Trust-first leadership

Part 1 published in the September 2025 issue of Indian Management) of this Series explored how leaders are building competitive advantage through co-creation with customers, cybersecurity executives face their unique trust-building challenge. Part 2 explores how cybersecurity leaders are redefining organisational resilience, moving from prevention-first’ to resilience-ready’ strategies that combine AI capabilities with human expertise to handle massive threat volumes while strengthening stakeholder confidence.

- VIKRAM RAMESH

When cyber criminals can infiltrate a company in under eight minutes, the old 'build bigger walls' approach to security becomes not just inadequate but dangerous. As Accenture's Technology Vision 2025' reveals, 77 per cent of executives believe unlocking the actual benefits of AI will only be possible when it is built on a foundation of trust and that foundation requires robust cybersecurity. For all managers in this rapidly digitalising economy, this is no longer just an IT problem. It is a fundamental leadership challenge that demands a complete rethinking of how organisations approach cybersecurity in an Aldriven world.

This article explores how forward-thinking leaders are redefining security from reactive defense to proactive resilience. By examining the evolution of Security Operations Centers (SOCs), the transformative power of AI-human partnerships, and real-world case studies of successful implementations, we will uncover why cybersecurity has become a C-suite imperative that can no longer be delegated solely to IT departments. Most importantly, we will provide a practical framework for general managers to champion AI-driven security initiatives that protect their organisations while building stakeholder confidence in an uncertain threat landscape.

The security landscape every leader must understand

What is a SOC?

A Security Operations Center (SOC) is your organisation's nerve centre for cybersecurity—a centralised team of specialists who monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats 24/7. Think of it as your digital immune system, constantly scanning for signs of intrusion and mobilising defenses when attacks occur. Traditional SOCs operated like fortress guards, watching for known threats and following predetermined playbooks.