Knowledge Hub

The convergence of AI with cybersecurity and the rapid evolution of technology is blurring the boundaries in cybersecurity. At GovWare Focus in July, over 150 cyber leaders came together to discuss how the rapid adoption of new tech has profound implications for the evolution of leadership roles and business innovations, compliance considerations, and how to build greater cyber resilience in today's complex threatscape, with a lens on CII sectors.

Cybersecurity teams have their work cut out for them when acquiring new cybersecurity solutions. They must juggle multiple tasks simultaneously, including resisting pressure from internal stakeholders, conducting proof-of-concept evaluations, collaborating with vendors, and keeping users appeased. How can cybersecurity leaders navigate the chaos and emerge with the right tools? We speak with Hoo Chuan-Wei, CISO of StarHub and Yaron Slutzky, CSO of Agoda on this important but rarely-talked-about topic.

Instead of focusing solely on business-centric benefits, customers and associated stakeholders should be the primary considerations for the design of digital applications, says Ng Hoo Ming, President of the ASEAN Chief Information Officer Association (ACIOA). We spoke with him about the importance of trust in an evolving digital landscape, why businesses have a responsibility to adopt a consumer protection by design mindset, and what they can do to better protect their customers.

How has the role of the modern-day CISO evolved, and what do we really expect of a good CISO? Angel Redoble, the Chairman and Founding President of the Philippine Institute of Cyber Security Professionals (PICSPro) says hiring the right CISO is crucial, but it is equally important that organisations empower them with the resources and authority to succeed. In this candid interview, Redoble talks about balancing cyber with business realities, accountability, burnout – and why a CISO is a noble job that is not for the faint of heart.

It is now nearly four years on from a pandemic that gripped the world and catalysed digital transformation in both the private and public sectors.   In the intervening years, we have seen governments prioritise the rollout of online services and transactions, establish online sources of truth, and develop digital health initiatives.   More recently, new focus areas have emerged in 2023. GovInsider highlights the five trends that have dominated the digital government scene in Asia-Pacific in the year just past. These range from the implementation of artificial intelligence to a sharpened focus on digital sovereignty as means to safeguard sensitive data. 

In an era where data is regarded as the crown jewels of an organisation, how can businesses ensure the sanctity of their data, especially as cybersecurity practitioners have largely given up on a citadel approach and now actively plan for the eventuality of a breach? We speak with Ilias Chantzos, the Global Privacy Officer and Head of EMEA Government Affairs at Broadcom for his take on the evolving nature of data, what happens after a data breach, and how organisations can better protect their data.

The fluid cybersecurity landscape is continually changing as new technologies are introduced and novel threats emerge. As unique attack vectors surface, CISOs must stay updated and swiftly adapt their defences to tackle these new and evolving challenges. We ask Leonard Ong, Director, Cyber Defense Group at Synapxe and Ron Green, Cybersecurity Fellow at Mastercard about their thoughts on the changing digital landscape and what CISOs can do to strengthen their security posture and stay ahead of bad actors.

Would you know if a cyber adversary were to successfully break into your organisation? There are more threats than ever in today’s digital environment, and attack surfaces are constantly expanding due to the widespread adoption of cloud services, remote work, and complex hybrid cloud deployments. Threat defence today isn’t focused on protecting against attacks alone, but about preventing them from making inroads and wreaking havoc. Here’s how Network Detection and Response (NDR) can help organisations gain better visibility into their environments and detect threats early.

Leadership acumen and the ability to effectively engage with stakeholders are some of the key competencies expected of government chief information security officers (CISOs), shared GovTech Singapore’s speakers at GovWare 2023 as part of the Singapore International Cyber Week. Tham Mei Leng, CISO for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), shared how she leads MSE in tackling its unique cybersecurity challenges while embracing digitalisation, while Soh Zhi Qi, Assistant Director with GovTech Singapore, shared how the agency drives a whole-of-government approach to tackling cybersecurity threats, GovInsider reports.

No cyber defence is perfect. With enough time, technical sophistication, and a sufficiently motivated attacker, even the strongest defences may fail. Enterprises need a robust plan and relevant capabilities that will allow them to respond quickly should attackers ever gain unauthorised access. Indeed, the Mandiant 2023 M-Trends report shows that attackers in the Asia Pacific are gaining access using old footholds. What are the top considerations in incident response and how can organisations ensure that threat actors are fully rooted out?