Top Executives and Technology Leaders Attend Trend Micro Cybersecurity Leadership Summit in Pakistan

Introduction: Pakistan’s Cybersecurity Landscape Enters a New Era

Pakistan’s digital ecosystem is expanding rapidly across banking, telecom, energy, healthcare, government, retail, and manufacturing sectors. With this growth, cyber threats have also become more frequent, targeted, and sophisticated. To address these challenges, Trend Micro Pakistan successfully organized a Cybersecurity Leadership Summit, bringing together C-level executives, CISOs, IT heads, and senior technology leaders from multiple industries.

The high-impact event focused on one clear message: organizations must shift from reactive cybersecurity to a proactive, intelligence-driven, and platform-based security approach. Industry leaders shared insights on managing cyber risk, improving detection and response, and building long-term cyber resilience in Pakistan.

Why Cybersecurity Is a Business Priority Today

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It has become a strategic business requirement. Data breaches, ransomware attacks, and system outages can cause:

• Financial losses
• Operational downtime
• Regulatory penalties
• Reputational damage
• Loss of customer trust

As organizations adopt cloud computing, hybrid infrastructures, digital banking, and online services, the attack surface continues to grow. This makes traditional, isolated security tools ineffective against modern cyber threats.

The Trend Micro Cybersecurity Summit addressed these real-world concerns by promoting a unified and proactive defense strategy.

A Platform-Based Cybersecurity Approach for Modern Enterprises

Keynote by Goh Chee Hoh – Managing Director, Pakistan & Malaysia

The summit opened with a keynote address by Goh Chee Hoh, who highlighted how digital transformation is reshaping enterprise environments. He explained that organizations today are managing:

• Cloud and hybrid infrastructure
• Remote and mobile workforces
• Multiple security tools across different platforms
• Increasingly complex compliance requirements

To tackle these challenges, he introduced Trend Micro’s platform-based cybersecurity strategy.

What Is a Platform-Based Security Model?

A platform approach provides:

• Unified visibility across endpoints, networks, cloud workloads, email, and identities
• Centralized threat intelligence
• Integrated protection instead of scattered tools
• Faster detection and response to cyber threats

This approach helps organizations break down security silos, reduce complexity, and make faster, smarter security decisions.

Cyber Risk Exposure Management (CREM): A Proactive Security Standard

Technical Session by Wajahat Rajab – Technical Manager, Pakistan

One of the most insightful sessions was delivered by Wajahat Rajab, who introduced Cyber Risk Exposure Management (CREM) as a new standard for cybersecurity resilience.

What Is Cyber Risk Exposure Management?

CREM focuses on continuous monitoring and measurement of cyber risks rather than reacting after an attack occurs. It helps organizations understand:

• Where they are most vulnerable
• Which risks matter the most
• How attackers are likely to exploit weaknesses

Key Benefits of CREM

According to the session, CREM enables organizations to:

• Continuously discover and assess cyber risk exposure
• Prioritize critical vulnerabilities using real-world threat intelligence
• Reduce risk through automation and proactive security controls
• Improve decision-making with data-driven insights

Wajahat Rajab emphasized that reactive patching is no longer enough. Security teams must adopt continuous exposure monitoring to stop attackers before damage occurs.

Network Detection & Response (NDR): The Missing Link in Cyber Defense

Strategic Insights by Umair Sheikh – Country Director, Pakistan

Another major highlight of the summit was the session on Network Detection & Response (NDR) led by Umair Sheikh.

He explained that while many organizations invest heavily in endpoint and perimeter security, attackers often succeed by moving laterally within internal networks using stealthy and fileless techniques.

Why NDR Is Critical Today

NDR plays a vital role in modern cybersecurity because it:

• Detects hidden and advanced attacks that bypass traditional defenses
• Monitors suspicious network behavior in real time
• Uses AI and advanced analytics for faster investigations
• Integrates with XDR, SIEM, and SOC operations

Umair Sheikh stressed that NDR is no longer optional. It is a core pillar for organizations that want true end-to-end threat visibility.

Panel Discussion: Real-World Cybersecurity Challenges and Solutions

Industry Leaders Share Practical Experiences

The summit concluded with a powerful panel discussion featuring leading cybersecurity professionals, including:

• Ali Manzer – CISO, Bank of Punjab
• Murtaza Lightwala – CISO, K-Electric
• Fahad Azam – CISO, Meezan Bank
• Hassan Farooq – Head ICT, SECMC
• Umair Sheikh – Country Manager, Trend Micro
• Asad Effendi – CEO, Secure Networks

Key Topics Discussed

The panel explored:

• Challenges in shifting from reactive to proactive security
• Benefits of adopting a unified cybersecurity platform
• Lessons learned from real cyber incidents in Pakistan and globally
• Importance of threat intelligence and continuous monitoring
• Building organizational roadmaps for detection, governance, and compliance

Panelists agreed that cybersecurity must be embedded into business strategy, not treated as an afterthought.

Strengthening Pakistan’s Cybersecurity Ecosystem

Trend Micro’s Commitment to Pakistan

The event reinforced Trend Micro’s long-term commitment to:

• Supporting Pakistan’s digital transformation
• Empowering security leaders with advanced cybersecurity tools
• Enhancing cyber resilience across industries
• Encouraging collaboration between technology and security communities

With strong participation and highly interactive discussions, the summit marked a significant milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

The Future of Cybersecurity in Pakistan

As cyber threats become more targeted and complex, Pakistani organizations must:

• Invest in proactive security strategies
• Adopt platform-based cybersecurity solutions
• Focus on risk exposure management
• Strengthen detection and response capabilities

Events like the Trend Micro Cybersecurity Leadership Summit play a crucial role in educating leaders, sharing best practices, and shaping the future of cybersecurity in Pakistan.

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