#253 Valmiki Mukherjee On Navigating Cyber Risks, The Impact of AI and the Role of CISOs

Welcoming Valmiki Mukherjee, the cybersecurity maestro to the show! As Accolite's Chief Information Security Officer and the visionary founder of Cyber Future Foundation, Valmiki's two decades in the industry are a treasure trove of wisdom that he freely shares. Our conversation travels through his professional journey, conveying the multifaceted role of a CISO, the criticality of communication skills, and the rising prominence of this position in the tech world. Strap in as we navigate the intricate realm of vendor security in cyber risk. Valmiki presents an illuminating perspective on the complex security challenges of technology vendors and the urgent issue of vendor consolidation. Our dialogue goes beyond, discussing risk management, the significance of cyber insurance, and the challenges in quantifying risk. We throw light on how cyber insurance can serve as a financial safety net for organizations, shielding them from the havoc a cyber attack could wreak. Finally, we step into the ever-evolving world of cloud security and responsible AI. Valmiki brilliantly dissects the concept of shared responsibility in cloud security and the impact of AI on risk management and cybersecurity. He passionately advocates for responsible and secure AI, pointing to the efforts of the Cyber Future Foundation’s SAFE project in this field. Offering pearls of wisdom for budding cybersecurity professionals and startup founders, Valmiki's insights on AI's potential to automate manual work and lower cyber threats are not to be missed. Tune in to this enlightening episode and embark on a fascinating journey through cybersecurity's many dimensions. More about Valmiki: Valmiki is a preeminent and globally renowned Risk and Cyber Security executive leader with a distinguished career in developing, building, and leading the cybersecurity transformation journey for many businesses, public agencies, nations, and their civil societies around the world.Valmiki in his career as a cybersecurity professional and multifaceted leader has built global platforms for leadership and leveraged it to make a meaningful impact in collaboration with executive leaders from different domains to build and deliver comprehensive and outcome-oriented programs. He has supported his holistic cybersecurity thinking into action by sponsoring projects, programs, and initiatives both at his day job at EY as well as his nonprofit Cyber Future Foundation. Valmiki is a proven leader and visionary with exceptional ability to build long-term relationships with industry across sectors, and internal stakeholders by establishing a high level of confidence, credibility and trust in advising and implementing solutions. In the industry and cyber security community, Valmiki has established himself to be an impactful business leader and market builder, with a keen understanding of business priorities and economic impacts. He has demonstrated expertise in rapidly enabling organizations with key strategy, policy, and technology risk management solutions.Valmiki is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified on Risk in Information Security Control (CRISC) https://www.linkedin.com/in/valmikim https://www.cyfrontier.com https://cyberfuturefoundation.org