New York, November 3rd / PRNewswire / -- CISOs Connect ™ Today, we announce the launch of APAC C25 ™, a new recognition program designed to honor 25 outstanding Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and leaders in similar positions from the Asia-Pacific region. Their leadership and influence are particularly prominent at this time, and they are shaping the future direction of this profession.

The inaugural APAC C25 ™ marks the global expansion of the CISOs Connect ™ CISO award program. Based on the C100, this program selects the top 100 CISO and their counterparts in security leadership from the United States and Canada each year, and it is now in its sixth year. The APAC C25 ™ brings this peer-reviewed, performance-based model to the Asia-Pacific region for the first time.

CISOs Connect ™ CEO Aimee Rhodes stated: "The Asia-Pacific region is an extremely diverse area, with security leaders facing vastly different market conditions, regulatory environments, and stages of technological development. What they have in common is that the role of a security leader is becoming increasingly important to their businesses, and the environments they operate in have also become more complex. We established APAC C25 ™ to bring attention to the executives who are performing exceptionally well throughout the region and to ensure that recognition is based on their substantive achievements in leadership and influence."

Sandeep Taileng serves as the chairman of the review committee for __BJWKEEP_00002™, and he possesses expertise in areas such as cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, emerging technologies, and global standards.

The members of the first APAC C25 ™ Jury include:

• Reuben Athaide, Head of Innovation, Application Security, and Protection at Standard Chartered Bank Singapore
• James Blair, Northpower Chief Information Officer, New Zealand
• Hugo Lai, Temple University Health System Chief Information Security Officer, United States
• Ashish Mahajan, IEEE Standards Association Board of Directors member, ordinary member, Australia
• Sanjay Menon, Head of Technical Risk and Control at Citibank International, Singapore
• Irshad Saifi, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. Global CIDO ( CIO & CDO ), India
• Sandeep Taileng (Chairperson), State Trustees (Person in charge of information security), CyberInSpace (Founder), Australia
• Vannessa "V" Van Beek, Fortescue Chief Information Security Officer, Australia

The perspectives of the jury members cover critical infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, professional services, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, business transformation, global technical standards, emerging technologies, and technological risks.

At the time of this launch, the role of security executives is undergoing rapid changes. Artificial intelligence and increasingly autonomous systems are altering the way organizations operate as well as the manner in which attacks are carried out. Quantum computing also forces organizations to begin considering risks that extend beyond traditional planning cycles. Meanwhile, geopolitical fluctuations, regulatory complexities, rapid adoption of technology, and business transformations are expanding the responsibilities and influence of CISO and those in similar positions.

The first APAC C25 ™ will establish a benchmark for leadership in the region, recognizing executives who have achieved accomplishments, are currently having an impact, and have excelled in leading their organizations through major technological and business transformations.

APAC C25 ™ will honor the CISO and other leading cybersecurity figures in the Asia-Pacific region, covering Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and other Asia-Pacific markets.

Transparent evaluation. Clear standards. Performance-based.

Like C100, APAC C25 ™ is based on a simple principle: honor should be earned through strength.

The winners will be selected by an independent and publicly identified jury based on clear criteria, which include leadership, professional influence, business acumen, innovation, and impact. APAC C25 ™ is solely performance-based; there are no nomination or application fees, nor are there any fees for selection or winning. There are no financial obligations before, during, or after the selection process.

Sandeep Taileng indicates that "technology and risk are converging, which is changing the environment in which security leaders operate. Artificial intelligence, quantum technology, critical infrastructure, geopolitical risks, and digital dependence are increasingly interwoven. By collaborating with CISOs Connect ™ to create APAC C25 ™, we have the opportunity to take a broader view of the region and recognize those leaders who are effectively addressing this complex situation today and will influence the way security and resilience are built in the coming years."

CISOs Connect ™, President, and Grayscale Investments, Chief Information Security Officer, stated: "The power of this recognition program comes from the people who make decisions. These are experienced professionals who know what outstanding security leadership looks like because they have practiced it themselves. It is this peer perspective that is crucial for identifying those executives who truly stand out in the entire region."

Global Community

For CISOs Connect ™, APAC C25 ™ is not merely a geographical expansion of an award program. It reflects the increasingly globalized nature of the issues faced by CISO and its counterparts in similar positions, as well as the importance of bringing together perspectives from different markets, industries, and regulatory environments.

APAC C25 ™ also extends the broader mission of CISOs Connect ™: to create opportunities for security executives to learn from each other, to enhance the work being carried out throughout the industry, and to establish cross-industry, cross-market, and cross-regional relationships.

Rhodes signifies: "This is our first APAC C25 ™, and therefore, it is also an opportunity to establish the significance of this recognition program. We hope that the list of winners for the first edition will reflect the depth and diversity of leadership in the Asia-Pacific region, and set a meaningful standard for the executives who engage in this work every day."

Nominations for the first APAC C25 ™ will begin on November 3, 2026, and the list of winners for the first C25 will be announced on January 26, 2027, at CISOs Connect Singapore. Submission portal: https :// cisosconnect.com / nominate / apac-c25.

About CISOs Connect ™

CISOs Connect ™ is a global community for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and senior network security executives, designed to enable them to connect, exchange ideas, and learn from each other in a trusted environment driven by their peers. Through its executive community, events, Security Shark Tank ®, CISOs Investigate ™, C100, and other initiatives, CISOs Connect ™ brings together leaders in network security to jointly address the business, technical, and leadership challenges that shape this profession.

Media contact: Amanda Ortiz, 201.835.9205, [ email protected ]