Calling cybersecurity a business risk and not just a technology risk in the era of artificial intelligence, Bithal Kumar Bhardwaj, Group CISO of GMR Group batted for the inclusion of issues related to cybersecurity in annual reports.

Bhardwaj further underscored the importance of board-level involvement and said, “Once you have a mention of cybersecurity and risk recognised by the organisation in the public domain, it’s about making sure that you bring in somebody like a curator or any other competitive partner to get the assessment done.”

He along with Irina Ghose, Managing Director of Microsoft India and South Asia; Satvinder Madhok, CTO and Global Head of Technology Infra of Wipro; and Akhilesh Tuteja, Global Head (Cyber Security) of KPMG, participated in a virtual conversation on ‘India’s evolving cybersecurity landscape in the era of AI’. 

Collective approach

A key takeaway from the discussion was the unanimous agreement that cybersecurity is not simply a technology issue but a critical business risk that requires a collective approach.

This shift in perspective highlights the need for organisations to integrate cybersecurity with their overall business strategy and risk management framework. 

The conversation also explored the transformative potential of AI in cybersecurity. Ghose highlighted Microsoft’s advancements in leveraging AI to analyse trillions of signals, enabling proactive threat detection and response.

Madhok added that AI-powered tools are crucial for translating these signals into actionable intelligence, empowering security professionals to make informed decisions. 

While acknowledging the benefits of AI, the panelists cautioned against overreliance on technology. Tuteja emphasised the importance of human expertise, stating, “Generative AI can’t replace people.”

Security poverty line

“Security is a team sport. It’s not just the responsibility of the security or engineering teams creating the product — each of us must ensure our own security and foster a culture of security with our customers and partners,” Ghose said.

“In the last two years, India has become economically and digitally richer, attracting more cybercriminals. A key issue is the ‘security poverty line’, where many lack the education, awareness, or resources to protect themselves in the digital world,” said Tuteja.

“The shift to ‘work from anywhere’ due to COVID-19 has removed geographic dependency, creating new challenges for CIOs. Addressing phantomisation, AI integration, and changing work environments with a cohesive plan is crucial for organisational and national security,”  Madhok said.

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