expert
OPINION
If it works , you share it ; if it ’ s helpful , you take it .
At the end of the day , if you ’ re not able to make sure that your customers ’ data is secure , there ’ s no point in anything else . You might be a top-performing organisation , rated one of the best places to work , but when your data gets compromised , it just swallows everything . In turn , many organisations started to realise the importance of cybersecurity and a lot more focus and education was directed at cybersecurity practices .
Now it ’ s more of a continuous learning process . We need to keep repeating the same thing again and again , so that people understand that it ’ s not just a technology , it ’ s their organisation ’ s stability .
Strong communication between the C-suite is key , particularly when reviewing cybersecurity recommendations and threats . What is the best way for a CIO and CISO to work together efficiently ?
An organisation needs a good mechanism to engage with their CISO .
First , define what the basics are for the needs of the organisation . For example , the type of data , the kind of applications and the infrastructure because every organisation is different . Often , other priorities and business needs which need attention take centre stage and the basics get left behind .
Secondly , have regular meetings and discussions . What works for one issue may not work for another . Furthermore , if someone asks if you are safe and secure , the best you can say is , right now we are safe and secure . However , the moment we finish this meeting , something may crop up because we live in a very unprecedented world . New things come up , not just in terms of solutions innovation , but from those who are trying to best exploit systems as well .
Thirdly , feed these discussions upwards towards the CEO and beyond , because it ’ s important the transparency goes up . How you deal with cybersecurity issues and what kind of impact it has on the business is important to everyone .
How important is collaboration – sharing knowledge , ideas , issues and solutions – between sectors in IT ?
It is very important . You come across people who work in healthcare , insurance , banking , manufacturing , automotive , aeronautics , all very different sectors , but often the way they approach data management and cybersecurity practices are similar . Who are we to decide that what we do in our organisation may not be relevant to someone who ’ s working in another .
Knowledge-sharing and cross-collaboration is important . If it works , you share it ; if it ’ s helpful , you take it . I believe in sharing what you know and trying new things . CISOs across different industries should collaborate more , evolving the industry standards to the next level .
An interesting quote on your LinkedIn read : ‘ Leadership is about people , not personal milestone nor money ’ – could you speak more to that ?
I ’ ve seen two kinds of leadership . One is where the manager is so obsessed with their personal growth , they only focus on themselves . The other is where the manager values their employees ’ professional and personal growth .
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