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Now that we’ve entered 2025, the priorities for CIOs and CISOs are evolving in tandem, CIOs are lining up to take every shiny new tech innovation they can find, while CISOs are working to build increasingly complex firewalls to protect us from the very same tech the CIOs just installed. It’s a perfect symbiotic relationship: one builds the future, and the other builds the walls to protect us from it.
CIOs are prioritizing digital transformation, AI adoption, and cloud innovations to drive business growth, while CISOs are focusing on fortifying cybersecurity infrastructures and managing emerging threats.
But while their roles might seem opposed, they are, in fact, two sides of the same digital coin. As the stakes get higher, the digital realm becomes more complex, and the risks more perilous, these two leaders must collaborate like never before to navigate the tightrope between innovation and security. In this balancing act, CIOs push boundaries with cutting-edge technologies like AI, quantum computing, and blockchain, while CISOs counteract by fortifying defences, predicting future threats, and implementing zero-trust strategies. The stakes?
"CISOs must embrace predictive cybersecurity approaches to anticipate and mitigate potential threats before they cause significant damage, leveraging AI-driven threat detection and analytics." - Samir Kumar Mishra, Director, Security Business, Cisco India & SAAR
Top CIO and CISO Priorities for 2025
As businesses grow more reliant on technology, the roles of the CIO and CISO are evolving to meet new challenges. Below are the key priorities for each role in 2025.
Key Insights
CIO Insights
Digital Transformation: CIOs are focused on accelerating digital transformation to drive growth and streamline business operations.
AI & Automation: AI is becoming a critical tool for improving efficiency, reducing manual work, and enabling smarter decision-making.
Cloud & Hybrid Environments: More businesses are adopting cloud solutions for their scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.
Accelerating Digital Transformation: A Strategic Imperative
Sajith S. Kumar, CIO at Happiest Minds, underscores the importance of adopting scalable compute and storage platforms to meet dynamic business needs. By leveraging data analytics and AI, organizations can derive actionable insights, prioritize data security, and maintain business continuity. Karthik Rajaram, Area VP at Elastic India, highlights the need for technology partners equipped with tools like the Elastic Search AI Platform to drive innovation while ensuring resilience and security. Piyush Agarwal, SE Leader at Cloudera, emphasizes the role of unified platforms in breaking data silos and ensuring robust governance across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
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"Prioritising data integrity with secure, isolated backup solutions and automating recovery processes can minimise human error, speed up recovery, and allow security teams to focus on higher-priority tasks." -Balaji Rao, Area Vice President, India & SAARC, Commvault
AI and Automation: Redefining IT Operations
AI and automation are poised to revolutionize IT processes, from infrastructure provisioning to proactive maintenance. Sajith S. Kumar anticipates AI-powered security solutions that detect cyber threats in real-time and automate lower-tier IT tasks, enabling IT teams to focus on strategic goals.
Rahul Sharma, AVP-Sales at Salesforce India, envisions AI agents transforming the workforce by automating repetitive tasks and enhancing customer experiences. As AI becomes integral to business success, companies like Salesforce leverage platforms like Slack to integrate AI-driven productivity tools.
Indranil Mitra, Vice President of the Global Technology Office at LTIMindtree, emphasizes that "in the evolving digital landscape, CIOs must accelerate transformation by adopting agile frameworks that prioritize scalability, resilience, and seamless integration of emerging technologies like Generative AI. These technologies are set to redefine business and IT operations through real-time analytics, predictive maintenance, and streamlined workflows, driving operational efficiency and better decision-making."
He adds, "As computational workload mixes evolve, cloud adoption strategies must embrace hybrid and multi-cloud models to ensure interoperability, cost efficiency, and compliance, while leveraging edge computing to address latency and data sovereignty challenges." On the cybersecurity front, he underscores that "Zero Trust frameworks will be indispensable in defending against AI-driven cyber threats and ransomware, but effective implementation requires careful integration with legacy systems, continuous monitoring, and a strong focus on identity management." Mitra also highlights the importance of "fostering a culture of security awareness, leveraging AI for proactive threat mitigation, and preparing IT estates for crypto agility" to address emerging risks in IoT and edge environments.
"Organizations will move beyond ‘lift and shift’ to fully utilize cloud services like microservices, serverless computing, and containers. This shift will also see a focus on local data centres and compliance with regulations." - Sajith S Kumar, CIO at Happiest Minds
Balaji Rao, Area Vice President, India & SAARC, Commvault, envisions a future where AI and automation redefine IT operations, emphasizing efficiency and precision. “Proactive AI-driven automation will enable real-time decision-making and predictive insights, shifting from reactive recovery to proactive resilience,” he notes. Solutions like Commvault’s Cloud Rewind and Cleanroom Recovery exemplify how AI accelerates recovery, reducing Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) from days to minutes.
In parallel, Samir Kumar Mishra, Director of Cisco India & SAARC, highlights the integration of predictive AI tools. “AI-driven analytics will enhance threat detection, while zero-trust architectures ensure continuous verification and secure workflows,” he explains, underscoring the role of automation in anomaly detection and predictive maintenance.
"In 2025, organizations will move from piloting GenAI to developing real-world applications, focusing on both internal and external-facing use cases to drive innovation and critical decision-making." - Karthik Rajaram, Area VP and GM, Elastic India
As artificial intelligence evolves, so do the threats leveraging it. AI is increasingly used by cybercriminals to automate phishing campaigns, exploit system vulnerabilities, and manipulate machine learning models. Rizwan Patel comments, “AI vulnerabilities represent a growing operational risk.
Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to create more sophisticated attacks, and it’s imperative that we implement governance frameworks that include continuous monitoring and testing.” To counter this, organizations must implement strong AI governance frameworks, including continuous monitoring of AI models, rigorous testing protocols, and agile incident response plans.
"CIOs should break data silos and adopt platforms that unify data across multi-cloud environments, enabling real-time insights and AI-driven decision-making while ensuring scalability and resilience." - Piyush Agarwal, SE Leader-India, Cloudera
The Evolution of Cloud Adoption
Organizations are moving beyond traditional “lift-and-shift” strategies, as noted by Sajith S. Kumar, who foresees increased adoption of microservices, serverless computing, and edge computing. Cloudera’s Piyush Agarwal emphasizes the importance of hybrid and multi-cloud strategies for scalability and security. Karthik Rajaram points out that businesses must adapt AI models to various data environments, ensuring seamless integration and actionable insights while addressing compliance challenges.
"As AI agents become integrated into the workforce, employees will need to develop new skills to manage and optimize them, blending human expertise with AI to create a more agile workforce focused on growth and innovation." - Rahul Sharma, AVP-Sales, Salesforce India
CISO Insights
Emerging Cyber Threats: As cyber threats evolve, CISOs are prioritizing advanced cybersecurity measures, including AI-driven tools to detect and respond to threats faster.
Zero Trust: The implementation of Zero Trust models continues to rise, aiming to minimize risks by treating every access request as untrusted by default.
Cybersecurity Talent: With a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, CISOs are focusing on upskilling existing teams and adopting more automated security solutions.
Preparing for Emerging Threats
The cyber threat landscape in 2025 will be shaped by AI-powered attacks, supply chain vulnerabilities, and IoT exploits. Sajith S. Kumar advises CISOs to adopt Zero Trust frameworks and develop comprehensive incident response and disaster recovery plans. Meanwhile, Piyush Agarwal highlights the emergence of private enterprise-grade LLMs tailored to regional needs, balancing innovation with strong governance.
As cyber threats grow in sophistication, AI is becoming both a tool and a weapon. Mishra warns of autonomous AI-powered attacks and quantum computing challenges that will outpace traditional security models. “CISOs must adopt layered, proactive strategies, prioritizing zero-trust frameworks and ethical AI use,” he advises.
Ransomware, IoT vulnerabilities, and supply chain attacks remain top concerns. Rao underscores the need for real-time attack simulations and recovery drills, while Mishra advocates for embedding cybersecurity into organizational culture to mitigate human errors.
CIOs and CISOs must adopt continuous monitoring processes and risk-based approaches to AI model development.
Both experts stress the importance of resilience in an era of complex cyberattacks. Rao suggests real-time backups, frequent recovery testing, and secure, isolated backup solutions to enhance incident response. Mishra echoes the sentiment, urging companies to embrace predictive cybersecurity approaches that combine AI insights with human expertise.
Ransomware has shifted from merely encrypting data to becoming a tool for strategic extortion. Attackers now target organizational resilience, demanding payments to avoid disrupting business operations. Rizwan notes, “Ransomware today is not just about encryption; it’s about impacting the operational integrity of businesses. Reinforcing endpoint and identity protection through Zero Trust models is critical in combating this threat.” To mitigate this, CISOs must strengthen endpoint and identity protection through Zero Trust (ZT) frameworks, maintain encrypted offline backups, and run comprehensive employee cybersecurity awareness programs.
“A robust recovery strategy addresses all phases of a breach: protection, recovery, and rebuilding,” Rao emphasizes. This ensures businesses not only recover quickly but also maintain operational continuity.
CIO-CISO Collaboration
The convergence of IT and security roles is fostering stronger partnerships between CIOs and CISOs. Rao explains, “A unified approach enables rapid recovery and safeguards critical assets amidst evolving risks.” With digital transformation and cloud adoption accelerating, seamless collaboration is vital to align strategies and build resilient ecosystems.
"At LTIMindtree, we are helping clients navigate these trends by integrating AI and automation across IT delivery and operations, building and managing cloud solutions, and reinforcing cybersecurity measures." - Indranil Mitra, Vice President of the Global Technology Office at LTIMindtree
With data volumes exploding, effective governance is paramount. “IT leaders must establish clear ownership, access controls, and compliance frameworks,” Rao advises. By leveraging analytics and cloud-based solutions, businesses can transform data into a strategic asset, unlocking insights and driving innovation.
Modern cyberattacks necessitate a shift from traditional perimeter security to Zero Trust principles. Sajith S. Kumar explains that while implementing Zero Trust is complex, it aligns with compliance requirements and strengthens organizational resilience. Overcoming cultural and technical challenges will be key to ensuring a smooth transition to this security paradigm.
Strategic Priorities in 2025
According to Elastic’s Karthik Rajaram, CIOs will focus on deploying generative AI (GenAI) for real-world use cases, driving innovation in data strategies. Piyush Agarwal stresses the integration of IT with business objectives, fostering collaboration, and upskilling employees to embrace cutting-edge technologies.
From generative AI to post-quantum cryptography, 2025 will usher in transformative technologies. Mishra highlights the dual-edged nature of innovation: “Quantum computing offers groundbreaking possibilities but demands proactive investment in migration strategies.” Similarly, generative AI will require robust governance to balance its potential with risks.
Rao concludes with a call for continuous learning and technological adaptation. By embracing advanced frameworks and fostering collaboration, organizations can navigate the challenges of tomorrow and thrive in a dynamic digital world.
From generative AI to edge computing, emerging technologies present opportunities and challenges. Leaders like Rahul Sharma emphasize AI’s role in optimizing operations, while Piyush Agarwal highlights the need for robust governance frameworks to mitigate risks. CIOs and CISOs must adopt continuous monitoring processes and risk-based approaches to AI model development.
Practical steps that can be started with:
• Conducting pilot projects to evaluate the feasibility of AI-powered security solutions within the organization’s specific context.
• Investing in upskilling programs to develop AI/ML expertise within the security team.
• Establishing clear data governance policies for AI/ML models used in security operations, addressing concerns like data privacy, bias mitigation, and model explainability.
• Similarly, for Zero Trust implementation:
- Adopting a phased approach, starting with implementing Zero Trust principles for high-value assets and gradually expanding the scope.
- Investing in robust identity and access management (IAM) solutions that support fine-grained access controls and continuous authentication.
- Regularly reviewing and updating access control policies to ensure they remain aligned with the evolving threat landscape and business needs.
Conclusion
As we boldly stumble into the future of technology, the digital landscape appears less like a well-paved highway and more like an obstacle course designed by a mischievous AI. With cybercriminals honing their skills like contestants on a reality show, organizations must rely on cutting-edge strategies like Zero Trust—the IT equivalent of locking every door, window, and even the dog flap.
AI and automation are hailed as saviors, promising to revolutionize workflows—right after they finish causing existential crises for the very humans they’re meant to assist. Meanwhile, generative AI is rewriting books, coding apps, and probably drafting this article, all while plotting to replace your job with a bot that doesn’t need coffee breaks.
Governments and enterprises alike are racing to close the talent gap in cybersecurity, primarily by squeezing every drop of productivity out of professionals already running on fumes. But fear not—upskilling is here! After all, who wouldn’t want to learn quantum cryptography during their lunch break?
The future isn’t bleak—it’s just a little blurry, thanks to the fog of passwords we’ve all forgotten. As we navigate this brave new world, one thing is clear: innovation waits for no one, but neither does ransomware. So buckle up, log in, and remember to always, always update your antivirus software—because the future will surely be patchy.