Securing the future: A cybersecurity trailblazer’s tale of innovation and global impact

Photo courtesy of Kiran Sharma

Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.

The digital world is becoming increasingly complicated. Vast interconnected networks span the globe, and an increasing amount of critical infrastructure and information is hosted on these networks. Essential communication takes place here, and sensitive records are stored here, besides the fact that unimaginable amounts of wealth flow through the digital landscape at all times. With innovations in algorithmic technologies occurring every day, for better or worse, cybersecurity has never been more important or more complicated. It requires systematic, adaptable thinkers like Kiran Sharma Panchangam Nivarthi to predict, innovate, and implement one new security measure after another.

Who is Kiran Sharma?

A renowned thought leader in data privacy initiatives and cybersecurity education, Kiran is a proven expert in strategic thinking, innovative security solutions, and cross-industry collaboration that this new era of connectivity requires. His experience goes back far enough to include Extra Ordinary Impact awards in both 2016 and 2017 and a CSO50 award in 2017, though these days, he’s more likely to be on the committees for industry recognition and awards, such as for the Globee World Information Technology Awards and the CODIE Awards in 2023.

Furthermore, Kiran has authored four articles that delve into privacy and security concerns, contributing valuable insights to the esteemed American Scientific Research Journal. These articles include “Web 3.0 and its Potential Impact on Privacy Shifting Left in the Development Process,” “Fighting Cybercrime with Zero Trust,” “How Privacy-Enhanced Technologies (Pets) are Transforming Digital Healthcare Delivery” and “DevSecOps Services: A Study of the Most Common and Rarest DevSecOps Services Available in 2022.” 

What you really need to know about Kiran is that he’s particularly renowned for his proactive defense strategies and his focus on maintaining ethical practices in cybersecurity. He stands out in the world of cybersecurity leadership for his ability to anticipate threats before they appear, which he would say is one of the most important parts of any network’s strategic cybersecurity programs, and he has an honest passion for making the world a more secure place.

Kiran’s decision to get into security “was underscored by a deep-seated belief in the importance of privacy in our increasingly interconnected world,” he says. He has a particular respect for the challenges posed by global compliance requirements, understanding their importance and working with them to create impactful cybersecurity contributions. He says his “commitment to ethical considerations and responsible technology use also play a crucial role, aligning with [his] vision of a secure digital future.”

Getting innovative with the world’s security

Kiran remembers several stories about how his passion for personalized security measures played out on the world stage. He remembers putting new technology to work to fix operational inefficiencies that left one system vulnerable to exploitation, saying, “We confronted the challenge of proactive protection and automated responses to real-time attacks while understanding its impact on release time. Adopting a pragmatic mindset, we combined Run-time Application Self-Protection (RASP) with efficient CI/CD pipelines and proactive security practices, resulting in an impressive 50% reduction in release time while reducing the security bugs post-deployment by 30%.” Faster systems are more secure, and that’s exactly the kind of proactive defense strategy that Kiran encourages.

It also highlights his results-driven approach. Whether he’s talking about a specific project or discussing the larger benefits of cybersecurity leadership, he has numbers to back up his results. Or, in the case of the kind of global team management that worldwide networks require, he can point to specific security systems and teams he has helped make more secure. As there is no magic silver bullet in cybersecurity or data privacy, the key is understanding the environment and automating wherever possible. For instance, he can talk about a system where he designed incident response best practices that “surpassed mere procedural changes. It was about cultivating a resilient and prepared team.”

Anticipation, collaboration, purpose, and commitment to ethics

In a world of such high digital stakes, there are plenty of cybersecurity systems in place, but there are few experts with Kiran Sharma Panchangam Nivarthi‘s particular set of skills and passions. He can create systems and assemble teams that anticipate problems before they arise. His motivation is an honest passion for security and a desire to create a more secure world. To build truly secure systems requires more than just passwords and firewalls. It requires cybersecurity thought leadership that understands security from the very foundations of the system.