Ilakiya Ulaganathan is a renowned cybersecurity technology risk and control leader with over 15 years in Information Technology and Information Security. With a strong educational foundation in Information Technology from Anna University and a constellation of technical certifications, which includes CISSP, CCSP, and various AWS certifications, she has proven herself a leading expert in application security and risk management. Her innovative approach to security framework implementation and developing risk-aware solutions has made her the recipient of some awards, including the CIO Recognition Award and the Risk Expo Star Performer Award. Throughout her career, she has accomplished remarkable success in the installation of strong security mechanisms and the development of innovative resolutions to address complex technological problems across industries.
Q 1: What sets the trajectory for the cybersecurity and technology risk management industry?
A: I was initiated into cybersecurity for the following primary reasons: proper foundation-building in software development and information technology. Quite early in my career, I learned that given security relations with technological advancements, more and greater importance should be allotted to solid security measures. The dynamic nature of the cyber threat landscape and the need to protect the digital assets of organizations while continuing to enable their growth have inspired me to specialize in this field.
Q 2: How do you approach risk assessment and control evaluation with the constantly changing technological landscape?
A: My approach to risk assessment is holistic and proactive. I very deeply believe in combining traditional security frameworks with innovative pieces of technology. This involves evaluating the efficacy of controls, documenting operational risks, and working closely with application and product teams to develop risk-aware solutions. Another aspect I wish I could emphasize is being able to synergize security requirements with business objectives and regulatory standards. Striking a balance between these three and actually getting the job done in harmony is fundamental for the security team.
Q 3: How do you see cloud security and its development?
A: Cloud security has always been a blossoming term with an increasing amount of focus as different organizations have shifted towards utilizing cloud-based solutions. Through my own experience in AWS and cloud security, I state boldly that the real success of cloud security lies in a deep understanding of traditional security principles while monitoring cloud-native security controls along with risk assessments that carry the full byte of cloud infrastructure. My approach towards solution includes performing a cloud risk assessment and creating proofs of concept for secure application deployment in the cloud—ensuring a safe shield of regulatory standards.
Q 4: What is your perspective on automation in cybersecurity risk management?
A: Automation is key to modern cybersecurity. I have driven some significant automation initiatives over conversion of manual processes, particularly in access management and security scanning. I’ve proven my automation of risk analytics by using ETL tools like QlikView and Tableau and providing dashboard analytics that target critical areas of security posture within a real-time environment. Establishing automation for both monitoring and reporting will eliminate human error—more accuracy, more efficiency—and let those responsible security team focus on implementing more strategic initiatives; but indeed, the concept would be to identify and choose opportunities where automation could bring out significant benefits with the proper oversight, ensuring the system is secure and monitored regularly.
Q 5: What strategies are your adopted to build, nurture, and conduct effective team security?
A: Building successful security teams calls for a rich blend of skill and leadership. I emphasize an environment that encourages learning within a group of security-minded individuals. It involves regular sharing of knowledge, being transparent with goal setting, and making sure team members have some perspective about their tasks both in the way of technical and direct commercial impact. I profoundly believe and work steadfastly on the structured development program prototyping with the individual, to grow continuously, integrated with mentorship within the team, perpetually informing them of progress toward their knowledge, creating aptitude skills against current threats. I equally inform my team to stay updated on the contemporary dimension-security certification and conferences.
Q 6: How do you make sure security measures address business needs effectively?
A: Ensuring that security measures are aligned with business objectives is a major key to success. I work closely with stakeholders to understand what activities the organization is into, and then introduce some solid answers running the organization, grounded in security instead of hindering.
Q 7: How does compliance factor into your cybersecurity approach?
A: While achieving compliance is a foundation for anything, compliance, in all truth, signifies becoming a profitable deal. Compliance comes as an integrated part alongside a clubbed security framework, which regards security as being much stronger than just compliance. From an extensive base when it comes to various regulatory metrics, control evaluations, formal documentation, my own perspective entwines in designing security solutions that meet the theory behind the many variants within the regulatory frameworks as well as those which protect day-to-day security demands.
Q 8: How do you handle incident response and risk-mitigation handling?
A: A clearly defined and diligent approach with an incident response is necessary. I believe in good, developing incident response plans. They typically cover specifics, like the kind of communication process, the position assignments, and responsibilities, including beneficially implementing practice drills and table-top exercises. Incident response programmed never for just operational functions; their application has to do mostly with learning to handle mistakes and improvements.
Q 9: What words of wisdom would you offer to someone aspiring toward cybersecurity?
A: For those considering it, I would always permit professionals to build a substantial footing of technical knowledge while also cultivating a broader view of business operations. Stay thirsty for certifications, practical knowledge, and experimentation. In my opinion, in-depth knowledge of both development and operations is invaluable while applying your new knowledge, since it enables you to gauge effective security from the standpoint of how things are built and deployed. Additionally, soft skills can make a world of difference, e.g., communication and problem-solving; both are necessary as one works with a broad range of general business staff. I would suggest starting a career with security groups, attending conferences, learning hacks for themselves, and following the black-hat community so that one is proactive in audits of systems, applications, and networks.
Q 10: Your opinions on future cybersecurity.
A: The paradigm of cybersecurity is and will be determined by the new waves of advanced technology-tremendous AI/ML, probability quantum computing, and evolution of the targeting response systems. However, the basic rules of risk management and security control remain critical. There is a humongous need for budding professionals in this field to learn to be adaptable by learning continuously, centering their efforts on developing products to be used against the rising threats, always emphasizing the need for robust protection of data and essential assets.
Who is Ilakiya Ulaganathan?
Ilakiya Ulaganathan is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with significant experience in technology risk management and control. Her expertise encompasses application security, cloud security, and regulatory compliance. With a profile full of certifications like CISSP, CCSP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, and numerous ISO certifications, she has exhibited her proficiency across multiple domains of securities. Her groundbreaking paradigm for cybersecurity and risk management has earned her many accolades throughout her career, from those on an individual level to team ones. A vociferous proponent for security awareness and education, she has initiated initiatives in the sphere of cyber education and automation in risk assessment. As a thought leader, even now, she advances the art and science of cybersecurity while mentoring the next cohort of security professionals and influencing secure practices in the cloud and DevOps environments.
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