'CISOs should foster a more security-focused culture'

As cybersecurity threats continue to rise, every organization is looking at ways to combat the menace.

- Sohini Bagchi

In an interview, Lena Smart, chief information security officer (CISO) at database firm MongoDB, said while it is important to invest in technologies for safety and security within the company, the need of the hour is to build a culture of cyber trust and a strong cybersecurity policy to ensure the entire organization moves in the right direction. Smart, who is also a founding partner of cybersecurity at MIT Sloan (CAMS), talks about the CISO’s changing role in response to the increasing threats, bringing more women in cybersecurity and more. Edited excerpts:

What are the emerging areas you see in cybersecurity today?

The top three evolving areas in cybersecurity according to me are—the use of AI, increasing regulations, and continuous monitoring. Generative AI is clearly big and has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. However, it also poses some security risks, such as data security, model security, bias and privacy. Organizations can mitigate these risks by following the best practices to ensure that generative AI is used in a safe and responsible manner.