Graphic Packaging International

Michael is a Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Graphic Packaging International and takes security decisions to unearth greater business value, fuel revenue growth and impact operational efficacy. He is experienced in strategically aligning IT privacy & security, scaling global security programs, optimizing corporate value and converting the most ardent skeptics into IT security ambassadors.

What are some of your key roles and responsibilities as a CISO?

I am responsible for the global cyber security program at Graphic Packaging International. It is my duty to ensure that cybersecurity technology adds value to the business by coordinating it with business objectives. I also establish the cyber strategies approved by the company.

I ensure that team members understand the strategy and learn how to implement it.

My objective is to anticipate how security threats will affect the company and collaborate with business partners to assist them in comprehending and supporting the cyber strategies.

What are the major challenges that exist in the cybersecurity industry?

The first challenge lies in ensuring that workers are engaged in their tasks to the point that they feel empowered to ask for assistance and have the necessary tools they need for the task.

The second issue is to make sure that the team members have the necessary situational awareness to understand and influence difficult strategies. This can be achieved through constant coaching or persuasion with their peer.

“To counter emerging cybersecurity challenges, team members require situational awareness to understand and influence a difficult strategy. This may require constant coaching or persuasion with their peer.”

The third obstacle is that most businesses are aware of the fundamental risks of distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks and network intrusion and can manage remote code execution. These factors are less difficult to address than the emerging challenge of AI. This includes dealing with adversarial technology of voice cutting and being aware of AI that can be used to create deep fakes for fraudulent purposes.

In my opinion, the next stage of risk that we must confront will be an internal threat as companies expand and make decisions that may be contrary to the interests of their employees.

What project have you been involved in recently to address these challenges?

The cyber security program has existed for some time and is adaptable to new threats. My most recent project covered all aspects of cyber security, from pod security to network security. We used AI-powered solutions in conjunction with other strategies to ensure our progress.

What are the recent developments in the cybersecurity field that are going to shape the future?

The future lies in security leaders reverting to be more business-centric. Cybersecurity was initially around information security, as it was a combination of business services and IT. Over time, with the advent of the term "cyber", leaders began to refer to themselves as "cyber security leaders". This encouraged them to become more tech-focused.

I believe that businesses will become more aware of security requirements and board members will take more accountability for cybersecurity governance. This will force leaders in the cyber security space to focus on their business outlook.

What would be your piece of advice to a fellow peer to navigate the changing world orders? 

It would be wise to be receptive to new information. Cyberspace leaders have done a great deal of good, but the world is entering a new and changing environment. It is essential for them to be aware of these shifting world trends, as it facilitates a better comprehension of potential business difficulties.

Inquiring further and obtaining additional information will help professionals to align their offerings with corporate objectives better.