“My interest in cybersecurity was driven by the Importance of Safeguarding Our Digital Ecosyste”
“The defining moment in my choice to pursue a career in cybersecurity came from observing the evolving dynamics of cyber threats. The compelling challenge of crafting responsive defenses against an ever-evolving array of cyber risks solidified my commitment to this field”
Leveraging both his expertise and strategic thinking, Ankush Chowdhary was able to contribute to shaping cybersecurity initiatives.
“Through roles that involved technical leadership and strategic planning, I gained a deeper understanding of the complexities and difficulties involved in securing digital networks,” he adds.
Additionally, the opportunity to safeguard information integrity and privacy for organizations and individuals became a motivator for Ankush Chowdhary.
This responsibility continues to grow throughout his journey alongside advancements in technology, reinforcing his dedication to learning, problem-solving, and contributing meaningfully to safeguarding assets and infrastructure.
A Security Leader on the Ascend
Ankush Chowdhary is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with a progressive career spanning over 25 years. His journey includes architecting secure networks and lawful interception platforms, demonstrating a firm foundation in technical expertise. Throughout his career, Ankush has consistently sought leadership roles, taking on responsibilities like managing teams, developing strategies, and driving business growth.
His experience traverses across diverse organizations, including industry giants like IBM, Google, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft. This exposure has equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of the security landscape across various domains and cloud environments. Ankush is a strong advocate for staying ahead of the curve, which is evident in his pursuit of certifications in security best practices and emerging technologies like Cloud Security.
Currently, Ankush Chowdhary serves as the Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). In this role, he spearheads the development and execution of a forward-thinking cybersecurity strategy. His vision is to proactively neutralize threats and build a resilient security infrastructure, fostering a security-first culture within the organization.
Ankush led a digital security transformation, enhanced incident response, and transformed cybersecurity through innovation and strategic partnerships. These achievements showcase his commitment to excellence and ability to translate vision into tangible results.
A Cybersecurity Leader in Perpetual Learning
Ankush Chowdhary thrives in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. He encourages a culture of continuous learning by actively engaging with the community, pursuing certifications (Google, AWS, Microsoft), and participating in industry events. By authoring “Official Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Security Engineer Exam Guide,” solidify his understanding and drive ongoing research.
As a leader, he champions knowledge sharing within his team, ensuring everyone stays ahead of the curve through dedicated learning time and access to resources. By staying hands-on in daily operations, Ankush Chowdhary remains at the forefront of advancements and threats, enabling proactive cybersecurity measures. This dedication to continuous learning empowers him and his team to excel in the dynamic world of cybersecurity.
A Cybersecurity Leader Forging Resilience
Ankush Chowdhary’s career exemplifies his commitment to overcoming cybersecurity challenges. He has consistently faced and conquered evolving threats, shaping his strategic approach along the way.
- Evolving Threat: The complexity of cyber threats has been a constant battle. At IBM, Ankush led efforts to refine detection capabilities and proactively anticipate breaches to combat this growing sophistication.
- Security in the Cloud: Balancing security with agility and performance in cloud architectures presented another hurdle. During his tenure at Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ankush Chowdhary tackled this challenge head-on.
- Regulatory Compliance: Adapting to diverse legal frameworks while fostering innovation has been a persistent challenge. Ankush Chowdhary navigated these complexities while leading security risk and compliance efforts in the Asia Pacific region at AWS. Influencing government entities to shape security regulations in the public sector demanded a similar balance between understanding constraints and opportunities.
- Talent Acquisition: Beyond technical hurdles, Ankush championed the recruitment and retention of cybersecurity professionals. He fosters a culture of innovation to keep his teams motivated and at the forefront of the field.
These challenges have underscored the importance of resilience, creativity, and teamwork in cybersecurity. They shaped Ankush’s view of the field as one that demands constant vigilance and adaptability.
The Perils of Today’s World of Cybersecurity:
| Ransomware: | This persistent threat continues to harm businesses, with the shift to double extortion tactics further escalating the situation. |
| Supply Chain Attacks: | Recent high-profile incidents highlight the vulnerabilities of interconnected business environments. Attackers exploit third-party services and software to infiltrate targeted networks. |
| Phishing and Social Engineering: | Despite advancements, the human element remains a weak point. Advanced phishing schemes and social engineering tactics are still effective ways for attackers to gain access to sensitive data. |
| State-Sponsored Attacks: | The rise of cyber activities backed by nation-states poses a significant threat to businesses, national security, and vital infrastructure. These attacks are often well-funded and highly sophisticated. |
| Cloud Security: | With more businesses transitioning to cloud-based systems, ensuring the security of these platforms becomes paramount. |
Ankush Chowdhary’s experience emphasizes the need for a layered security strategy. This includes utilizing security tools, educating employees, implementing vigorous policies, and staying ahead of evolving threats. However, the true aim goes beyond mere defense.
“It’s about cultivating a security culture that can adapt and respond effectively,” he adds.
Leading High-Performing Cybersecurity Teams
Ankush Chowdhary’s approach to cybersecurity extends beyond technical expertise. He understands the importance of cultivating a team environment that thrives on technical skills and collaboration. Over the years at leading tech firms, he has honed a method for building high-performing cybersecurity teams.
At the core lies a focus on diverse expertise. Ankush Chowdhary prioritizes assembling teams with a rich blend of skills, incorporating hackers, compliance experts, and individuals from various backgrounds. He actively motivates his team to pursue ongoing learning opportunities through certifications, workshops, and industry events. He ensures the team stays abreast of the latest advancements and threats.
Furthermore, Ankush empowers his team members by entrusting them with ownership of their tasks and responsibilities, creating trust, and allowing individuals to grasp the impact of their contributions. “I understand the importance of appreciation,” Ankush asserts. He consistently acknowledges team achievements and provides clear paths for career development.
Finally, Ankush leads by example. As cybersecurity professionals, the responsibility of safeguarding data and privacy is crucial. He leads with integrity and ensures his team adheres to the highest ethical standards.
By prioritizing these values, Ankush Chowdhary has successfully guided teams that protect organizations and drive innovation in the cybersecurity sector.
Balancing Security and Usability
“To balance between cybersecurity with user-friendly technology is a constant challenge,” quotes Ankush Chowdhary.
He prioritizes user experience by designing easy-to-use security processes and integrating security from the start of product development.
Education is key. Ankush empowers users through security awareness programs and leverages feedback loops to continuously improve user experience without compromising safety. He recognizes the value of security advocates but emphasizes managing this approach to avoid hindering core security functions.
Furthermore, Ankush Chowdhary sees AI and automation as tools to enhance security while reducing user burden. His focus on innovative solutions fosters a user-friendly security environment that empowers users while safeguarding assets. This approach creates a win-win for both users and security professionals.
Collaboration for Stronger Cybersecurity
Ankush Chowdhary champions collaboration to combat evolving cyber threats.
| Shared intelligence | Real-time sharing of information enables quicker detection and response to potential threats. |
| Combined expertise | Partnerships leverage unique knowledge from various organizations. |
| Fueling innovation | Collaboration with research institutions drives advancements in security solutions. |
| Industry standards | Partnerships establish and advocate for robust security frameworks. |
| Supply chain security | Close collaboration safeguards the entire interconnected ecosystem. |
| Coordinated response | Established partnerships enable a swift and unified response to cyber incidents. |
| Addressing talent shortage | Collaboration allows organizations to share resources for talent acquisition. |
By promoting a collaborative approach, Ankush has strengthened individual defenses and elevated industry-wide security.
A Memorable Project: Balancing Security and Privacy
“One of the demanding projects I oversaw was, during my time at Telstra. I was in charge of developing a cutting-edge lawful interception platform, which posed challenges as well as legal and ethical considerations,” Ankush asserts.
A defining project in Ankush Chowdhary’s career involved the development of a system for law enforcement agencies to intercept various communications. This system encompassed mobile calls, landlines, internet data, emails, text messages, multimedia messages, and even video calls.
The project demanded a delicate balancing act—ensuring public safety while upholding fundamental privacy rights. Ankush’s team required deep expertise in network structures, encryption methods, and data security measures. Their challenge was to design a secure, reliable solution capable of handling massive data volumes without disrupting user services.
A significant hurdle was future-proofing the system. Anticipating evolving communication technologies was crucial to ensure Telstra remained compliant and at the forefront of capabilities. Collaboration was paramount. Working with government partners ensured the system adhered to all legal standards while maintaining the highest security and privacy protocols.
Managing this initiative has honed Ankush Chowdhary’s leadership skills and underscored the significant impact cybersecurity can have on the broader community. It exemplifies the power of leveraging technology for the public good while maintaining rigorous security and privacy safeguards.
Measuring Success with a Multifaceted Approach
Ankush understands that measuring the success of cybersecurity goes beyond simply safeguarding the organization. Effective cybersecurity initiatives must also align with business goals. Here’s how he evaluates these metrics:
| Reduced Security Incidents and Faster Response Times:A decline in the frequency and severity of security breaches over time, coupled with faster identification, response, and recovery from incidents, indicates a stronger defense posture. Ankush has a proven track record of achieving this, notably reducing breach response times in previous roles. | Reduced Security Incidents and Faster Response Times: A decline in the frequency and severity of security breaches over time, coupled with faster identification, response, and recovery from incidents, indicates a stronger defense posture. Ankush has a proven track record of achieving this, notably reducing breach response times in previous roles. |
| Return on Investment (ROI) and Risk Management: Ankush measures the ROI of security investments by considering cost savings from preventing incidents and improved business continuity. He also uses maturity models to benchmark the cybersecurity program against industry standards and identify areas for improvement. Penetration testing provides additional insights into vulnerabilities and the effectiveness of existing security measures. Risk exposure levels are assessed before and after implementing security measures to quantify the value of cybersecurity efforts. | Compliance and User Education: Adherence to industry standards like GDPR and SOC 2 demonstrates a commitment to strong security practices. Additionally, evaluating the decrease in user-related security incidents after awareness training sessions helps gauge the effectiveness of user education programs. |
| Security Culture and Continuous Improvement: While assessing the integration of security into company culture can be challenging, Ankush utilizes surveys, participation in security training, and regular security audits to evaluate its effectiveness. He believes that successful cybersecurity programs enhance business operations without hindering efficiency. |
By analyzing qualitative and quantitative metrics, Ankush Chowdhary continuously adjusts cybersecurity strategies to protect the organization and boost its growth. His approach ensures that cybersecurity is not just a shield but also an enabler for business success.
A Dynamic Cybersecurity Future
Ankush anticipates a future of cybersecurity shaped by a modular security framework (cybersecurity mesh) for adaptable defenses. Cybersecurity professionals must adapt and cultivate user awareness to combat evolving threats. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a vital role in proactive threat prediction and prevention.
Cloud security will be paramount as businesses migrate. Zero-trust architectures and enhanced access controls are expected. Quantum computing presents threats as well as innovative defenses, potentially requiring updated encryption methods and ongoing security R&D.
Regulations may become stricter, emphasizing proactive compliance like GDPR. The threat terrain will diversify, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity for national security. Educating users remains essential, and incident response may see automation for improved efficiency. Heightened efforts will bolster security across supply chains.
By embracing these trends and continuous learning, Ankush Chowdhary believes cybersecurity professionals can steer the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Advice for Building Success
Ankush outlines a roadmap for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. A foundation in core cybersecurity concepts, risk management, governance, and compliance is essential. Specialization in network security, cloud security, or ethical hacking, coupled with relevant certifications, validates expertise.
Continuous learning is paramount in this dynamic field. Industry publications, webinars, workshops, and conferences keep professionals abreast of emerging threats and technologies. Hands-on experience is invaluable. Seek project opportunities, internships, or create personal labs. Hackathons and capture-the-flag competitions provide excellent learning grounds.
Developing soft skills like communication, leadership, and problem-solving is crucial. Effective communication translates complex security concepts, while leadership skills are essential for guiding teams. Cybersecurity professionals who align security efforts with business objectives are invaluable assets.
Maintaining the highest ethical standards is prominent in a field entrusted with sensitive data. Upholding integrity builds respect and trust within the industry. By embracing continuous learning and readily confronting challenges, aspiring professionals can carve successful careers in cybersecurity.
“Remember, a career in cybersecurity goes beyond defending against threats. It involves being at the forefront of safeguarding and shaping the future of society”
Ankush Chowdhary
