Stephen Raveendra announces CISO Council to combat cybercrime, cyber threats

HYDERABAD: Cyberabad Commissioner and Director of Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TSCSB), Stephen Raveendra, announced on Saturday the launch of the groundbreaking CISO Council as a joint initiative between industry and law enforcement to combat Cybercrime and Cyber threats affecting industry and citizens of Telangana.

Stephen Raveendra addressed a gathering of industry leaders, subject matter experts, and heads of cybersecurity and IT associations on Saturday as part of the Hyderabad Cyber Summit at HICC, bringing together various associations such as ISACA, ACFE, OWASP, IAPP, ISC2, DSCI, and announcing the launch of the first-ever Law Enforcement CISO Council, designed specifically to combat the increasing challenges of cyber security and cybercrime in the state.

He pointed out at the rapid growth of criminal activities in the digital age, particularly cybercriminals' use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to disrupt industries, governments, and regular citizens' lives.

He emphasised that, in the age of AI, cyber security must shift from defensive to a proactive war, anticipating and avoiding assaults rather than simply responding to them. He underscored the rapid evolution of criminal activity in the digital age, particularly the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by cybercriminals to disrupt industries, governments, and the lives of ordinary citizens.

The formation of the CISO Council, according to Stephen Raveendra, was a 'revolution in our strategy to counter cyber threats' and an absolute necessity in an era of increasingly sophisticated cybercrime. The Council, composed of the best brains in cybersecurity, was intended to serve as a steadfast shield against the relentless surge of cyber threats.

A Regional CERT and Incident Response Force, an Audit unit, an SOC, Threat Intelligence, and an Attack Surface Management unit would be part of the CISO Council.

The Commissioner said that the active participation and contribution of industry representatives and cyber specialists was critical to the successful operationalization of this council.

Interested parties were urged to participate by contacting the Council via their official website.

He appealed for unity in the fight against cybercrime and assured that the Law Enforcement CISO Council was committed to countering cyber threats and maintaining the security and safety of the digital environment now and in the future.