No roadmap is truly complete without sprinkling in some of the latest, shiniest buzzword technologies.
This is an exclusive interview series conducted by the Editor Team of CIO News with Rohit Babar, Enterprise Security Architect (Associate Director) at Novartis.
How did you plan your career path to be a successful Technology Leader?
It is an innate trait of an engineer to look for a problem to solve and, if not found, create a problem of his own. As amusing as it sounds, there is a certain truth in it. My professional journey has been driven by curiosity and problem-solving. Retrospectively, it may look as if it were planned this way; however, usually it is the randomness that brings me to the place I am today.
In 2010, I began my corporate career by joining the IT team of a global healthcare IT provider, and soon I was associated with the Cyber Security unit within the team. This was not planned, yet it was lucrative as the problem statements were fascinating to deal with. In the early years of my career, I was given a free hand to tinker with technology, fix security issues in the systems, and win battles against the bad actors. A foot soldier in the large scheme of things.
As I started gaining more visibility into the complexities of large technology setups, I moved to consulting roles with IT service provider organizations such as Infosys and Wipro. An organic shift where I was now working with clients and their businesses, thereby marrying business acumen with technical expertise.
Along with this, getting involved in the business of cyber security, i.e., security products, services, pricing, presales, and RFPs, gave me a holistic view of the ecosystem I am part of.
Taking a pivot from a service organization, I moved back to a global organization and joined their in-house IT team as a technology leader. In the past five years, I have served in a couple of senior roles managing specific cyber security areas with large corporations, such as Credit Suisse and now Novartis.
The recent and current role takes me to another dimension of cyber security, where I will be working as a technology leader in a security product organization. I am establishing a team of solution architects to deliver value to clients in the space of risk management.
Challenges you faced in your career path and how you overcome them?
Like most of us, I too faced a diverse set of challenges during every stage of my career. The variety of these challenges spans from technical to people to environmental. My resilience and adaptability were tested often, or there had been challenges with keeping up with technical disruption, handling diverse teams, managing stakeholder expectations, or resistance to change. The first key to overcoming those challenges was to first acknowledge them by keeping my ego aside. It helped find the right approach to address the challenge effectively. By embracing continuous learning, staying informed, fostering teamwork, and effectively managing change, I was able to navigate these obstacles and grow both personally and professionally.
What are the challenges faced by Technology Leaders today while implementing digital technologies?
Today’s technology leader knows that he or she must keep up with the technical transformation and disruption as his or her stakeholder’s demands are increasing because the market promises a utopian solution driven by such implementations of digital technologies. However, he or she is also aware that he or she is dealing with legacy systems, broken business processes, ineffective change management, an incompetent partner ecosystem, a skill gap, unknown risks of digital technologies, and most importantly, “a tight budget.”
How can Technology Leaders overcome the challenges faced?
One important trait of a technology leader who is in the midst of such a challenging position is having a good sense of subtraction and excellent BS detection. These traits are crucial for navigating the complexities of digital transformation and ensuring successful outcomes.
In the rapidly evolving technology landscape, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the plethora of tools, systems, and methodologies available. A good technology leader recognizes the importance of subtraction—the ability to strip away unnecessary complexity and focus on what truly matters. This involves simplifying processes, prioritizing essential technologies, and optimizing resources.
Along with that, in an era where hype and buzzwords are rampant, technology leaders must possess strong BS detection skills to differentiate between genuine opportunities and mere noise. This involves critical evaluation of trends, evidence-based decision-making, clear communication, balancing innovation and pragmatism, and fostering a culture of openness and accountability (skin in the game).
Any best practices/industry trends/advice you would like to suggest to fellow Technology Leaders for their successful professional journeys?
I generally post such suggestions in the form of aphorisms on LinkedIn with the hashtag #cyberaphorism. These are small nuggets that have deeper explanations. I will share a few here.
- A lot of cybersecurity roles are just vendor (product or service) management.
- APIs are the most under-utilized product features that vendors offer. The bridge between “one size fits all” and “tailored to your needs”.
- Silos secure breaches, not systems. Collaboration, not bureaucracy, fortifies our digital walls.
- A unified product does not guarantee unified product support.
- The ‘Skin in the Game’ (accountability) clause is often left outside the scope of external consultants’ commitment.
- Between what is said and not meant and what is meant and not said, most of the man hours are lost.
- No roadmap is truly complete without sprinkling in some of the latest, shiniest buzzword technologies.
- A customized demo is worth a thousand PPT slides.
- Bundled pricing would feel just like the best buffet deal.
- Best practices aren’t always the best.
- You don’t need AI to solve the human problems in your organization.
- The paradox of zero trust is an implicit trust in the systems that implement these controls.
- Insecurity in individuals breeds job insecurity, which in turn fosters insecurity in systems.
- Transformation is the elegant reordering of people, products, and processes.
Any other points you would like to highlight?
Technology is a means to make things better for fellow human beings. As long as we continue to embrace technology to reduce suffering, we are on the right path.
About Rohit Babar:
Rohit Babar is a seasoned cyber security thought leader with about 14 years of experience empowering enterprises to adopt risk-aware and business-centric cybersecurity strategies.
He has been operating in the realm of cloud, data, identity, network, infrastructure, digital workspace, and application development, with a focus on shift-left, secure-by-design principles and a zero-trust framework. He has owned and delivered large-scale cybersecurity programs and projects involving diverse engagements, such as risk assessments, security design and architecture, security engineering, and the implementation of cybersecurity controls. He holds an engineering degree in computer science and has industry-leading cyber security certifications under his credentials.
One line to describe him: A flâneur with a bunch of books, strolling among trees and animals, while relishing delicious cuisines.
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