At iCognition, we’ve always recognised the value of a high-performing team. A shining example of this is Rohan Ahluwalia, iCognition’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). One of our most tenured and trusted team members, Rohan brings an extensive range of experience and expertise. Rohan has been an integral part of iCognition’s success and is a prime example of how investing in employee growth can lead to sustained, long term results for an organisation.
Starting his career as a software engineer in 2005, Rohan gathered experience in business information and analytics, cyber security and records and information management. After obtaining his MSE from ANU and an MBA in Innovation & Leadership, Rohan foresaw the potential in the future of content creation and management and joined iCognition in 2007. Having been with the team for over 15 years and most recently, acquiring a highly regarded CISSP accreditation from ISC2, Rohan reflects on his journey and shares some valuable insights toward the pressing concerns surrounding information and risk management for organisations today.
What does your typical day at work look like?
As CTO and CISO of the company, my day-to-day involves leading, implementing and strategising solutions that combine information and cyber security. I’m often found going through logs, assisting in deployments, troubleshooting, presenting to clients, or learning new ways to work every day.
You have recently acquired a CISSP accreditation. Can you please tell us what this is, the process of attaining a CISSP and why this is beneficial for iCognition’s clients?
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is an award-winning, premier cyber security certification offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2). The community consists of approximately 3,000 CISSP holders in Australia, out of 150,000 in the world, making it one of the most esteemed and well-regarded accreditations in cyber security. CISSP is vendor agnostic and is also acknowledged and accepted by leading cyber security authorities in the Australian Government.
iCognition has achieved an ISO27001 certification and Information Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) assessment, which provides the framework to endorse individuals from the private and public sectors to provide cyber security assessment services. Combine this with the CISSP certification, and we have an approach that has allowed our team to successfully deliver exceptional value to clients in the Australian Government and other regulated industries.
What professional advantages have you acquired with your CISSP accreditation and how has this been valuable for iCognition?
The CISSP certification provides a strong foundation across all security domains, providing a comprehensive understanding of physical, virtual, social, and cyber security. It helps us tackle a broad range of security challenges such as risk management, application development and cloud computing. By attaining the CISSP certification, I have been able to understand how these various technologies synergise and work with one another. Now, it’s not just about learning what these systems are and how they work, but also understanding the underlying concepts and reasoning behind why they work like that as well.
What do you see as the biggest risks in Information Management in the future and how can businesses prevent these risks?
I view the relationship between Information Management Governance (IMG) and Information Security as a seesaw, with a proper balance being crucial for organisational productivity and risk mitigation. One of the most significant risks that businesses are facing is the rapidly increasing pace of content creation, coming from both content creators as well as AI technologies. This increase in content creation has resulted in the need for a robust governance framework that ensures proper management and security of the generated content. For businesses, investing in skilled personnel and proven solutions is essential to manage the risks associated with adopting these newer technologies. Conducting due diligence can also go a long way in helping organisations safeguard their interests.
What industry developments are you most excited to see in the future?
On the top of my list would be to see the increased focus on automation for the creation and management of content, along with the subsequent implementation of information governance programs. I’m also excited to see the increased use of integrated analytical platforms along with aggregated search experiences for users.