How CISOs are shaping the future of innovation and trust

Pleased to annouce our lunch keynote will address 'Zero Trust & AI — Strengthening Security, Reducing Complexity, and Driving Innovation'   at the Melbourne CIO & CISO Executive Summit held on November 13. Zero Trust & AI are revolutionizing security measures, streamlining operations, and fostering innovation in businesses. To fully harness the benefits of AI, CIOs and CISOs must navigate through transformation hurdles. This involves adopting a contemporary zero trust framework to safeguard data and users, integrating AI effectively while mitigating associated risks, and managing the complexities of expanding digital landscapes. Embracing a risk-based security approach empowers CIOs and CISOs to orchestrate a secure, step-by-step evolution. In this informative session, Heng Mok's presentation will delve into: - Understand how zero trust and AI together, unlike firewalls, provide the strongest cyber defense by stopping threat actors from lateral movement within networks. - Learn strategies for protecting AI applications developed in data centers and the cloud, while preventing data leaks from public AI applications. - Discover how eliminating costly legacy hardware simplifies environments while cutting network and security costs Don't miss this opportunity to explore the transformative alliance between zero trust principles and AI advancements, paving the way for enhanced security and operational efficiency. To RSVP for community summit, please email me on denzil.fernandez@gartner.com Gartner C-level Communities I Zscaler I Gartner #zerotrust #CIO #CISO #AIadvancements #legacy

Last week, the Check Point Software ANZ team partnered with 121connects Australia and New Zealand to host two impactful SASE events in Wellington and Auckland, bringing together technology and cybersecurity leaders to explore the evolving landscape of GenAI, Zero Trust, and digital resilience. In Wellington, Rui Lopes delivered a keynote on “Bringing Zero Trust to Life with GenAI and Automation”, sparking meaningful discussion around how automation and AI are transforming security architectures. Guests also enjoyed a curated networking and tasting experience that fostered open conversations on innovation and leadership. The Auckland session took place at the QT Rooftop, offering an inspiring setting for leaders to share insights and strategies. Tim Sheedy Principal and Founder, Singularity Research & VP Research Ecosystm shared a guest presentation on "The Future of Cyber in an AI World". The panel featuring Cassandra Paroulakis (MBA), Tribavan Raina त्रिभवन रैना, and Rui Lopes, explored industry trends and customer insight. “The Future of Cyber in an AI World”, addressing both the opportunities and challenges emerging in the era of AI-powered threats. Key themes included: - The rise of next-gen attacks driven by AI and automation - The critical role of leadership and culture in building cyber resilience - How SASE supports secure, cloud-native connectivity for distributed teams - The need for proactive board and CISO strategies to stay ahead of evolving risks A huge thank you to our speakers, and attendees for making these events such a success - and to everyone involved in helping shape conversations that keep Check Point at the forefront of cybersecurity leadership across the region. Mark Baker Barbara Simon Regan Burke Mihai Efrim Shaun Graham David Johnston David Tiong Charlie Gallagher Anton du Preez Andrew Little

🚨 Cybersecurity meets GenAI in New Zealand! 🇳🇿✨ Last week, the Check Point Software ANZ team partnered with 121connects Australia and New Zealand to host two high-impact SASE events in Wellington and Auckland — bringing together tech and security leaders to explore the future of GenAI, Zero Trust, and digital resilience. 🔑 In Wellington, Rui Lopes delivered a powerful keynote: “Bringing Zero Trust to Life with GenAI and Automation” — sparking deep conversations on how AI is reshaping security architectures. 🍷 Guests also enjoyed a curated networking and tasting experience, creating space for open dialogue on innovation and leadership. 🌇 In Auckland, the QT Rooftop set the stage for bold ideas. Tim Sheedy (Singularity Research & VP Research Ecosystm) shared insights on: “The Future of Cyber in an AI World” followed by a dynamic panel with Cassandra Paroulakis (MBA), Tribavan Raina त्रिभवन रैना, and Rui Lopes — diving into emerging threats and customer perspectives. 💡 Key themes: AI-driven next-gen attacks & automation Leadership & culture as pillars of cyber resilience SASE enabling secure cloud-native connectivity Proactive board & CISO strategies to stay ahead 👏 Huge thanks to our speakers, attendees, and everyone shaping the future of cybersecurity across the region. Let’s keep the momentum going! #CheckPoint #SASE #GenAI #ZeroTrust #CyberResilience #Leadership #Innovation #ANZSecurity #FutureOfCyber 👥 Shoutout to: Mark Baker · Barbara Simon · Regan Burke · Mihai Efrim · Shaun Graham · David Johnston · David Tiong · Charlie Gallagher · Anton du Preez · Andrew Little

The more connected our world becomes, the more intertwined resilience, trust, and leadership truly are. This World Economic Forum piece captures a growing reality: cybersecurity, data integrity and business resilience are now one and the same. Technology alone can’t close that gap; leadership must.     In my conversations with customers, I’m seeing this shift firsthand. Organizations are realizing that real digital transformation isn’t only about adopting AI or modernizing data infrastructure but about creating cultures that govern with confidence and build trust at scale.     Worth the read for anyone thinking about what it takes to lead responsibly in an era where innovation and accountability must move at the same speed.     https://lnkd.in/ei2pw5KU 

DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) and Microsoft have unveiled new global research, The Trust Report: From Risk Management to Strategic Resilience in Cybersecurity. The study highlights that Zero Trust is now essential for organizations, helping reduce security incidents and improve resilience. Yet, only 30% of companies currently use AI authentication tools, signaling untapped potential to strengthen cybersecurity. Key insights include: 🔹66% of organizations struggle with legacy systems in adopting Zero Trust. 🔹72% say new threats drive continuous Zero Trust improvements. 🔹Over 50% report that Zero Trust enhances both security and user experience. Dawn-Marie Vaughan, Global Offering Lead Cybersecurity at DXC, emphasized, “Zero Trust is increasingly the standard. Organizations must evaluate security holistically across identity, devices, networks, applications, and data.” Alex Simons, CVP at Microsoft Entra, added, “Building Zero Trust solutions alongside DXC enables tighter integration, simplified operations, and greater visibility and control.” Zero Trust is not a one-time project, it’s a journey requiring culture change, continuous monitoring, and collaboration with trusted partners. Read more: https://lnkd.in/euZJSYPp #Cybersecurity #ZeroTrust #AI #DXCTechnology #Microsoft #TechInnovation #SecurityResilience #DigitalTransformation #TECHx #TECHxMEDIA 🔔 Follow TECHx Media for more Tech innovations, Exclusive interviews & Industry Updates!

𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. The first 2026 cybersecurity trend named in a recent Forbes article from futurist Bernard Marr says it all: “𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱.” Marr hits on everything we see with our clients — from AI agents that learn faster than security teams can respond, to deepfake-driven social engineering that targets trust more than tech. What stood out most to me? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. As a Digital Transformation Architect, I’ve seen that the best cyber strategy doesn’t start with tools. It starts with understanding people, missions, and operational realities. Only then can we design technology that’s resilient, responsive, and ready for AI- and quantum-driven threats. Transformation isn’t just about adopting emerging technologies. It’s about preparing your workforce, architecture, and culture to use them responsibly and securely. Curious where AI-driven attacks, deepfakes, ransomware-as-a-service, and quantum threats are heading next? The full article is worth a read. Here’s the link: https://lnkd.in/evPAfBj5 And I’d love to hear what trend feels most urgent for your organization!

We’re pleased to feature Shashank Devlekar, 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 (𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗔), Siemens, as a panelist at the 𝟭𝟭ᵗʰ 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗲 & 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱. 📅 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 |📍𝗧𝗮𝗷 𝗠𝗚 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗿𝘂 💡𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 – 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 will highlight how organizations can build a resilient cybersecurity framework by aligning culture, processes, and technology. The discussion will emphasize fostering a security-first mindset, streamlining security operations, and leveraging AI, automation, and emerging tools to enhance collaboration across teams and ensure long-term cyber resilience. 🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/dnAih3jn #UBSFCISO #CISOConclave2025 #UBSForums #Siemens #CyberSecurity #IndustrialCybersecurity #DigitalResilience #SecurityStrategy #AI #Leadership #PanelDiscussion

Gartner's Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2026 are here 💡 Not long before half of all security spending will be preemptive solutions! By 2028, technology products lacking preemptive cybersecurity will lose market relevance as buyers prioritize proactive defense over traditional detection and response. Explore the strategies shaping tomorrow: https://gtnr.it/42M7BIP Cybersecurity vendors, how do you plan to access, and educate CIOs and C-suite buyers on the ROI of preemption security to differentiate yourselves and stay ahead? 🤔💡🤝 Gartner for IT | #GartnerSYM #TechTrends #AI #CIO #Technology

Technology leaders have evolved from managing operations to spearheading enterprise-wide transformation – an insight echoed in our new global Egon Zehnder survey of nearly 150 executives. This shift has brought them closer than ever to their boards and executive committees, united by a shared vision that places AI, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and digital transformation at the core of enterprise value creation. Explore the full survey to uncover tech leaders’ priorities, how their roles are changing, and their specific short- and long-term goals: https://ego.nz/4n7wUx1

As enterprise networks grow more complex, organizations are increasingly investing in automation and advanced detection to strengthen their security posture. New Futurum Research data reveals that 55% of organizations identified network security automation as a top investment priority, followed by Network Detection & Response (51%) and network segmentation and microsegmentation (46%). Larger enterprises show an even greater focus on automation, signaling a commitment to scaling security operations and maintaining agility across complex environments. These priorities reflect a clear evolution in enterprise security strategy, as organizations move toward more intelligent, adaptive, and resilient network architectures. Automation and NDR are increasingly serving as the core enablers of AI-driven detection, response, and continuous improvement. 🔒 Learn how leading organizations are modernizing network security through automation and intelligence: https://lnkd.in/dXBQcK3g #Cybersecurity #NetworkSecurity #Automation #AI #Futurum