CISO Trainings , Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks , Fraud Management & Cybercrime

CISO Engage: Charting a New Path Toward Security Leadership

Security leaders and practitioners convened in the historic city of Jaisalmer, India, to redefine CISO leadership and strengthen cyber defense strategies at CISO Engage Offsite 2024. The two-day event brought together experts from government, financial services and technology sectors to address the changing requirements of security leadership.

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The evolving threat landscape and regulatory mandates have pushed CISOs to move beyond traditional data protection roles and align security practices with business objectives. Security leaders examined ways to embed security into organizational DNA while serving as catalysts for business growth and innovation.

"CISO Engage Offsite 2024 was an opportunity for security leaders to fully immerse themselves in a dynamic environment focused on real-world experimentation and hands-on learning. This offsite experience allowed them to grow as forward-thinking risk leaders, strengthening their organizations and preparing for an increasingly digital landscape," said Geetha Nandikotkur, vice president of conferences for Asia, Middle East and Africa at ISMG.

The summit brought together several key figures from the industry, including Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant (retd.), former national cyber security coordinator for India's National Security Council Secretariat; Avneesh Pandey, chief general manager at Securities and Exchange Board of India; Amit Chaudhary, vice president for cloud and cyber security, Airtel Business; Shobha Jagathpal, managing director and India CISO, Morgan Stanley; Sanjeev Singh, chief information security and data protection officer, Birlasoft; and Kavitha Kadambi, CISO, Infosys.

Proactive Defense in Modern Cyber Warfare

Lt. Gen. Pant delivered a keynote on winning the cyberwar in a digitally disruptive era. He examined how cyberwarfare has transformed the threat landscape, with adversaries targeting critical infrastructure and economic systems. He drew parallels between conventional military tactics and cyber defense strategies. His session outlined frameworks for protecting critical assets and establishing proactive defense mechanisms against nation-state threats and sophisticated cyberattacks.

Redefining Security Leadership

Pandey delivered a keynote on redefining CISO leadership. His session focused on how CISOs can demonstrate inclusive leadership and become agents of change. Pandey presented strategies for security leaders to influence the C-suite's perception of information security and make it an integral part of corporate culture. He urged attendees to align security initiatives with business objectives and foster a security-first mindset across all organizational levels.

Building Three Lines of Defense

One of the sessions during the event included a workshop on "Workshop: Disrupt, Decode and Defend: The Three Lines of Defense to Solve the Cybersecurity Puzzle." Security leaders from various organizations focused on establishing three lines of defense: disrupt, decode and defend. Participants worked in groups to develop security frameworks defining roles across governance, information security, risk, compliance and audit functions. The workshop produced specific threat models and methodologies for strengthening organizational defense against emerging threats.

Resilient Security Strategies

Chaudhary of Airtel Business conducted a masterclass on developing resilient cybersecurity strategies. His session included practical demonstrations of the "Security Analytics Arsenal for Enterprises" dashboard. Chaudhary addressed key challenges in implementing zero-trust architecture and maintaining compliance with data protection regulations such as the DPDP Act. The masterclass also covered strategies for ensuring cyber resilience with minimal operational disruption and criteria for evaluating security partnerships.

"Chaudhary's masterclass provided crucial insights into the complexities of modern cybersecurity resilience. His practical demonstration of the dashboard brought to life the powerful role of analytics in threat detection and response," said Rahul Neel Mani, vice president of community engagement and editorial at ISMG. "The need for forward-thinking security partnerships is now greater than ever, and Chaudhary's guidance equipped participants with the tools to adapt and thrive amid today's digital challenges."

Key Takeaways:

• CISOs must evolve from technical experts to business enablers to align cybersecurity strategies with business objectives.
• Adopting strategies from military-inspired defense tactics can significantly bolster enterprise cybersecurity.
• Implementing a three-tiered defense framework can help improve threat response and effectively mitigate cyber risks.
• Compliance with the DPDP Act requires robust data protection strategies and continuous monitoring mechanisms.

Join ISMG at Cybersecurity Summit: Mumbai on Nov. 13, 2024. The summit will bring together leading cybersecurity digital experts and thought leaders to discuss digital resilience. The conference will cover various topics, including IoT risk, India’s cybersecurity initiatives, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and its implications, decoding security, and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, among other pressing issues.