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Kiran Divakaran

Enterprise Architect/Principal Consultant/Tech Evangelist@Eturnti at Eturnti Consulting Pvt Ltd

Kiran Divakaran is an Enterprise Architect with certifications in TOGAF and CSM, known for his leadership in technology and product development across large enterprises.

His expertise lies in areas such as Enterprise Architecture, Business Design, Design Sprints, Innovation Consulting, and Solution Architecture Best Practices.

Kiran excels in IT Strategy, Product Management, Lean IT Principles, and Product Development, with a track record of top-tier product and project management in core banking and mobile payments.

He has a strong background in articulating vision, formulating organizational strategy, and setting up business units with a focus on cost-efficiency.

Educationally, Kiran holds a Master of Science in Software Systems from BITS Pilani and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from University Vishweshwaraya College of Engineering.

Throughout his career, Kiran has held key roles in organizations such as being an Advisory Board Member at Intersection Group, Lead EA Expert at NEGD, and Co-Founder/Director at Wizante Technology and Solutions.

He has also contributed as a Governing Board Member at Cloud Computing Innovation Council of India, Vice Chair of the TOGAF Standards Standing Committee at The Open Group, and in various technical roles at companies like Ondot Systems Inc, Infosys Technologies Ltd, and Eturnti Consulting Pvt Ltd.

Highlights

Jun 11 · linkedin

A journey of 1000 steps with that one step. Similarly, any organization mandate can be broken down into small steps and sub steps to help achieve it. Here is where OKRs comes into play which google, and many others have used it successfully to track things to closure.

While it might seem similar to KPIs which most companies have been using it to set objectives and targets and make them SMART to help achieve them. But underlying this OKRs are far more realistic and tweakable and flexible terms of how you could achieve them as they connect the objective with the results that you need to attain to surpass the goal.

KPIs usually qualitative tie at the company or at the group level and are for a specific unit level or group level but OKRs can help create combination of qualitative and quantitative elements at more granular levels across groups.

OKRs can help achieve KPIs and should not be seen as replacing them on the other hand.

Some key KPIs and OKRs for accessing the differences:

KPIs: Metrics used to evaluate the success of an ongoing activity or operational performance such as.

Monthly sales revenue. Cust satisfaction score (CSAT). Emp turnover rate. Avg resolution time for cust support tickets.

OKRs: Is a goal-setting f/w that defines specific objs and the key results that measure progress towards those objs.

Objective: Increase CSAT for your customers.

Key Result 1: Achieve a cust satisfaction score of 90% or higher. Key Result 2: Reduce average response time to cust inquiries to under 2 hours. Key Result 3: Implement a new cust feedback system by the end of Q2.

Breaking an Objective down all the way to KRs and Tactics and Tasks.

E.g. Need to increase Cloud Security

Objective: Strengthen the security of cloud infra and services. Key Results: Conduct and complete penetration testing on all cloud services within the next quarter. Achieve compliance with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 standards by the end of the fiscal year. Reduce the number of security vulnerabilities detected in monthly audits by 50%. Implement MFA for 100% of admin access points.

Tactics and Tasks:

Tactic 1: Conduct Comprehensive Pen Testing Task 1: Hire a third-party security firm to perform pen testing. Task 2: Scope the testing to include all cloud services and infra components. Task 3: Schedule testing to minimize disruption to services. Task 4: Review and address all findings from the penetration testing report.

Tactic 2: Achieve Compliance with Security Standards

Task 1: Perform a gap analysis to identify areas where current practices do not meet ISO 27001 and SOC 2 requirements. Task 2: Develop and implement policies and procedures to close identified gaps. Task 3: Train staff on new policies and procedures. Task 4: Conduct an internal audit to ensure all compliance measures are in place. Task 5: Schedule and undergo external audits for ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certification.

#OKRs #tasks #KPIs #goalsetting #setObjectivesAndAchieveThem

Pic Src : Atiim

A journey of 1000 steps with that one step. Similarly, any organization mandate can be broken down i
Jun 3 · linkedin

A Security Operations Center (SOC) plays a critical role in detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity incidents.

Let's say a Malware has crept into the Organization and needs to be contained. It has spread across an organization's network, encrypting critical files and there is a demand for ransom in bitcoins.Faimilar scene right. Now your SOC worth its salt has to rise up and fix things before they get out of hand with a reduced response time.

What should the SOC team do?

Detection: SIEM and EDR tools detect unusual file encryption activities and ransom notes. Analysis: Forensic analysis to determine the malware variant and its infection vector. Containment: Isolate infected systems from the network to prevent further spread. Eradication: Use anti-malware tools to remove the malware from affected systems. Recovery: Restore files from backups and ensure all systems are clean before reconnecting to the network. Post-Incident Review: Analyze the incident to improve defenses and update response plans

SOC team needs to ensure comprehensive protection against cyber threats and maintain the overall security posture of an organization post threats and it should be an ongoing activity. Among other things they need to be able to thwart threats before they rise, reduce incident response times, increase their threat hunting footprint, spread security awareness and ensure compliance as well.

Building a SOC from Strategy to Execution across the Layers. 

Strategic Activities:

Annual security strategy reviews. Budget planning and resource allocation. Establishing partnerships with external entities. Policy development and updates.

Tactical Activities:

Regular threat intelligence briefings. Incident response drills and exercises. Security architecture reviews and updates. Coordination of cross-functional security projects.

Operational Activities:

24/7 security monitoring. Incident triage and analysis. Response and recovery from security incidents. Regular updates to detection rules and response procedures.

Integration Across Layers Strategic, Tactical and Operational is key for a robust and stable SOC, as directives have to be issued from top down and feedback has to go back from the bottom to the top.

Tools and Technologies across the landscape:

SIEM Systems: Provide centralized logging and alerting, used across tactical and operational layers. SOAR Platforms: Automate response actions and streamline processes, beneficial at tactical and operational layers. Threat Intelligence Platforms: Inform strategic planning and tactical adjustments based on emerging threats.

Pic Src : Sameer Paradia

#SOCBuildingBlocks #BuildingASOC #SecOperations #SOCStrategytoExecution.

Kiran Divakaran
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Location

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India