The 10 most influential leaders in security, 2021

BAI
Security
Leading the IT Security Space with Cutting-Edge Solutions
Leading the
holistic digital
future
Leadership
and Digital
Advancements
ISSUE 01 I VOL 03
2021
The Global
Pandemic
Technology and
Innovators Rise
to a Challenge
Advancement
in Health

Aiding Businesses
Head the Change
s the world is dealing with the spreading virus, the
Aentire work and learning culture has been impacted
dramatically. Not only the question on continuation
of business was raised, but protection of workforce was also
a concern. Businesses had to pivot to remote working and
adopt digitalization as an option.
The COVID-19 outbreak has put businesses at higher risk, as
a plethora of data has been transferring and communicating
through digital mediums for business purposes.
Hackers and cyber criminals see such situations as an
opportunity, as they always come up with newer methods of
breaching data. In fact, many organizations witnessed the
unique set of cyberattacks during the ongoing pandemic.
The survey conducted by Analytics Insights states that as of
April 2020, 41 % of respondents witnessed at least one
cyberattack related to COVID-19 in the last 12 months.
As a result, organizations had to reconsider the upgradation
of their IT infrastructure which involves their data servers,
cloud storages, video teleconferencing systems, Virtual
Private Network (VPN) capacity, Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure (VDI), etc. Other than making cyber security a
personal priority, no alternative was left for them. This is
where organizations look for reliable security practitioners,
who with their immense knowledge and strategic business
acumen can predict all the vulnerabilities and lessen the
chances of cyber-attacks.
Taking this dilemma into consideration, some inﬂuential
business leaders in security took the charge during such
critical time, stood tall in the light of increasing risks, and
helped businesses secure their IT infrastructure.
EDITOR’S NOTE

With an intent to acknowledge and admire such leaders CIO Look is pleased to announce “The 10
Most Influential Leaders in Security, 2021”. This edition sheds light on the top-notch solutions of
security companies and ingenious mind behind them.
Featuring on the cover of this edition is BAI Security and its President and CEO, Michael Bruck,
along with Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Michele Wilkens. BAI is taking on the challenges of today’s
IT security threats with unmatched expertise and innovation. With its array of truly ground-
breaking IT security assessment and compliance services, BAI is providing essential protection
for their clients, who are in the most highly regulated – and therefore most vulnerable – sectors,
such as banking and finance, healthcare and pharmaceutical, utilities, insurance, legal, and more.
While flipping through the pages, make sure to scroll through the articles written by our in-house
editorial team and CXO standpoints of some of the leading industry experts to have the know-
how about the industry.
Let’s start Reading!
Sumita Sarkar
Editor-in-Chief

Leading the IT Security Space
with Cutting-Edge Solutions
Leading the holistic digital future
Article
CXO
The Global Pandemic
Technology and Innovators
Rise to a Challenge
Leadership and Digital Advancements
Advancement in Health
COVER STORY
08
22
34

CONTENTS
Holistic and Innovative
Approach to Cyber Security
Eron Heard
26
Anita D'Amico
Envisioning the Future and
Making it Happen
18
Sebastian Stranieri
Make Operations Easier,
Simpler and more Secure
38
Kathrin Asmuth
Securing the Digital Future
30
Stelios Valavnis
A Technovert with
Incomparable Leadership
40
Steven Russo
With a Passionate Team,
Revolutionize, Cyber Security
44

CONTENT
Senior Editor Alan Swann
Executive Editors Rohit Chaturvedi
Alex Spellman
DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Art & Design Director Kushagra Gupta
Associate Designer Kartik Balapurkar
SALES
Senior Sales Manager Kshitij S.
Customer Success Manager Jack Ryan
Sales Executives John, Kane, Irfan
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Aditya K.
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
January, 2021
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Brief
Company Name
Stelios Valavanis
CEO
Steven R. Russo
Executive Vice
President
Eron Heard
CRO
Michael Bruck
President & CEO and
Dr. Michele Wilkens
Chief Strategy Officer
Cyber Forza is the world’s first leading Unified Cyber Defense
platform designed from ground-up to defend your entire
organization with holistic visibility.
onShore Security is one of only a handful of managed
cybersecurity providers, nationwide, that provide 24/7 real-time
monitoring, correlation, and analysis of organization-wide
network data.
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, the nationwide center for
cybersecurity, Eclypses delivers solutions for a wide array of
industries, including Critical Infrastructure, Healthcare,
Fintech, and Government and Defense.
BAI Security is a nationally recognized cybersecurity auditing
& compliance firm serving Healthcare, Banks, Credit Unions,
Financial Services, Pharmaceutical, Legal, Insurance, Utilities,
& more.
Beenu Arora
Founder and CEO
Cyble is a Digital Risk Management Platform that provides
Intelligence against Imminent Threats
Cyble
cyble.io
Cyber Forza
cyberforza.com
BAI SECURITY
baisecurity.net
Anita D'Amico
CEO
Code Dx, Inc. was founded on the principle that application
vulnerability management should be an integral part of the
software development process, which can only happen if it is
convenient and logical.
Code Dx, Inc
codedx.com
Ron Teicher
Founder and CEO
EverC is a pioneer in technologies that illuminate the darkest
corners of the internet and enable data-driven decision-making
within organizations.
EverC
everc.com
Eclypses, Inc.
eclypses.com
James Morris
Founder & Principal
Consultant
Central InfoSec leads cyber security initiatives with businesses
and stakeholders to protect information security assets.
Central InfoSec
centralinfosec.com
onShore Security
onshore.com
Kathrin Asmuth
Managing Partner
achelos is a leading specialist supplier of manufacturer-
independent, high-performance products, solutions and services
in security-critical fields of application.
Achelos GmbH
achelos.de
Sebastián Stranieri
Founder
VU Security is a multinational company focused on fraud
prevention and identity protection.
VU Security
vusecurity.com
Featuring Person

Leading the IT Security Space with
Cutting-Edge Solutions
The most robust, cutting-edge
assessment on the market at a
highly competitive price point.
“

Michael Bruck &
Dr. Michele Wilkens
BAI Security

Dr. Michele Wilkens
Chief Strategy Ofcer
BAI Security

T security in today's dynamic business environment
Ihas become paramount. Thanks to an ever-
expanding population of malicious and persistent
cybercriminals, organizations large and small are facing
unprecedented challenges around network
compromise, data theft, ransomware, and social
engineering of personnel. The risk these types of
breaches pose to organizational operations, regulatory
compliance, and reputation are greater (and more
costly) than ever… and there is no sign of hackers
letting up.
Rising above this cyber-fury is the team at BAI Security,
who are taking on the challenges of today's IT security
threats with unmatched expertise and innovation. With
their array of truly ground-breaking IT security
assessment and compliance services, BAI is providing
essential protection for their clients, who are in the
most highly regulated – and therefore most vulnerable
– sectors, such as banking and finance, healthcare and
pharmaceutical, utilities, insurance, legal, and more.
In an exclusive interview with CIO Look, President &
CEO, Michael Bruck (MB), along with Chief Strategy
Officer, Dr. Michele Wilkens (MW), share thoughts and
details about the company's and their journey in the IT
security space:
What is your role in the company, and what did you do
before you started or came into this business?
MB: As President/CEO with a dual CTO function, I have
served as the architect of our methods and offerings
since our founding in 2007. Thanks to an extensive
technical background, I am able to vision and build our
tools and services from the inside out -- not what all
CEOs can (or want) to do, but something I relish to this
day. It keeps me grounded in clients' needs and
emerging technologies – and as a bonus, it gives me
'street cred' with our audit team, who have impressive
backgrounds of their own! I also rely on my partnership
with Dr. Wilkens for our growth strategy and driving
new partnership efforts.
MW: As Chief Strategy Officer, I spearhead our
trajectory into new sectors to meet the growing cross-
industry demand for truly expert IT security services.
Part of this is leading talent acquisition, bringing gifted,
experienced, certified folks in-house to bring our vision
to fruition. I am also responsible for employee learning
and development, communications and outreach, and
managing organizational change. I have over 20 years'
experience spanning business, education, and mental
health as a leader, professor, clinician, researcher,
published author, and federal government advisor.
Most recently, I was CAO with a five-time INC 5000
education corporation and served on an international
association Board of Directors.
What experiences have influenced and impacted your
professional direction?
MB: When studying computer science in college, the
business owners of my part-time job tapped me to help
them transition their entirely manual operations to an
automated digital environment. Over the two-year
project, I got involved in every aspect of IT – mainly
because no one there knew anything about IT or how to
convert this sizable organization from being a
completely manual operation to a fully digital one. Still
a student myself, I had to figure out everything from
scratch and entirely on my own (no internet or YouTube
back then!).
Being with the company before, during, and after this
immersive experience allowed me to see what
technology did for the company. Before the conversion,
they were completely stalled; but with technology, they
experienced exponential growth and catapulted into
their future. It gave me a deep appreciation for what
efficiencies can be created for businesses via proper
use of technology.
Subsequently, the empathy I developed from this small
business' reliance on systems got me into security,
because I also saw first-hand how an enterprise can be
instantly paralyzed by a significant security event. For
me, there was no way I could experience a company
from this vantage point and not come out wanting to
protect them.
What are the operating philosophy and leading
services/solutions that the company has been built
on?
MW: IT security is just too important to be priced out of
anyone's reach, so our mission has always been about
providing top-shelf services that are still affordable for
the average business. Upon our founding, Michael
focused on smaller and mid-sized organizations that
could not afford in-house experts or quality audits. BAI
then evolved operating extremely efficiently, allowing
us to keep costs down for clients while innovating with
agility to meet market needs.
COVERSTORY

Fast-forward to today - while we now serve
organizations of all sizes, we have never stopped
endeavoring to provide the most robust, cutting-edge
assessments on the market at a highly competitive
price point. Here in 2021, we find this mission has
become critical in what has proven to be a perfect
storm threatening our clients. Many organizations on
the frontlines of the pandemic in banking, finance, and
healthcare are struggling with revenue and budget
repercussions of COVID-19; meanwhile, the same
sectors have become hackers' biggest targets. As a
result, comprehensive services that are both
customizable and affordable have become more vital
than ever in protecting our clients.
What is your vision for the company in the next five
years?
MW: We are presently witnessing the most aggressive
and well-funded generation of hackers ever. Perhaps
the singular upside of this is that news about damaging
breaches is helping organizations worldwide grasp the
serious risk cybercrime poses to their data, operations,
and market standing – things that can go down fast, and
then take a long time and a lot of resources to recover.
We're now seeing decision-makers, instead of viewing
IT security as a regulatory box to check once a year,
beginning to show great care in choosing a security
partner who is truly expert and exhaustive in their
approach as a key preventative play.
This is where BAI Security comes in– bringing to the
market in-house expertise to tackle the constantly
changing threat landscape – folks who cut their
security teeth at major corporations and financial
institutions, as well as the FBI, the Pentagon, U.S. State
Department, etc. So even as you-get-what-you-pay-for
generalist firms with outsourced novice staff and open
source tools enter the space to provide bare minimum
audits (the kind that satisfy regulators but skim over
the expanse and severity of present-day threats), we
believe BAI Security is, and will continue to be, uniquely
appealing to those who take their IT security seriously.
MB: That’s right – and meanwhile, where technology
goes, so go hackers and costly breaches. That means
our audit team is innovating at warp speed to keep our
clients safely ahead of emerging threats. Our vision is
to continue mimicking cybercriminals' methods to build
out tools and methods that prepare our clients for
worst case scenarios, while empowering them to
proactively defend their unique environments 24-
7/365.
According to you, which upcoming/current technology
is going to be a disruptive force for security industry in
the near future?
MB: The development of new hard- and software in
2021 will make plenty of new year lists, but we'd like to
avoid the distraction of those by encouraging folks to
consider this: Whatever the latest and greatest
invention in, it won't matter if organizations continue to
fail on the basics of IT security. The vast majority of
companies and institutions are falling short with the
three areas most critical to security posture: proper
Michael Bruck
President/CEO
BAI Security

strong client relationships did not miss a beat. We're so
enthusiastic about 2021 and supporting our clients'
ongoing security, as well as their pandemic recovery.
What advice would you like to give to emerging
business leaders?
MB: Take risks to innovate. You'll succeed, you'll fail,
but either way, you'll learn from it and end up with a
better product or service. The worst thing you can do is
stay where you are when you're successful, because the
market will most certainly copy and then pass you by.
MW: Manage change with discipline. Not the sexiest
answer, but boy, can you save headaches and avoid
wasting resources following this advice! There's really
no reason to have clunky rollouts or failed initiatives.
There are solid change models with thoughtful,
strategic execution that ensure across-the-organization
success. And as a bonus, each time you succeed with
implementation, it will elevate your team's trust in your
decisions, making the next new venture even more
quickly received and smoothly deployed.
What words best describe your vision and approach to
business?
MB: We have an imperative to help people who need
high quality services but can't otherwise get it.
MW: It's about people. Next question. (But really –
aligning your business what, why, and how with all
stakeholders - employees and clients alike - makes for
joyful work, meaningful impact, and success in all the
ways that truly matter!)
endpoint protection, vulnerability/patch management,
and social engineering.
In other words, if your network perimeter is continually
permeable, then some cool new multi-factor
authentication is not going to help. And while we would
like to say we are recommending folks get ‘back to
basics,’ the truth is, most organizations have never done
these basics well. So, we would love to see the 2021
'disruption' be attention to IT security basics like never
before.
How do you sustain your leadership spirit in this
changing technological era?
MW: With technology central to all we do, we embrace
the evolving landscape perhaps more than those in
other industries. Still, advances in technology are a
double-edged sword for us – they provide us more
pathways to protect against present-day cyberthreats
as we continually innovate tools and methods, but they
also broaden the attack surface that threatens our
clients. Because Michael founded BAI Security on a
combined spirit of innovation and service, we are
seeing 13 years later the incredible value this blend
brings to our ability to stay ahead of hackers and keep
our clients secure.
Over the past year, while the pandemic pushed
everyone rapidly into new and more virtual ways of
working, we managed to stay focused on what matters
most – people. Our employees. Our clients. As a result,
our team adapted beautifully, both in service quality,
remote offerings, and internal teamwork – and our
COVERSTORY

Client Testimonials
“We found Michael and his firm knowledgeable, honest and
well-organized, and a committed business partner, not
merely a vendor during our engagements.” AVP of IT, CA
“Price was right, service was excellent, and the final
deliverables were outstanding. Great team.” CIO, DE
"Far more extensive test than any we have had in the past...
the reps are 100% on your project and always available to
give you feedback." CISO, TX
“They go out of their way to be helpful, offering their
guidance and suggestions (as opposed to a cookie-cutter
approach). Initially, we chose BAI because of their
reputation. We went back to them the next few years
because of their people and their professionalism, the depth
of their technical and procedural knowledge, and
friendliness.” IT Director, GA
“BAI specializes in security. The other firm we were using
was more of an MSP. I like that BAI is a company just for
security.” IT Manager, IL
“The professional experience and technical expertise made
the choice an easy one… exceptional results. We are
completely satisfied.” IT Director, NC
“Outstanding platform for vulnerability remediation.
Everyone I talked to from sales folks to technical experts
were all great to work with and very knowledgeable.” VP of
IT, PA
“There are many players in this field. I contacted some of my
industry peers and asked who they used. BAI came in at the
top.” IT Supervisor, IN
“Although we are a smaller organization, BAI has not made
us feel small. We are always treated with respect. BAI has
always provided superior service, so we keep coming back.”
VP of IT, TX
“The highest degree of professionalism and service.” SVP of
IT, WI
COVERSTORY

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The Global
Pandemic
Technology and Innovators Rise to a Challenge
The ramifications of COVID-19 have been many,
but in the words of Albert Einstein, “in the midst
of every crisis lies great opportunity.” In this case,
a chance to adapt and change for the better, specifically
with the rapid adoption of cutting-edge technology.
Responding deftly to the pandemic, leaders in most all
verticals have leaned on technology and the Internet of
Things (IoT), in particular.
Connected Health Takes a Significant Step Forward
Healthcare is an incredibly innovative industry, and the
pandemic proved no exception to the industry’s
adaptation. Healthcare providers, technology
developers, patients, and clinical trial participants have
been not just heroes but also champions in adopting
technology in response to the pandemic.
The industry overcame challenges in continuing to
provide safe care for non-COVID patients by swiftly
adopting telemedicine. One company, Dexcom,
leveraged IoT to uphold steady monitoring of
hospitalized diabetes patients while minimizing the use
of critically in-demand PPE. Nurses did not need to get
close to aging diabetes patients just to monitor glucose
levels, which would have endangered everyone, and the
solution was designed and installed in a matter of days.
The pharmaceutical sector raced with phenomenal
speed towards vaccine development, utilizing the IoT
ecosystem to perform a hybridization of virtual and
onsite clinical trials.
Adoption of Connected Health technology has been
slow and steady until now, but since the pandemic has
started, each month has led to a year’s worth of
adoption and innovation – and more! The future for
Connected Health is bright and the key trends include:
(i) caring for patients remotely, (ii) bringing better
efficiency and efficacy to clinical trials, even while
bringing the related treatments and drugs to market
faster, and (iii) fine-tuning medical wearables to deliver
biomedical data to providers or indeed more analysis at
the edge to empower self-administration in chronic
disease patients.
Assets and Logistics See Technology Overhaul
Another industry the pandemic took a significant swing
at is assets and logistics. The supply chain was shaken
as global manufacturing was disrupted while,
simultaneously, e-commerce sharply peaked. Already a
complex industry, assets and logistics needed to shift
even further towards a technology-driven approach
into visibility and analytics to make highly informed,
real-time decisions.
A spotlight was also trained on cold chain monitoring as
vaccine development forged ahead. With vaccines
nearing approval, the need arose for global, multi-
modal transport of vaccines that were required to be
kept cold or extremely cold and shipped in not just one,
but two doses. This resulted in the need for even more
granular visibility and the ability to monitor viability-
critical temperature and condition, as well as uphold
regulatory compliance. Deploying condition monitoring
sensors, GPS, and analytics platforms has aided greatly
in the ability to move life-saving assets efficiently.
Enabling Remote Education and a Remote Workforce
Through Today’s Technology
Advancement in Health
22
| January 2021 |

Romil Bahl,
President &
CEO at KORE
23
| January 2021 |

The high bandwidth of cellular and Wi-Fi/local
networks and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) enabled
the workforce to rapidly shift to remote locations in
response to the pandemic. In the not-too-distant past,
the economy could have shuddered to a more dramatic
halt without these critical components. Similarly,
children were able to maintain a mostly normal
schedule in many school systems with the rapid
provisioning of virtual classes.
Once more, a technology trend that was essentially
thrust upon organizations of all kinds is likely to
continue in the future, though perhaps with less
density. Technology enhancements will aid in the
permanence of remote work. The rollout of 5G will lend
the speed and reduced latency required for edge
computing and faster endpoint analysis. Artificial
intelligence will give rise to augmented reality of
offices, offering a more immersive teleconferencing
experience.
Forward Thinking and Leadership
These technology-driven solutions did not appear
overnight to aid in pandemic response. Remote patient
monitoring, decentralized clinical trials, analytics and
condition monitoring in logistics, cloud computing and
VPNs – they all had a place in the market from forward-
thinking innovators. It then took leadership and
inspiration to adopt these technologies swiftly and
leverage them for the crisis at hand.
And now a world of possibility will ride on the coattails
of this widespread IoT adoption. As artificial
intelligence, machine learning, and the power of 5G
become more pervasive in the market, the same future-
focused innovators will undoubtedly continue to
leverage technology for good. The decade of IoT ahead
promises to be hugely exciting, as we move towards a
more intelligent and connected planet.
24
| January 2021 |

Eron Heard
CRO
Cyber Forza
26
| January 2021 |

ERON HEARD
Holistic and Innovative Approach to Cyber Security
K
eeping business data and digital assets safe and secure is harder with more and more
potential weak spots being identified. Today, hacking is becoming more sophisticated
and there are industries springing up around data theft and sabotage prevention. IT
security may build a bigger fortress around data & networks and limit access wherever it can
make a breach unlikely but, a determined cybercriminal can find a way around it. Therefore, to
ensure Cyber security, aligning with a skilled leader in cyber security solutions is a huge
advantage for the organization.
Eron Heard is one such skilled and innovative leader. He has worked on various large
cybercrime and cyberterrorism initiatives for Government and business entities. Eron is the
Chief Revenue Officer at Cyber Forza, a company with unparalleled expertise in designing
and executing critical cyber security protection solutions globally.
Eron has used his 25+ years of IT experience to help everyone, from Small Business to large
Multi-National Enterprise organizations, to understand the industry need for a more agile,
unified, scalable, integrated and interoperable methodology in the pursuit of overcoming a
constantly changing, brutally persistent and highly skilled global adversaries.
Below are the highlights of the interview between Eron and CIO Look wherein he shares his
journey and valuable insights about Cyber security solutions through Cyber Forza:
Brief us about your role at Cyber Forza and your journey as a business leader.
I am currently the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) with an ownership position at Cyber Forza.
After serving in the US Air Force and earlier attending Loyola University in Chicago with
emphases in Business and Communication, I have over two decades of experience in the IT
sector.
Have held Sr. Sales, Director, General Manager, SVP, Executive Director and CEO level
positions at Norstan, Toshiba, Inter-tel, Fujitsu, Source One, Sentinel Technologies, Carousel
Industries, Altura Communication Solutions and Cyber-Tek.
27
| January 2021 |

What people, what books, what life factors have
influenced and impacted you?
I was raised in an upscale Chicago suburb in a positive,
'can do' household with a father, mother and 3 siblings.
My father was part of the honor guard detail for
President Kennedy and the 2nd man carrying his casket
and has always maintained an entrepreneurial spirit.
My sisters are in the entertainment business and have
thrilled audiences from Broadway to The Australian
Theater Company. My brother has also had a successful
career as an entrepreneur. My mother has been our
backbone and gave us the love and support to believe
that despite being raised as a minority in the 70's, we
can achieve anything we put our minds to.
These are the people on this planet that have always
been my inspiration and continued driving force
towards success. I am in the process of writing 2 books
but those that have influenced me: Way of the Superior
Man, When – The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,
Selling the Invisible, Farsighted – How we make the
decisions that matter the most.
What is the operating philosophy and cutting-edge
on?
Cyber Forza's operating philosophy and mantra is
“Disrupting Cyber Security Through Intelligence.”
Adaptive AI Cyber Security Architecture focuses on
monitoring for emerging attacks with a continuous
feedback loop of intelligence-gathering, learning, and
improving. Adaptive AI enhances the security posture
by preventing threats as they evolve. Cyber Forza has
built solutions and services to address this market.
What is your vision for the company for the next five
years?
It is an exciting time at Cyber Forza! As the market
continues a deeper adoption into the use of Cloud
computing solutions, this requires a move from
traditional hardware only based offerings. This is the
area where Cyber Forza's Next Gen, Unified AI-Cloud
platform provides maximum impact into the network
security market and is the single solution needed to
power your entire enterprise as a “Core” Cybersecurity
Infrastructure. Our technically superior product is
scalable from 1 to 1M+ users and is a cybersecurity tool
for use in Terrestrial, Aerospace, Defense &
Commercial Satellite and Space Program applications.
Cyber Forza is positioned to begin sales activities
within 100 countries beginning Q1 2021.
The market is estimated to reach $230 billion (US) by
2021. Advanced cyber-attacks will never go away, and
it is the need to defend these attacks which will
continue to drive the market. We feel the future is very
bright for Cyber Forza and the best days are ahead for
the direction of our company.
We've developed an Integrated technology that can
provide greater network situational awareness, faster
response, require fewer tools & resources and provide
significant cost savings.
We are here to help!
a near future?
The evolution of the intelligent digital mesh & digital
technology platforms and application architectures
means that security must become adaptive. In the vast
landscape of cyber security companies, our Silicon
Valley based business has taken an integrated & holistic
approach to network security and developed a "Market
Disruptive" technology that is unparalleled in the
industry.
Cyber Forza has developed an Innovative Next-
Generation Cloud Cyber Intelligent Security Software
(CISS) Cyberspace Security and Defense Platform. CISS
technology is the single solution needed to power your
entire Enterprise as a “Core” cybersecurity
Infrastructure.
Our team leveraged years of experience and research
related to NASA, defense satellites, networks &
advanced microprocessor design to develop this robust
solution. We are the first company in the industry to
apply Adaptive & Cognitive Artificial Intelligence
Algorithms & innovative security methodologies and
created a completely integrated, “End to End”, Cloud
based, Unified Multi-Threat/Multi-Layer cybersecurity
protection and Threat Hunting application.
Built on a breakthrough, the CISS Adaptive AI Platform
serves as the foundation for Enterprise-Wide External,
Internal and End Point infrastructure protection. The
company's advanced products, CISS Defender
(External), Interceptor (Internal & SIEM), Forza Client
(End Point) and Vulcanor (Risk & Vulnerability) protect,
28
| January 2021 |

quickly and accurately identify what is benign and what
is a threat. Our technology prevents a secured
network's “attack surface” from simultaneous multi-
threat or Remote Worker Endpoint Security intrusion,
Ransomware, and advanced malicious code from ever
executing on a targeted system. By integrating all
network security components to include SOC, SIEM
and SOAR capabilities into a “State of the Art” Unified
Artificial Intelligence Platform, Cyber Forza provides
solutions and services that are truly predictive and
preventive against the most sophisticated global
threats.
As a leader, describe a challenge you overcame.
Learning what I call “The Art of the Lost Deal”. How to
support your team that has put their heart and soul into
the identification, sale and closure of a large
transaction they have dedicated over a year into to only
to have it fail through no fault of their your own. How
do you encourage them to come back and sell the next
day with the same level of energy and enthusiasm?
I live by the credo that “It's not the strongest of the
species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the
one most responsive to change”. From a business
perspective, you must remember that we are all in this
together and that the business success playing field has
been flipped upside down for everyone. We are all
playing on the same remote worker landscape for the
foreseeable future.
Push your teams not to lose hope and to be more
creative and strategic in your approach to your existing
and potential client opportunities. Now is a great time
to tighten up internal processes and procedures to
insure maximum production. We will get through this
and we will be better because of if it in the long run.
Interpersonal family and business relationships will
flourish and become more substantial. Clients will
continue to require your services.
What advice would you like to give to the emerging
business leaders?
Focus on Culture, Creativity, Liquidity and Longevity
and this begins with an emphasis on your People
Process and Procedures. Build a business based on
service with highly trained teams, a well thought out
business strategy and you can win and win big!
I like to learn as
much as
I like to lead.
29
| January 2021 |

Kathrin Asmuth
Managing Partner
achelos GmbH
30
| January 2021 |

KATHRIN
ASMUTH
Securing the Digital Future
hether companies, individuals, or
Worganisations, whether at national or
international level, everyone is required to
ensure data protection and the security of their
associated systems. It was this belief that inspired
Kathrin Asmuth to come up with achelos GmbH in
2008. Currently, Kathrin is the Managing Partner of
the company.
With a team of approx. 75 employees, she developed
the company as a manufacturer independent software
company specializing in products, solutions, and
services.
achelos helps to ensure cross-sector security of digital
identities and embedded technologies in security-
critical fields of application, be it Security, Health,
Mobility, IoT or Public Administration.
The company is highly recognized for its outstanding
performance in developing security specifications,
security evaluation of products or processes according
to international security standards like Common
Criteria and automatic conformance testing of security
critical products.
Prior to founding achelos GmbH Kathrin held the
position of General Manager, Product Development
worldwide at Sagem Orga GmbH (today Idemia) until
2008. There, she managed all international
development units with around 235 employees.
Kathrin Asmuth has an expertise in the field of security
technology for embedded systems and has been able to
incorporate this in many national and international
customer projects and expert committees.
Below is an exclusive interview between Kathrin and
CIO Look:
What people, what books, what life factors have
influenced and impacted you?
There are two essential impacts in my life:
When we became parents, a door opened to a
previously unknown space full of new emotions, tasks,
joys, and responsibilities. It re-adjusted our values on
which our actions are based and focused on the
essentials in life.
I had to learn what influence the sale of a company can
have on the teams in the company. High company
valuations please the seller, but the burden on the sold
company can be so enormous that it cannot recover
from it. I have experienced how important it is to have
fun at work and how quickly this gets lost when the
value system for daily interaction is changed. achelos
exists only in the light of these experiences.
What is the operating philosophy and cutting-edge
on?
We work in an agile, open, fair, and collaborative
31
| January 2021 |

environment based on collegial management decisions
by making the personal responsibility of our staff
members a principle.
“Working time is lifetime”, therefore we arrange this
time in such a way that it gives us joy, brings fulfilment
and is positive in its balance. And this is how we provide
top performance.
What is your vision for the company for the next five
years?
The near future will show increasing challenges to
secure data and communication between people and
things as well as things and things. The buzzwords are
AI, Digital Health, Industrial IoT, Car 2 Car, etc. Our
vision for this technologically foreseeable future is to
be at the forefront of companies delivering subject
matter expertise to our worldwide customers in their
domain combined with our continuously broadening
expertise in the design and implementation of the
necessary security level.
a near future?
First examples of quantum computers are being
explored already and this technology will change the
current use of cryptography substantially, as quantum
computers can be used to break e.g. commonly used
elliptic curve cryptography for data and communication
security.
As a CEO/leader, describe a challenge you overcame.
Change is the biggest challenge in business. We tend to
become comfortable with what we are used to and
close our eyes to change.
“Who moved my cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson is a
nice narration about this phenomenon and how to
overcome it.
There are two aspects to be considered sustaining our
leadership:
1. Our company culture.
As said above we live collegial leadership principals in
an agile environment which result in joint solution
finding and decision making with practically as little
hierarchy intervention as possible. Personal
responsibility is the key success factor not only for
timely project development and deployment but also
for the further development of our own competences.
2. Our experience and expertise.
We are security enthusiasts, always looking for new
and unconventional solutions, combining our subject
“
“ ere is no such thing as low-tech
industry – just low-tech management,
hence lifelong learning is a must!”
32
| January 2021 |

Satisfied Clientele
“With the professional support of achelos we
successfully passed Common Criteria Certification in
time.” (Terminal Manufacturer)
“Through the partnership with achelos we successfully
met a critical milestone in our vision of creating a
seamless and independent orchestration layer for IoT
connectivity.” (Communication Service Provider)
“In our partner-based business model we work
extremely flexible with achelos and always find the
right solution or product to serve our customers.”
(Business Sales Partner)
“We are happy to work in a close partnership with
achelos, their speed and flexibility are perfectly aligned
with our core values.” (Network Operator)
matter expertise with solutions that we experience at
national or international conferences or elaborate in
working groups of standardization bodies and industry
associations.
What advice would you like to give to the emerging
business leaders?
Ÿ Look for shareholders who understand the business
you are in
Ÿ Know Your Customers and make their problems
your challenges
Ÿ Be among the leaders of the technology used in your
business
Ÿ Define your company ethics and values and live
them
Ÿ Trustworthiness and reliability are not only a
reputation, treat them as your asset
Ÿ Strive to be leading domain specialist, powered by
the know-how of your expert team
33
| January 2021 |

LEADING TH
DIGITAL
ou’ll succeed, you’ll fail, but either way, you’ll
Ylearn from it and end up becoming a better
product or service. But the worst thing you can
do is stay where you are because the world will then
pass you by. In the view of innovation and disruption,
the evolution of the digital technology platforms and
applications has become adaptive in the companies.
Today’s buzzwords are AI, Virtual, Big Data, IoT, Cloud
Computing, etc. An IT security leader should see this
foreseeable future to be at the forefront of the market
and continuously broaden expertise in the
implementation of these necessary security challenges.
So, for Cybersecurity Leaders, building relationship
with organizations and clients is essential for the
growth of the organization. Building trust with
technical partners those who support the company’s
infrastructure, such as ﬁnancial and technology
providers, give the organization a solid foundation to
operate. A Leader in Cybersecurity must be able to stay
focused on the big picture and not react too quickly to
smaller incidents or opportunities – always keeping the
larger vision in mind. To be successful and to grow, it is
important to be open to new ideas.
Being a security enthusiast, always looking for new and
unconventional solutions is considered asstrength. The
main weakness lies in the lack of knowledge. A network
security leader must be curious and one step ahead of
the client’s needs, which allows them to continuously
offer new solutions. Secondly, he must be resilient to
adversities and trust his team so they can work
together to achieve the desired goals.
In the tech and cybersecurity industry, thriving good
talent is a huge challenge, especially in cybersecurity.
Although there is a need for talent and there are many
opportunities for skilled experts. The desire to keep the
business as well as the clients safe and secure should be
the ultimate goal.
Staying informed is crucial. Any inﬂuential leader in
security will make sure to stay invested in education
and broadening his knowledge and expertise. Attending
events, classes, workshops, and seminars, as well as
regularly reading news is of a great deal. Constantly
staying up-to-date and communicating with peers and
experts is also a good way to learn. Most importantly,
he listens to everyone but uses that information to
chart his own course.
34
| January 2021 |

HE HOLISTIC
FUTURE
Cybersecurity leaders should have a high degree of
expertise in cybersecurity and IT. They have to have
expertise in risk management, legal matters, and guide
their organization and the clients through complex
problems with many potential solutions, and make the
best choices for all.
In cybersecurity, a leader should be well-versed in best
practices, tested methods, and also be able & willing to
explore and try new things. The problem is that
cybersecurity is becomingmore complex every day, and
it is the job of the cybersecurity leader to simplify and
solve that problem.
The leader must be able to use his vision and must
portray persistence, maintain integrity and form trust
both in the internal and the external aspects of the
organization. He is expected to be self-motivated and
should be able to motivate others, along with a strong
work ethic and desire for success. Above all, a network
security leader needs to approachable, while using his
high levels of intelligence to overcome the many daily
obstacles that keep coming on an endless basis.
The near future will show increasing challenges to
secure data and communication between people and
things. Building a business based on service with highly
trained secure teams and a well-thought business
strategy lead you win big!
In order to keep up with the times, staying connected to
other industry leaders participating in open forums is a
great start. As a leader, He /She must listen to what
others are saying., Also it is essential to verify the
information being disseminated, and then trust the
results. Leaders must keep their heads up to read the
market and ensure that the team is aligned with the
technology trends as well as the needs of the customers
and future clients. Additionally, it is important to stay
on top of what your competitors are doing to ensure
that both you and your company remain at the top of
your game.
Leadership and Digital Advancements
35
| January 2021 |

Stelios
Valavanis
E
very leader must have patience, discipline, vision,
opportunism, adaptability, calmness under
pressure and steadfastness. Staying the course
when the path seems difficult or unknown, but the
willingness to explore and act as a pathfinder for the
community. These traits are necessary for self-
improvement but the most difficult job is to induce
people to follow and inspire them by setting good
examples. Stelios Valavanis, CEO at onShore Security,
is one such proficient who is bringing changes with his
extensive experience ranging from OS and
development to network design.
Below is his story:
Stelios has always been interested in science and
technology. He started learning to program at the age
of 9 years but didn't recognize his entrepreneurial
spirit, even though his parents were entrepreneurs. In
high school, he thought it would be a good idea to start
a software company and identify as a technologist,
rather than a businessman. After getting his physics
degree, he again had that same lack of clarity for
understanding ambitions towards entrepreneurship.
After that he worked on several entrepreneurial
ventures, as much in art and media as tech and IT. When
he founded onShore as a software development
company, it took landing a few larger clients to finally
realize what he actually needed to focus on. Since then,
he fully embraced the business world and was able to
rebuild onShore as a prominent cybersecurity company.
onShore Security has its own proprietary platform,
which allows for a good amount of customizability. But
so much of what a particular client needs has to do with
categorizing and weighing criticality for events and
that's embedded in rule-sets that the company fully
manage and tune on an ongoing basis. In addition to
that, there are varying compliance needs, and onShore
Security offers add-ons to satisfy those.
All of the company's clients share one thing: the desire
to do what they do best, in a way that keeps their
A Technovert with Incomparable Leadership
40
| January 2021 |

Stelios Valavanis
CEO
onShore
41
| January 2021 |

business as well as their own clients as safe and secure as possible. Beyond that,
clients are a truly diverse pool of organizations and businesses. The platform was
developed, in house, with this diversity in mind. The platform itself is highly
customizable, but the staff must also be prepared to serve every kind of customer. In
the company, the team manages and tune rule sets that are as unique as clients, as
well as compliance requirements and additional services and equipment.
In the tech industry, developing good talent is a huge challenge, especially in
cybersecurity. There is a large need for talent and there are many opportunities for
skilled experts. Employee retention is directly tied to building culture, which can be
challenging to do from the top. As a CEO, it can be a challenge to find the right
balance between process and flexibility. Having a well-designed process will make it
easier when flexibility is necessary, and to adapt the process to meet changing
obstacles. Stelios advises emerging leaders, “not to do it unless you're willing to make a
very big commitment.” Being the CEO of a company can put undue stress on a CEO's
family. As a CEO, there is a feeling that there is always more that can be done, and
doing anything not related to the company is at its expense.
Staying informed is crucial. Stelios makes sure to stay
invested in education and broadening his knowledge
and expertise. He still attends events such as classes,
workshops, and seminars, as well as regularly reading
news and developing theoretical material. He
constantly stays up-to-date on fast moving topics, such
as new regulations or ongoing issues in the space and
also learns a great deal from his own staff and their
experience. Communicating with peers and experts in
other parts of the same field is also a good way to learn.
According to Stelios “I'm always willing to experiment to
further my own understanding of cybersecurity and we test
out a lot of ideas and hypothetical solutions in-house. Many
of our passion projects have informed us and become
onShore Security products.”
For budding entrepreneurs Stelios advises “Before you
do anything, you should know why you're doing it. If you're
goal is to make money, stop right there. Climb the corporate
ladder instead. It's safer and easier. If you want to do
something amazing, don't think small and safe. Do
something big, bold and if it fails, fail fast, learn the lessons,
and move on.” Build a leadership team around by
choosing carefully additional effective leaders or by
finding people that can be groomed and trained for
leadership roles. Most importantly, listen to everyone,
but use that information to chart own course. Don't be
afraid to dilute equity if investors brings additional
leadership to the table. One has to be prepared to take
42
| January 2021 |

the good with the bad and see it all as part of a rocky,
but rewarding adventure.
Stelios believes cybersecurity CEOs must absolutely
have a high degree of expertise in cybersecurity and IT
in general. They have to have expertise in things like
risk management, and legal matters. They have to guide
their organization and their clients through complex
problems with many potential solutions, and make the
best choices for all parties. Sometimes, it isn't
immediately clear what the best solution may be, and
CEOs will need to draw on both past experience and
new ideas. In many other kinds of companies, CEOs
don't have to be as much of an expert in their
company's offerings. In cybersecurity, a CEO should be
well-versed in history, best practices, and tested
methods, but also able and willing to explore and try
new things. The problem that cybersecurity solves
grows more complex every day, and it is the job of the
cybersecurity CEO to simplify and solve that problem.
onShore Security leads by example. It believes that
analysis and detection are the most important tools in
the box, and the company has developed the
capabilities in these areas to put it at the very top of the
security maturity stack. To get best results, it pushes
peers and competitors both so they develop their own
technology, as well as their people. The company values
its analysts and considers that technological
development is all ultimately to serve experts and
solving evolving obstacles in cybersecurity by applying
experience and adapting the company's hardware,
software, and process.
onShore Security wants to continue to be part of the
national cybersecurity community in a meaningful way
and increase its outreach. It believes that members of a
community care for each other and care for the
community as a whole, and that this is a uniquely
dangerous time for the community. Stelios asserts, “we,
as a country, are at tremendous risk. I feel both a personal
responsibility as well as a ﬁnancial responsibility to my
company to elevate the security posture of every single
company that we can.”
43
| January 2021 |

The 10 most influential leaders in security, 2021

The 10 most influential leaders in security, 2021

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