With constant advancements in tech and networking systems, the threats of stealing data and hacking into networks have increased more than ever. If the access to data is not protected adequately, a simple breach could cost millions of dollars and put unprotected organization’s future at stake. Arun K. Singh, CEO of Ilantus Services & Network Intelligence, is on a mission to create a comprehensive approach towards fighting cyber-attacks and by supporting businesses with Identity-Centric holistic cybersecurity solutions.
With innovation and disruption, organizations are facing increasing pressure to adopt cutting edge technologies and stay ahead of the curve. In order to provide better client services organizations are using technologies e.g. RPA, ChatBot, NLP, Virtual Reality, AI, ML, Big Data, Predictive Analytics, IoT, 5G, Wearables, Geo-fencing, Beacons, Cloud, EDGE, FOG Computing etc. Each of these new technologies expand the attack surface and lead to cybersecurity concerns. This creates a big business opportunity for Ilantus & NI as they have the capabilities to address end-to-end cybersecurity needs covering IT, OT, Cloud and On-premise environments.
Leadership starting
Arun’s professional journey commenced as a cryptographer and security researcher. As time progressed, he transitioned to spearheading cybersecurity ventures for various multinational companies. With a remarkable tenure spanning three decades in the IT industry, he observed a significant evolution in the leadership model, transitioning from a traditional hierarchical approach to a purpose-driven transformative style. His trajectory saw him originally as a security research professional and eventually becoming a global driver of cybersecurity enterprises.
Throughout his career, Arun had faced many challenges that shaped up his professional capabilities. According to Arun, during early phase of the career, the key roadblock was finding and retaining right security talent.
After Accenture, he got the opportunity to join Ernst & Young LLP as Americas Risk Advisory leader and Partner to build a fully automated and cloud delivered “Cybersecurity-as-a-Service” business. He worked with EY’s Global team to build business case, obtained funding from Advisory Investment Committee, and led the team to create innovative SaaS solutions covering Digital Identity, Data Protection, Threat Detection & Response and Threat exposure management. These innovative solutions were developed on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation, Threat Intelligence and Security Analytics tools.
Joining the Ilantus Technologies
During his tenure at EY, Arun was looking forward to the next phase of the professional challenges of his career. He was contemplating between the idea of launching his own start-up or joining a company that is ready for a big leap.
In 2020, Arun joined Ilantus Technologies as the Global CEO and Board Member. Ilantus was a global cybersecurity company with a focus on the Identity & Access Management domain to offer products and services to customers globally including Fortune 500 companies.
In Feb 2023, Ilantus was strategically restructured as two separate companies the product business moved out and positioned as Cross Identity, and the services business got rebranded as Ilantus Services (www.ilantus.com.)
Ilantus Services got acquired by Network Intelligence (niiconsulting.com), one of the top cybersecurity providers in USA, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Netherlands, India. Network Intelligence is backed by a US-based investment firm. Arun states, “It was an enriching experience to lead the entire exit process, from investor pitch to due diligence to finalize the agreements and completing the merger” Currently he is driving an accelerated growth for Ilantus Services as well as Network Intelligence to offer end-to-end cybersecurity services to clients globally.” Ilantus services is now a fully owned subsidiary of Network Intelligence.
Leading light on Influential Ilantus
Founded in 2000, Ilantus Technologies is backed by over two decades of extensive experience and deep insight gained from thousands of IAM implementations for some of the biggest brands in the world including Fortune 500 companies.
Today, Ilantus is a market leader in the domain of Identity and Access Management, with expertise in advising, implementing and managing legacy as well as most modern IAM solutions. It offers a full range of IAM services implementing a Zero Trust Framework to provide customers with an identity-centric, holistic cybersecurity solution. It is well recognized by leading analyst firms such as Gartner, KuppingerCole, Quadrant, Frost & Sullivan and ISG as a leader in IAM space for innovation and its unique solutions.
Harnessing the collective prowess of Network Intelligence and Ilantus, Arun embarks on a visionary quest to ascend as the quintessential Comprehensive Cybersecurity Service provider in the global marketplace. The inaugural feat shall involve redefining the brand’s essence in North America and securing colossal enterprise engagements, with an unwavering determination to replicate this triumph across the entire world.
In his forward-looking endeavors, Arun fervently concentrates on elevating the brand image of both enterprises as the epitome of modernity, innovation, and a cutting-edge AI/ML powered Managed Security Service Provider in the year 2023. This relentless pursuit of excellence shall not only cement their position as leaders in the cybersecurity domain but also serve as a beacon of trust and reliability for clients worldwide.
Cybersecurity is one of the top concern for every Board and a key enabler for the adoption of new digital technologies. They are positioning themselves as a trusted advisor to the C-Suite.
Ambitious Leader
As the CEO of Ilantus Services and Network Intelligence, Arun’s key responsibilities are to set a strong foundation for innovation and growth. He has created a transformation roadmap for the organization to drive process maturity, product quality, and digital marketing. Arun’s regular day activity at work goes through executing this transformation roadmap and enabling a growth mind-set for everyone in the company. He believes his priority is to create an environment that makes the world’s best cyber professionals want to work for Ilantus Technologies, and customers want to do business with it.
Maintaining a Better Work-life Balance
To achieve a better work-life balance, Arun focuses on maintaining a strict work discipline which comprises setting boundaries for him and prioritizing critical tasks. He believes that work time and personal time should not get mixed for better results. He always line-ups his work with a passion that reduces unnecessary stress and enables a better balance. He asserts, “By defining a compelling vision of future and aligning personal purpose with day-to-day work, I motivate myself and my team.”
Arun think that people first strategy and client centricity had been the key pillars for their long-standing success. People first strategy helped them in maximizing the retention ratio and building a long term winning team. Many of his key employees stayed with the company for more than 15 years. Client centric culture enabled them to develop multiple solution accelerators which not only reduced the time to deploy cyber solutions faster but also cut down costs significantly.
There are many vehicles that the company utilize to stay in close contact with each team member and keep them motivated. Community meetings, town hall, cultural events, inter team competitions and weekly connect with reporters play a significant role in this. They have also aligned in their incentive program with performance objectives and the quarterly appraisal cycles helps in taking care of critical / top performing employees. Right attitude for collaboration is the key value that they drive thru each employee which makes then unique.
When asked about Arun’s take on entrepreneurship, he mentions entrepreneurial skills are essential for all leaders to define their vision, to take the right amount of risk, and to drive innovation that enables them to stay ahead of the competition. Business success cannot be achieved without having strong leadership coaching and development skills.
Arun’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs who are budding to enter the cyber security arena, is to understand the power of networking and to practice it skilfully during their work lives. He also suggests they should know the importance of emotional quotient (EQ), the ability to understand, empathize, and connect with the people around them. He adds, “A high EQ is not only essential to become a great leader but also requires being an effective team player to drive innovation.”
