Khwaja's Take: National Cybersecurity Strategy, Jamie Dimon's letter, IBM’s Masters AI app

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1. The National Cybersecurity Strategy and Impact to Your Business

With the Biden administration’s release of the National Cybersecurity Strategy , CISOs, and modern Boards everywhere are looking to get a head start on implementing the strategy. This blog will discuss the five pillars of the strategy, how your organization and the Boards can begin preparing, and why it is important to stay ahead of this newly announced initiative.

1. Defend Critical Infrastructure

Boards and executives must prioritize the defense of their critical infrastructure assets. This includes overseeing, developing and implementing appropriate security measures such as: ensuring applications are patched and updated regularly; deploying security solutions to protect against threats; monitoring systems for suspicious activity; and, having an incident response plan in place for responding quickly to any cyber incidents.

The Federal Government is taking a stronger stance to secure national defense and public safety, including:

• Establishing cybersecurity requirements
• Scaling public-private collaboration
• Integrating federal cybersecurity centers
• Updating federal incident plans and processes
• Modernizing federal defenses.

Great minds think alike: Board & Senior management working together on effective oversight of cyber risk management = success!?-Khwaja Shaik, Board Advisor

2. Disrupt And Dismantle Threat Actors

This element focuses on identifying, disrupting, and dismantling malicious actors by using intelligence sharing networks, strengthening partnerships between public and private entities, implementing effective sanctions against threat actors, and disrupting criminal operations that use cyberspace for illicit activities.

• Organizations should work with their government partners to ensure they are taking proactive measures to combat cyber threats.
• Reporting instances of ransomware to law enforcement is critical for protecting your business and others from future attacks – it's part of being responsible!

Future-proof your business by streamlining incident response, and improving shared intelligence through stronger alliances with the public and private sector – make attackers pay a higher price for their actions. -Khwaja Shaik, Board Advisor

3. Shape Market Forces To Drive Security And Resilience.

Organizations should take steps to ensure they are complying with current cybersecurity regulations as well as developing strategies for anticipating future ones. Additionally, organizations should also make sure they are investing in strong cybersecurity solutions that are tailored to meet their specific needs.

• It is also important for organizations to monitor emerging technologies that could potentially be used by attackers in order to stay one step ahead of them.
• Organizations will now be accountable for the security of their products and services. Boards must oversee senior management and track metrics associated with implementing security solutions right from the start.

It is imperative for Boards to oversee business models that ensures data ownership as belonging to the creator and protects individual rights. -Khwaja Shaik, Board Advisor

4. Invest In A Resilient Future. Organizations need to invest in their ecosystem and people in order to create a resilient future. This means embracing open innovation and providing training opportunities so employees can stay up-to-date on the latest security trends and best practices as well as regularly testing employees’ knowledge on cybersecurity topics with quizzes or simulated attack scenarios.

• Organizations should encourage cybersecurity innovation culture and invest in technologies such as AI-infused patching processes and continuous monitoring systems that can help detect potential threats before they become a problem.

Getting cybersecurity right isn't just about defense, but also about understanding the economic implications of cyber incidents.?-Khwaja Shaik, Board Advisor

• Infuse trusted digital identities and a trusted ecosystem and be the leader in securing customer data and making sure everyone's information is safe.

Don't wait for a breach! Don't let traditional cryptography keep you locked in the past. Take advantage of quantum-safe tech now!?-Khwaja Shaik, Board Advisor

5. Forge International Partnerships To Pursue Shared Goals. Organizations need to develop strong relationships with government partners at all levels in order to collaborate on initiatives related to cyber security. They also need to build relationships with other organizations within their industry or sector so they can share best practices or coordinate responses during an attack if necessary. Finally, organizations need to look into forming partnerships with international entities in order implement global standards for cyber security that everyone can adhere too.

Conclusion

As you can see from the five pillars discussed above, there is much work that needs to be done when it comes getting a head start on implementing the National Cybersecurity Strategy. Organizations need to prioritize defending critical infrastructure assets, disrupt threat actors, shape market forces towards improved cybersecurity resilience, invest in a resilient future through training opportunities and automated patching processes, and forge international partnerships for shared goals with government agencies at all levels and other businesses within their sector or industry.

• The White House National Cybersecurity Strategy has clear implications for both public and private sector organizations. As we move towards a more interconnected digital world, the security of everyone’s data must become a priority. WHNCS gives an outline to achieve this while also providing consistent methods of accountability and liability with regards to systemic cyber risk.
• For corporations and Board directors alike, this strategy means paying close attention to their own cybersecurity practices and oversight practices while also collaborating with other organizations in order to comprehensively protect digital systems against threats.
• To stay ahead of potential risks, it is essential that businesses implement these strategies now, before any events occur. It is the responsibility of everyone involved in the corporate boardroom ensure senior management guarantee the full protection of digital systems against any harmful software or malicious actors. By upholding these standards, our overall cyber defense will be fortified for years to come

Staying ahead of this new initiative from the Biden administration will help ensure your organization remains secure while continuing its mission of providing valuable services or products successfully now and into the future!

2. Jamie Dimon's Letter Reminds Us of the Urgency of Tackling Inequality in America and Corporate Governance Principles

摩根大通 CEO Jamie Dimon recently published a shareholders letter calling on America’s CEOs to embrace a form of capitalism that drives equitable growth. Specifically, he focused on workforce development and increasing wages for low-wage workers. The letter speaks to the urgency of tackling inequality in America today and its direct connection to business competitiveness and shareholder returns. It also reminds us of an important perspective that multi stakeholder capitalism, will drive both economic "and" societal value.

Fixing income inequality will reignite the American dream. - Jamie Dimon

Good corporate governance is also essential for achieving this goal, as it ensures that all stakeholders—from employees to shareholders—have their voices heard and interests respected.

This requires building a foundation of trust, leveraging the expertise of the board with a relentless focus on balancing both short-term and long-term needs.

• Directors should have unfettered access to management, including those below the CEO’s direct reports, as well as all pertinent information they need to make sound decisions.
• Board meetings should be held on a regular basis and include open discussions between directors and management so that issues can be adequately addressed.
• Finally, boards should ensure that senior management instills a culture where employees are empowered with the right capabilities to succeed in their roles and contribute positively to company performance.
• Additionally, companies should focus on promoting open communication and trust with the board by making sure there is an adequate understanding of key performance indicators (KPIs). This means having access to data such as financial numbers, customer feedback survey results, employee engagement metrics, or any other relevant metrics from across the organization so that everyone can work together towards common goals.
• Moreover, it is essential for companies to adopt effective risk management practices by regularly assessing potential risks facing them (e.g., cyber security threats) and implementing measures that minimize their impact.

Across Political Divides, Americans Agree: Companies Should Prioritize Workers’ Economic Security, Driving Competitive Advantage. - JUST Capital

Conclusion

All in all, Jamie Dimon’s letter serves as an important reminder of the pressing need for businesses across America to take action against inequality in order to remain competitive in today’s global economy while ensuring long-term sustainability for both workers and shareholders alike. Companies must strive towards good corporate governance practices that promote open dialogue between stakeholders at every level; provide employees with necessary resources; assess potential risks; and ensure transparency when it comes to KPIs so that everyone involved can benefit from positive outcomes moving forward. By taking these steps now, businesses will be well positioned for success in the future while also addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges head on.

Ultimately, Dimon’s letter sends an important message about what it takes for businesses today to be competitive in an ever-changing economy—workforce development, increased wages for low-wage workers, good corporate governance practices, and ongoing dialogue between boards and senior management.

3. IBM's Generative AI for the 2023 Masters Tournament

Every year, millions of viewers tune in to watch the Masters Tournaments . ?As a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, IBM has been partnering with the Masters for over two decades to create high value solutions that improve the user experience. This year, IBM used a large language model to develop AI commentary. It is a new experience that adds spoken narration to videos of every shot, by every golfer, on every hole. Let’s take a closer look at how these new capabilities are helping to elevate the tournament and capture the attention of golf fans everywhere.

Introducing Hole-by-Hole Player Predictions To Enhance User Experience

IBM’s Consulting team taught an AI model to analyze masters video and produce highlight reels for every player, minutes after their round is complete. The answer came in the form of hole-by-hole player predictions which project a player's score on each hole for the entire tournament.

?Don't miss out on the latest advancements in natural language processing with IBM 's new large language model powering AI Commentary!

• Large language models need both data and domain knowledge to succeed in a variety of tasks. Data is the fuel that powers large language models, while domain expertise is the driver that shapes them
• For large enterprises, the AI solutions must be enterprise-grade with reliability and trustworthy.
• The commentary during the tournament is no ordinary one. With the help of Masters "approved" data sources, the model utilizes official data providers like shot data, scoring, stats, and video from various trusted sources. The AI then interprets each shot and converts the meta data into a textual form. The text goes through a series of neural networks that perform millions of computations to generate thousands of possible sentences. From these, the model selects the best sentence that gets passed on to Watson's text-to-speech service. The audio then gets synchronized with the action in the clip, while the language and sentence structure vary from clip to clip. The result? A truly remarkable and engaging commentary that is beyond ordinary.

AI has become increasingly important in sports analytics due to its ability to identify patterns and trends faster than any human can do alone.

Conclusion

For over a quarter-century, IBM has been lending their expertise to some of the biggest names in Sports & Entertainment, paving the way for top-notch digital experiences that reach global audiences. With a history of crafting innovative AI solutions as part of their offerings, IBM is constantly pushing the envelope with their state-of-the-art Research department.

Customers and partners alike have access to IBM's unparalleled AI capabilities, empowering them to leverage the best in their own products, services, and solutions.

IBM's AI libraries essentially eliminate the need for lengthy, tedious coding by providing partners with a fully functional foundation. This allows developers to focus on creating unique, innovative products rather than getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty of AI construction. The result is a streamlined development cycle and, ultimately, reduced time-to-market for cutting-edge AI software.

Turning up the efficiency dial; thanks to leveraging the power of IBM NLP library, core AI model builds are now taking less time with a reduction in developer weeks of up to 75%.??-Khwaja Shaik

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ABOUT KHWAJA SHAIK

KHWAJA SHAIK?is the award-winning C-level Global IT Executive with 25+ years of technology, industry, and board leadership with?IBM ,?Bank of America ?&?PwC . He was recognized globally for turning visionary thinking into breakthrough growth.?As one of?IBM’s CTOs, Khwaja counsels CEOs, Boards, and Startups on corporate strategy, digital transformation, AI, Cybersecurity, ESG, and culture shifts to unlock performance.

Using his innovative mindset, he saved $1.1 billion per year for Bank of America by transforming the Global IT Operating model and future-proofed business by mitigating risk and infusing new?fintech. Khwaja has 20 years of experience in the highly?regulated banking and financial services?industry.?

In addition, as a Big5 thought leader at?PwC , he incubated new businesses, reshaped business and?platform operating models— digitized end-to-end business processes to capture value, and protected firms from?cyberattacks?through AI & the cloud.

Khwaja has a history of leading over $10B digital business transformations by scaling Agile practices for cost optimization, revenue-generation, and societal transformation imperatives. It includes digital business optimization and using digital business models to capture profitable growth, customer lifetime value & competitive advantage to Fortune 500 firms.

Khwaja transformed the Omnichannel customer experience by delivering world's largest next-gen Contact Center platform as part of BAC's M&A (CFC, MBNA, Fleet etc.) by replacing aging telephony system with VoIP. Contact Center platform serves 1 billion calls, 500K interactions annually and 300 million outbound calls annually to support multichannel strategy

In 2016, Khwaja was among the most exceptional IBMers appointed with the rare distinction of IBM Academy of Technology member. In 2020, Khwaja was recognized as IBM’s senior inventor and top 100 technical leaders driving technology ethics and data stewardship, providing the direction of IBM on societal transformation with responsible innovation that matters.

Service to others has been a part of Khwaja’s purpose. Khwaja promotes economic equity, social responsibility, diversity, and inclusion for the prosperity of all -the reinvention of education through innovative programs such as Open P-TECH. Due to his holistic stakeholder engagement in the industry, partner ecosystem, and?community, Khwaja received several service awards from IBM, Bank of America, University of North Florida, Indo US Chamber of Commerce of Northeast Florida, and 2022 ORBIE Awards FloridaCIO Finalist.

Khwaja serves on the boards of directors of the?Museum of Science & History , UNF School of?Computing Advisory Board ,?TECt, ?MIT ?CIO Forum,?Interfaith Center of Northeast Florida ,?and McKinsey Executive Panel.

Khwaja regularly writes on?LinkedIn ,?Twitter ?and regularly?interviewed ?for?industry insights ?or cited in the?news ,?Thought Leadership POVs . He is a frequent international speaker at elite universities, including IIT Hyderabad, CIO IT & Security Forum, MHI Supply Chain Conference, and JAX Chamber IT Council.

Khwaja is a Fellow of?Herndon Directors Institute , sponsored by?Nasdaq ?and?Atlanta Life Insurance Company . Khwaja holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. Khwaja lived on three continents, experienced three different cultures, reads too much, doesn’t do enough gardening, married for over 22 years, and has two boys.

?More details on Khwaja’s career and thought leadership activities could be found via?Linkedin, ?Khwajashaik.com ?or follow him on Twitter @Khwaja_Shaik

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