatwhichitevolves,and evenmorepassionateabout providingrelevant,business alignedcybersecuritysolutions thatgobeyondtechnologyand encompassthepeopleand processesthatformanintegralpart ofthecollectivecyberdefence strategy.
DotcomSecurity'smissionisto guidecustomersdownapathwhere cybersecuritycontrolobjectives takeprecedenceandservice objectives,whichencompassesthe infamouspeople,process,and technologytrilogy,aremapped togetherwithmeasurable'metrics thatmatter'intheformoftechnical andnon-technicalcontrols.
Belowarethehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetweenthe World'sLeadersandGareth Hawkins.
Howdoesyourbackgroundand experiencealignwiththeroleat DotcomSecurity?
Intermsofmybackgroundand whatshapedmyviewoftheworld,
Gthebestplacetostartwould probablybemychildhood.Igrew upinahouseholdinwhichthelaw, andparticularlyfraud,wasa generaltopicofconversation.My earliestmemoryofmyfather's occupationiswalkingintoapolice stationattheageofaboutsixyears oldwherehewasthecommanding officer Theimagesthatwillforever beforgedintomemorywere imagesonaphotoboardshowing various'necklacing'casesthatwere beinginvestigated.'Necklacing' wasapractisewhere,throughmob justice,acartyreisplacedaround thevictim'sneckandthensetalight withafireaccelerant.Apartheid crimesoneithersideofthedivide wereunfathomabletomeasa child,andIjustknewitwas somethingthathadtobe eradicated,period!.Thisiswhere myrebelliousbehaviouragainstthe socalled'authorities'and'societal norms'wasborn!Thisisalsowhen Idecidedthatthepoliceforcewill neverseemeanddecidedcyber securityistheway.
Howwouldyoudescribeyour managementstyleand philosophy?
Mymanagementstyleissimple,I don'tmanage.Iencourageyou! Lifeisfullofopportunitieswhich aresharedamongstthosewhoare willingtoparticipateinthe achievementofacommonpurpose. Mypurposeistohelpothers achievetheirgoalsbyanylawful andethicalmeansatmydisposal andwithinmyrealmofcontrol. Throughthisverysimple philosophy,acompoundedeffort
behindachievinganobjective dramaticallyimprovesthe probabilityofoverallsuccess. WhatareDotcomSecurity's cybersecuritysolutionsfor hardwareandsoftware?How efficientisyourorganisationfrom anoperationalstandpoint?
Withanycybersecurityprogram, therearefundamentalstagestogo through,fromplanningthroughto maturity,whichencompasses governance,risk,compliance, implementation,aswellasthe managementoftechnicalsecurity controls.Thisincludesthe managementandautomationof standardoperatingprocedures wherefeasible.
Oneoftherecognisablenuancesin ourengagementmodelisthatwe allocateRiskManagers,certifiedin controlaudits,andEnterprise SuccessManagerstothecustomer's engagementteamtoensureall servicesaredeliveredin accordancewiththecustomer's controlobjectivesaswellasthe relevantprivacyanddataprotection requirements.TheISO27701 PrivacyInformationManagement Systemisthebaseofreferencefor allserviceswedeliver.
Inanutshell,weareproficientin thedevelopmentandmanagement ofcybersecurityprogrammes whichstartswithidentifyingthe relevantcontrolobjectives.Thisis followedbyestablishinga catalogueofservicesencompassing theappropriatetechnologies, securityengineersandrisk managerstoimplementand managealltechnicalandnon-
technicalcontrolseffectivelyina singleprogram.Thisisofferedto ourcustomersasaVirtualCyber SecurityOfficewhichaugments theircapabilitiestomanagethe programmeatafixedsubscription feeforthedurationoftheprogram, whichisgenerallyathreeyear program.
Accordingtoyou,whatisthe mostsignificantbarrierfor businessleadersinthetech sector?
Toooftenwefindorganisations goingdownthetechindustry'spath asitpromisestodeliverwealthand riches,whichultimatelybecomes theall-consumingpurposewiththe best-intentionedstrategiesleftin thewakeofshareholder expectations.Businessleadersneed todefinetheirpurpose,drivethat purpose,alwaysremaintruetoyour purpose,andneverbuckletothe demandsofrevenuegeneration through'businessasusual'models. Thereisnothingusualabout businesstoday!Notonlyhavewe beenlimitedinphysicalmovement throughanunprecedentedglobal pandemic,butwearefurther limitedinwhatdatawecapture, storeandprocessaswecontinueto seetheaggressiveglobal progressionofindividualsand business'privacyrightsandthe enforcementthereof.
Thebusinessshouldbeableto bottletheirpurposeandvaluetobe soldasapackage,preferablyasan on-goingsubscription demonstratinganon-going relationshipofmutualvalue.
What'sthegreatestriskyou've takenasaprofessional?
AlthoughIalwaysknewwehadthe rightstrategyandstrongvisionin termsofhowatruecybersecurity partnershouldoperateandexecute services,thegreatestriskwasthe decisiontoturntotheindustryand boldlysay,"Wearegettingit wrong!"Theproblemwiththat statementistherearethousandsof shareholdersthatwilldisagree,as theirbalancesheetsreflectpositive numbersalbeitatthecostoftheir customers'materialriskreduction.
Doesyourorganization's corporateresponsibilitystrategy matchtheavailabilityofyour currentresources?
Duetotheskillsetswithin Dotcom,therearenumerousareas wecancontributeto,withkey
focusareasbeingcyberbullying, cyberextortion,sextortion,andany othercyberrelatedoffencethatthe generalcommunityhaslittletono educationorawarenessof.Weare inearlystagesofplanningourfirst programmefocusedonyouth esportsteamswhichis accompaniedbysecurityawareness
forpupilssotheycanbemore awareofthelikelihoodofthem beingavictimofcyberbullyingor possiblyidentifythepropensityfor apupiltobeacyber-bully.
Wheredoyouseeyourcompany inthenextfiveyears?
Aspartofourborderlessambitions forthenextcalendaryear,wewill beprovidingaplatformforsuitably qualifiedindependentinformation securityandriskconsultantsacross theworldtoofferworldclasscyber securityservicestotheircustomers. Thiswillallowthemtoboth managetheircustomers'cyber securitymaturityandefficacyas wellashavevisibilityoftheir walletsharebasedontheoverall revenuegeneratedfromtheservice objectives.Dotcomwillhavefully operationalpointsofpresencethat "followthesun'by2025aswe occupyconversationsinmost analysts'boardroomsasthenew kidsontheblock,eventhoughwe collectivelyhavealmost200years ofexperiencewithintheteam. Throughsheerpersistence,the intentionistoelevatethe conversationtowhereitshouldbe.
Program Head-Department of Cyber Affairs World Cyber Security Forum (WCSF)
Asthemodernworkplacebecomes increasinglycloud-focusedand digital,theconventionalnetwork boundaryisblurring.Cyberthreats areconstantlydevelopingtotake advantageofnewvulnerabilitiesthat arediscoveredonaregularbasis.At theWorldCyberSecurityForum (WCSF),MeghaR.Ahuja, ProgramHead-Departmentof CyberAffairs,assistsclientsby monitoringthenetworkand continuallyanalysingandevaluating securitydatatodetectcyber-attacks anddatabreaches.
Threatmonitoringsystemsfrom WCSFgatherandcorrelatedatafrom networksensors,appliances, endpointagents,andothersecurity technologiesinordertodiscover trendsthatsignalapossiblethreator securityissue.Analertissenttothe securityteamformitigationor incidentresponsewhenathreatis discovered.
AccordingtoMegha,themonitoring processindeedhelpslowertheriskof insiderthreatswhileincreasingdata protectioncapabilities.Theteams checktheflowsandallthepacket payloadsforsuspiciouscontents. Sometoolswhichalsomonitorthe securitythreatsintheclient's networkaremostlyusedbyIT professionalswhohavetechnical knowledge.Like:Argus,Splunk, OSSECetc.
Belowarethehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetweenthe World'sLeadersandMeghaR. Ahuja.
Howdoyourbackgroundand experiencealignwiththeroleat WCSF?
MyroleattheWorldCyberSecurity Forumenablesmetocollaborate withclientswhoareusuallyvictims ofcybercrime.AstheProgramHead, Ihavegonetotheextentofretrieving thecybersafetyofourcustomers,as Ihavestrongexpertiseincyberlaws andhaverepresentedclientsin varioussuits.So,clientrelationships, understandingcustomerand organisationalneeds,and representingthemtosolveintricate cyber/legalissues,havealwaysbeen thefoundationofmycurrent position.
Howwouldyoudescribeyour managementstyleandphilosophy?
Management,inmyopinion,should provideguidance,direction, leadership,and,finally,setan exampleforsubordinates.Asaresult, mymanagementphilosophyisto createanenvironmentthatfosters productiveemployees,andI've knownacoupleofmanagersinthe pastwhoworkedsmartand efficiently,soI,too,believeina democraticmanagementstylethat entailscollaboratingcloselywith teammemberstodevelopstrategies andmakedecisionstogether
WhatareWCSF'scybersecurity solutionsforhardwareand software?Howefficientisyour organisationfromanoperational standpoint?
Ourservicesincludetechno-legal consultancyaswedealexclusivelyin
cyberanditsrelatedlaws,aswellas providingexternallegalassistance underthisumbrella.Ourefficient teamofcounsellors&psychologists supportspeoplewhoarevictimsof cyber-harassmentoridentitytheftin ordertomakethemregaintheir mentalstate.Weprovide personalisedcybersecuritytrainingto corporateemployeestoensure reliability,integrity,and confidentialityofcompanydatato detect&preventsecuritybreaches.
TheWorldCyberSecurityForumis anefficientorganisationnotbecause ourcybersecurityprofessionalsoffer flexibletrainingbutarealsobeing trainedinatimelymanner.Since operationallyefficientorganisations arecharacterisedbyapurposeful approachtocommunicationand meetings,weputpeoplefirstfor operationaleffectiveness.
Whatarethethreethingsyou wouldliketoimproveinthe organization?
Servicingmoreaccuratelyand diligentlyinmoreregions.Weaimto empowermorewomenbyincreasing trainingsessionsforskill developmentinordertobuilda cyber-centricarmy.Customer satisfactionandemployeejob satisfactionaretwosidesofthesame cointhatmustbebalancedona regularbasisasweretaincustomers andtrainouremployees.
Accordingtoyou,whatisthemost significantbarrierforfemale leadersinthetechsector?
Womenarestillintheminorityin manyworkplaces,especiallyinthe STEMsector Althoughyousee manywomenenteringtheechelons ofmale-dominatedorganisationsat thelowerlevels,astheymoveonto
higherlevels,themaleshavean undueadvantageoverthewomen.
Youcanseethenumberofwomen employeeswhenthecareerpathis depictedakintoapyramidforthe femalegender Whenitcomesto barriers,womenarealwaysattributed withstereotypesaboutthenatureof work,eveniftheyareplacedina technologicalworld.
Sincethemajorityofbossesand super-bossesaremen,womenarenot favouredorpreferredovermendue tocertainassumedphysical limitationsofmarriedwomen,such astheirinabilitytotravelonofficial dutiesorstaybackforprolonged hours.However,marriedand unmarriedwomenhaveprovenallof thesemythsimprintedontheminds ofthemalebastiontobefalse,and womenshouldseizeevery opportunitytobreaktheyokes imposedonthembyprevious generations.So,itshouldbetoldto thegirlsandwomen,andsoitshall bedone.
Whatisthegreatestriskyou've takenasaprofessional?
Wehavecomealongwayinthelast fewyears,andtheprimaryormost significantriskwasformingthis organisationandconvincingpeople totrustus,becausewhenany organisationstarts,ittakestimeto settleandproducesomeexcellent resultsintheirfield.
Organizingvariousawarenessand cyber-centriceventsandcampaigns toreducetheimpactofcybercrime andoffencesissomethingwehave beendoingconsistently.Convincing peopletojoinusandsupportusin thiscausewasanotherimportanttask becauseitwasdifficulttojustifythe needimmediately.Butweare
fortunatetohavetheunwavering supportofsociety.Theconstant feedbackkeepsusinspiredand motivatedtocontinuegrowingand bringingfreshlybrewedcontentand trainingprograms.
Doesyourorganization'scorporate responsibilitystrategymatchthe availabilityofyourcurrent resources?
Ofcourse,ourstrategyidentifies barrierstoachievingcompany objectivesanddevelopsanapproach thatallowsustoovercomethe obstacles.Thecurrentresourcesare availableforustostrivetocreate value,developauniquemarketing advantage,andreputation,whichis whycoordinationandreiterationof theforumgoals,organisational practisesarecritical.
Wheredoyouseeyourcompanyin thenextfiveyears?
Inthenextfiveyears,technology willundoubtedlyhaveasignificant impactonthechangingcompetitive landscapeincybersecurity.Ifthe half-lifeofalearnedskillisfive yearsintoday'sera,thismeanshalf ofwhatyouremployeeslearnedfive yearsagoislikelyirrelevant.Our goalistoprepareWCSF'sworkforce
andkeepourbusinesscompetitive overthenextfiveyears.Everyyear, newskillsemergeasaresultof disruptivetechnologiesorbusiness modelssuchasBitcoin/Blockchain (cryptocurrencyonlinepayments), Neuralnetworks(artificial intelligence),andDropShipping (inventory-freee-commerce),and withthefluidityofskillscomingand going,wemaybemovingtowarda "role-less"futureofwork.Career pathswillbedefinedbyconstant reskillingandmovementintonew typesofroles—ratherthanjobhoppingtonewcompanies, employeeswillconstantly"role-hop" withintheircompany;wewishto maketheWorldCyberSecurity Forumaninclusivehubforall technical,legal,andtechnomanagerialroles.
Wewanttoencouragecontinuous learningandhelpouremployees evolveandadaptinthisneweraof change,andwewantWCSFtobethe centrethatholdsthekeytowhether thecyber-safetyofcompaniesand employeeswillthrive.
Whatissomeoftheadviceyou sharewithyoungwomenentering amale-dominatedtechfieldorany profession?
Itisaneraofrisingwomeninevery sphereoftheprofession.Beit drivingauto-rickshawsortrucks, smallorbigvehiclesontheroad, womenhavechallengedthemselves inmale-dominatedjobs.Theadvice forthewomenwhowillenterany male-dominatedindustry,orforthe oneswhoarealreadythere,willbeto "donotbecoweddownbyany dominationbyyourmalecolleagues orintimidationtacticstoquit."
Womenshouldunderstandthatallare equal,andtheyarecapableofbeing performersparexcellence.
In this high-tech civilization, modern technology is nearing its pinnacle. With contemporary technological breakthroughs, and dangers mining corpses for security, we are now in a world where we must navigate a course through powerful business tides. Global cyber dangers have been expanding for a long time, and in order to secure all institutions, companies, or people, cyber security measures must be implemented. The rise in such dangers is a result of the corporate system's conversion to the digital world.
Today's period defines an asset as data, server, software, and digital credentials that must be safeguarded to prevent deterioration and mistreatment. Cyber assaults may be avoided
Iby securing data and maintaining privacy. According to a research released by Risk Based Security, data breaches exposed 7.9 billion records in 2019. The company uses cyber security measures that secure digital assets while remaining unaffected by financial gain or unpredictable disruption.
Before disclosing entities, cyber security attacks are subjected to a number of standards so that organizations may gain trust in them. Businesses should use cyber security tactics such as brute force, SQL injection, the man in the middle, Phishing, and malware to protect themselves against cyberattacks, according to governments throughout the globe. Cyber security is a difficult and demanding field to work in. A solid math background is required, as are analytical abilities in statistical analysis. Many examples of cybercrime, cyberattacks, and cyberterrorism have been documented. Mckinnon was a hacker who had gained access to 97 systems belonging to the US government and NASA. Even if an organization
maintains security over its entities, a hacker can find a means to maintain control. Cyber-security determines the company's cryptography procedures, allowing for thorough encryption of emails, data, and credentials. For cyberattacks, this is a better option.
One may take efforts to defend themselves from cybercrime by using a secure password that no one can guess, upgrading software and operating systems, avoiding dangerous program installation, and constantly using antivirus software. Cyber security also gives real-time battle with unpredictable hacking by upgrading new defenses against cyber-attacks. Organizations may get a quick understanding of the nature of whatever data they're provided, and foresee better methods to grow their business. Threats to enterprises are always there, but cyber security solutions make them less so without causing data disruption. Cyber security is a popular technique to protect technology, data, and servers, despite its complexity.
The ever-changing digital era has a greater impact on cyber security than most people realise. Cybercrime has increased at an exponential rate, in lockstep with technological advancement. As technology advances, so do the types of cybercrime that are perpetrated. Fortunately, as technology has progressed, so has the capacity to detect and protect individuals from cybercrime before it occurs.
The following are some of the most significant changes in cyber security as a result of evolving technology:
Hackers use social engineering and fraud to abuse workers, which accounts for the bulk of corporate security breaches. Hackers are growing more competent at detecting gaps and loopholes in corporate security systems and can obtain access to secured files and data as technology advances, creating a serious cybersecurity concern. Regrettably, 2012 may set a new high in terms of business security breaches.
IUnlike typical phishing emails, which target random people, spear phishing scammers are looking for information for monetary benefit, such as corporate secrets or personal information. Spear phishing is when hackers send emails to employees that look to be from colleagues within their own company, allowing cyber thieves to obtain personal information. With today's advanced technology, hackers may send emails to employees posing as other employees within the organisation, posing a significant cybersecurity risk.
Identity thieves are increasingly utilising social media to encourage people to download dangerous programmes or expose passwords in order to steal their identities. Hackers with experience may quickly gain access to a user's social network accounts and then use that information to gain access to their personal email account, work email account, and financial information.
On social networking platforms, the ordinary user posts a lot of information; most expose a person's name, age, birthday, hometown, and family members, while some go as far as giving addresses, phone numbers, and even real-time location updates. Some of this data may expose just enough for a hacker to see an opening and take your identity over the internet.
Not only do social networking networks provide hackers access to personal information, but certain sites also allow you to reveal your exact location at any moment. And if someone knows where you are, they can also tell you where you aren't. Foursquare, for example, allows users to "check in" to areas they visit, such as school, work, restaurants, and even movie theatres. By entering the social network and glancing at your profile, anyone may simply figure out where you are and what time it is. Your assets and safety may be jeopardised if you are away from home base.
Mobile cybersecurity vulnerabilities are evolving at the same time as mobile technologies. Smartphones, which hold more data than previous versions, are now used by 45 percent of mobile phone owners.Every new phone, tablet, or mobile device provides a new way for a cybercriminal to acquire access to someone's personal information. Because many mobile devices may be charged by plugging them into computers, sharing charging ports with others might result in malware difficulties for a variety of gadgets.
World's Leaders Magazine is a Media Company that covers stories of business leaders around the globe. Consistent updates to our online publication, internet based life and master sentiment give a substance rich pursuing knowledge loaded up with fascinating perspectives and remark on the issues of the worldwide business. World's Leaders Magazine inspires readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business. Everyone wants to know the journey of a successful personality or a venture. They want to know more about the establishment, about the path that led them to the pinnacle, about the obstacles overcome, and the all hard work about the Success. World's Leaders Magazine is the platform, where we are unwinding the untold stories of business leaders and the stories of startup turning into the venture World's Leaders Magazine is a trustworthy and honesty acquiring acknowledgment from business pioneers universally.
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