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Daryl Pereira talks about resilience, strategic leadership, and practical recovery lessons that shaped his approach to defending against the next wave of cyber challenges.
With years of global experience advising organisations through major incidents, Daryl brings a unique perspective to the realities of modern CISO leadership.
His work spans crisis response, governance, and cultural transformation, equipping him with insights into how leaders can prepare for the unexpected.
Ahead of his session at Security Edge on 8 October at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne, Daryl spoke with ADAPT’s Content Lead, Justina Uy, about the pressures of modern CISO leadership, the value of resilience in times of crisis, and the skills that will define the next generation of cyber leaders.
Navigating fragmented regulations across Asia Pacific
For Daryl, regulation may not be the most glamorous part of the job, but it is unavoidable.
He highlighted the complexity of disparate laws across mature and emerging economies, and how cloud adoption and AI governance are converging.
“Regulations are simply a baseline. You start there, but you do not stop there. I recommend strongly a risk-focused mindset for these conversations.”
Addressing multi-cloud risk and resilience
Cloud adoption continues to accelerate across the region, yet Daryl stressed that spreading workloads across providers comes with both benefits and complexity.
The perimeter itself has shifted.
“The cloud has become the new perimeter, and therefore now also subject to cyber attack, from credential theft to backups being corrupted.”
Embedding governance into AI adoption
Daryl views AI and security as inseparable.
He argued that responsible adoption requires strong governance, secure data environments, and testing against diverse user bases.
“Responsible AI looks at the ethical concerns of AI outputs. We must anticipate harms and ensure outcomes do not cause unintended damage.”
Preparing the next generation of CISOs
Mentorship is central to Daryl’s leadership philosophy.
He emphasised that CISOs must move beyond the “super nerd” stereotype and become business peers who enable strategy.
“The biggest skill is the ability to transcend between technical security, compliance, and business strategy and speak in the language of the board.”
Leading with purpose during crises
When organisations face cyberattacks, Daryl focuses on clarity, communication, and inspiring teams to connect with their higher purpose.
“Timelines don’t mean anything in a cyber crisis. You need clarity, communication, and a North Star so people know their efforts are making a difference.”
Key takeaways:
- Regulations are a baseline, but CISOs must apply a risk-focused mindset.
- Multi-cloud adoption mitigates concentration risk but creates new attack surfaces.
- Responsible AI requires end-to-end governance and ethical foresight.
- CISOs must be fluent in business strategy to gain board influence.
- Leadership in crises depends on clarity, communication, and higher purpose.
Hear more from Daryl and other leading CISOs at Security Edge on 8 October in Melbourne where he will impart practical lessons on recovery and strengthening resilience after major incidents.
150 enterprise and government security leaders will gather to discuss data-driven insights and exchange strategies focused on enhancing security posture, mitigating risks, and excelling in their complex roles.