Security Magazine Top Cybersecurity Leaders for 2025

nielharper

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Security Magazine for recognizing me as one of the Top Cybersecurity Leaders for 2025.

I have always been a fan of Security Magazine and their laser focus on providing information and solutions on risk management, cybersecurity, physical security & safety, and other related industry trends. So this recognition from them is particularly appreciated.

Heartiest congratulations to my good friend Jason Lau and the other awardees Anmol Agarwal, Jay Gonzales, Sandra Cavazos, and David Baker – Your commitment to digital trust and your service to the profession are mighty!

Many thanks as well go out to the amazing teams I have led at INTERPOL, Doodle, and other companies. You are the real champions!

Critical Infrastructure (CI) Protection – Are We Ready?

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Critical infrastructure (CI) are those assets, systems, and networks that provide functions necessary for our human, social, and economic wellbeing. There are key sectors that are part of a complex, interconnected ecosystem and any threat to these sectors could have far-reaching and destructive national security, economic, and public health or safety consequences. 

Despite their reliance on critical infrastructure, developing countries (and several developed nations) at-large have not implemented a nationally-coordinated framework to protect their vital information assets. Cyber attacks, such as distributed denial of service (DDoS), ransomware, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and others can severely affect all the CNI sectors. Cyber attacks differ greatly from traditional types of threats such as terrorism, criminal activities, natural disasters and industrial accidents, among others. Cyber attacks can now be initiated by any person with limited technical proficiency or resources, and these attacks can have a direct effect on overall wellbeing of modern societies.

Last week, I presented at the 2025 Guyana Energy Conference on CNI protection, particularly touching on real-world incidents and addressing the threat landscape, risk assessment, adversary categories, challenges, and opportunities. I also emphasized that a multi-stakeholder approach premised on mutual trust is optimal towards achieving CI protection outcomes.

Check out my presentation HERE.

New ISACA Research: 63 Percent of Privacy Professionals Find Their Jobs More Stressful Now Than Five Years Ago

nielharper

The ISACA State of Privacy 2025 survey report, which gathered responses from over 1,600 privacy professionals globally, revealed that 63% of these professionals find their roles more stressful than they were five years ago, with 34% reporting a significant increase in stress levels. The primary sources of stress identified in the survey were the rapid pace of technological advancements (63%), difficulties with compliance (61%), and a lack of resources (59%).

“In an increasingly complex international regulatory environment, often with lacklustre resources, it is understandable that many privacy professionals are feeling strain from their efforts to stay compliant and keep their organizations’ data safe. Addressing these challenges and getting practitioners the support they need will be vital to not only ensure a healthy privacy workforce, but also to maintain data integrity and security, and avoid potential harm to data subjects.” I made these comments via BusinessWire on the report to emphasize not only the challenges associated with implementing privacy programs, but also the importance of organizations demonstrating their commitment to data governance, data ethics, privacy rights, and overall digital trust.

With AI, the privacy landscape has changed dramatically, including the regulatory burdens for companies. Continued leadership in the boardroom, at the executive level, as well as embedding privacy principles in organizational values is integral to nurturing the trust relationship between enterprises, their customers, and society at large.

Five Ways Security Professionals Can Start the New Year Strong

nielharper

As we step into the new year, it’s crucial for cybersecurity professionals to gear up for a more secure future. Beyond just looking ahead, it’s essential to consider how our personal and professional efforts can enhance #DigitalTrust.

Thanks to ISACA for featuring my latest blog post that outlines five impactful ways to kickstart 2025 and sustain momentum throughout the year. Let’s make 2025 a milestone year for cybersecurity!

You can read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4j7qCfj

Cybersecurity: A Dynamic and Impactful Career Field

nielharper

Strengthening the cybersecurity workforce has become one of the most urgent – and universal – needs for both corporations and nation-states in recent years. Cyber capacity building is also my passion, and I have dedicated the last decade of my life to supporting the next generation of cybersecurity professionals through my work with ISACA, European Commission, and the Internet Society.

The demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to grow. As technology becomes more pervasive in our lives, so does the complexity and frequency of cyber threats. Corporations and governments are constantly seeking to bolster their cyber defenses, increasing the need for more skilled cybersecurity experts.

I wrote this article for Media Planet outlining why cybersecurity is such a dynamic and impactful career path.

Check it out: https://bit.ly/41tZT6e

How the ISACA Board and Executive Management Address Cyber Risk

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“Notes from the Boardroom” is a series of blog posts from ISACA board directors providing transparency, context and perspective on how the ISACA board is carrying out its governance responsibilities.

“Cyber risk is a major risk facing virtually all organizations, including ISACA, and the ISACA Board of Directors and executive management, particularly, acknowledge their fiduciary duty to govern cyber risks effectively. ISACA leadership realizes that our management of the broader portfolio of risks, including cyber, demonstrates to our members, customers, staff and partners that digital trust is not only a commitment that we promote commercially, but it’s also an internal ethos that guides our business.”

Check out my recent blog which discusses the various ways in which we – the Board of Directors and executive management – address cyber risk and corporate governance within ISACA.

Dispelling the Myths of Defense-Grade Cybersecurity

nielharper

Defense-grade cybersecurity solutions are specifically designed to provide advanced protection against sophisticated threats but there are many misunderstandings about this level of protection. 

Sectors like finance, healthcare and critical infrastructure can use battle hardened defense-grade cybersecurity to tackle today’s cyber threats.  

In this webinar hosted by Infosecurity Magazine, I joined an expert group of panelists to uncover the truth behind common misconceptions about defense-grade cybersecurity, demonstrating its relevance, affordability, adaptability and effectiveness for organizations beyond the military or government.

We tackled myths such as, “defense-grade cybersecurity can’t stop APTs”, “it’s only for the government” and “it’s too complex and difficult to deploy”, providing insights into how modern defense-grade measures are accessible, scalable and essential for critical sectors.

We also discussed real-world applications of defense-grade principles, explaining how these solutions address today’s advanced threats.

Register to watch the on-demand recording at this link.

Human Resources and Cybersecurity (The Dynamic Duo)

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The human resources (HR) function has become integral to cyber risk management in recent years.

In this CYBER CONNECT podcast, my amazing colleague Jessie Lajoie (Chief of People Ops & Culture) and I discuss how we effectively model our organizational value of collaboration towards achieving the optimal security culture at Doodle.

Our ongoing cooperation spans across the areas of identity and access management (IAM), incident response, security awareness training, data governance, asset management, privacy compliance, and third-party risk management (TPRM), among others.

You can view the full session on YouTube!

AI Under Control: Protecting Your Business from Emerging AI Risks

nielharper

Earlier today, I participated in a panel discussion hosted by Baruch College (City University of New York) titled, ‘AI Under Control: Protecting Your Business from Emerging AI Risks.’

Our exchanges touched on critical challenges in evaluating AI system risks, adversarial attacks, data privacy, and bias in AI models, among other challenges. We also shared practical controls for ensuring AI fairness, governance, and security, along with risk mitigation strategies. The overall focus was on offering the attendees practical solutions to managing AI risk.

Many thanks to Professor Patrick Slattery for the invitation to participate.

Also, much appreciation to the other panelists (Dr. Yogesh Malhotra, Patricia Voight, and Benjamin Dynkin) for sharing their experiences and ideas!

The Caribbean Cybersecurity Pandemic – Building a Digital Trust Model

nielharper

Citizens and customers are increasingly losing confidence and trust in their governments and the corporations that develop and deliver online services. From AI to crypto marketplaces to the Internet of Things (IoT), personal data leaks to unethical use of data analytics to supply chain breaches, technology vendors’ and digital service providers’ repeated failures have severely damaged the trust model at the core of their relationships with their customers. There’s no doubt that digitalisation can drive human, social, and economic development. Simultaneously, surveys and research have shown a concerning decrease in trust in online platforms and associated social institutions.

Today, I presented at the Development Dialogue Seminar of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on the topic of building a digital trust model. The backdrop for the discussion was what many see as the ‘Caribbean Cybersecurity Pandemic’ – The avalanche of cyberattacks that have impacted private and public sector entities across the region – and how this correlates to the decrease in trust and limited uptake by citizens of online services (e.g., e-commerce, e-government, social media, fintech, and others).

Leveraging the World Economic Forum’s Digital Trust Framework, I discussed the key goals and dimensions (e.g., security, reliability, accountability, oversight, ethical use, privacy, fairness, redressability, etc.) underpinning digital trust as well as the capabilities needed to operationalise them.

Check out my presentation and let me know your thoughts!