Name: Deepa Kuppuswamy
Company: ManageEngine
Title: Information security architect
Deepa is responsible for designing and managing technical security and ensuring privacy measures within ManageEngine. Through her tenure, Deepa has led the transformation of information security functions in many areas, with specific expertise in cloud security, application security, security engineering and architecture, risk management, and data privacy.
Why do you enjoy working in the cyber security field?
I’ve been working in the software industry for over 20 years and in information security for the past 10 years, and I’ve led engineering initiatives for several IT management products. As part of Zoho Corp, I have contributed to the strong culture of security that exists within the organisation – this has long been and will continue to be my goal.
One of the things I find the most rewarding is the ability to help businesses grow in a secure way. As the demand for seamless digital experiences grows, so do the threats. Information security must be perfectly in line with business objectives. Navigating this successfully, and watching businesses flourish, is one of the most gratifying results a security professional can hope for.
What are your works of advice to encourage other women to work in the space?
There are a few key aspects to success in this field: unfailing belief in yourself, refusal to give up, and continuous upskilling. In addition to ensuring your understanding of cybersecurity, computer networking, operating systems, and cloud computing is as reliable as it can be, the best piece of advice I can give women looking to work in this space is to embrace the thirst for knowledge and continual learning to stay ahead of threats. Cybersecurity is evolving rapidly. Threats are growing more and more sophisticated with each passing day. Be prepared to delve deep into new areas, learn new skills as threats evolve think like a hacker so as to challenge assumptions, and better analyse risk, and most importantly, take every opportunity to upskill.
