Visakhapatnam

February 13, 2026

C-DAC Hyderabad organised the ISEA–CISO Leadership Meet 2026 at Visakhapatnam under the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) programme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.The meet brought together cybersecurity leaders and industry experts for a high-impact forum dedicated to advancing cyber resilience in the AI-driven era.

The event commenced with an inaugural ceremony graced by distinguished dignitaries including Prof. G. P. Raja Sekhar, Vice-Chancellor, Andhra University; Shri Chandrasekhar Sarma Garimella, Director – Compliance, CtrlS Data Centres; Dr Ch. A. S. Murty, ScientistG, ISEA National Coordinator, Centre Head, C-DAC Kolkata & CISO, C-DAC; and Prof. Valli Kumari, Professor of CSSE, Andhra University.Their addresses set the tone for a focused dialogue on digital trust, AI governance, and the transformation of OT security.

In his keynote address, Shri Chandrasekhar Sarma Garimella of CtrlS Data Centers highlighted how AI is fundamentally transforming cybersecurity evaluation and compliance frameworks.A thought-provoking session on evolving CISO roles and challenges by Dr. Ch A S Murty underscored the importance of capacity and capability building for cybersecurity leaders and operational teams, while also introducing participants to the ISEA CISO Training Programme.The first technical session delivered incisive perspectives on architecting digital trust in an automated era, managing systemic risk and AI governance, and examining cyber trends that will shape CISO strategies in 2026.

Post-lunch, the agenda pivoted to OT Security and AI-driven operations. Dr. S V Srikanth presented a comprehensive overview of global threat vectors, emerging defensive innovations, and the evolving cybersecurity landscape for OT, with sectoral insights from power and oil & gas ecosystems.Deliberations examined power sector–specific OT threat scenarios and mitigation strategies, the strategic balance between operational risk and resilience in OT environments, and the global evolution of OT-focused attack patterns alongside next-generation defense mechanisms.The meet also featured dynamic panel discussions, a focused spotlight talks on OT cybersecurity, and an ISEA cyber awareness capsule underscoring the imperative of digital responsibility.

The day concluded with a closing address by Mrs. Indraveni K from C-DAC Hyderabad, delivering a strong call to action; encouraging the community to collaborate, innovate, and lead with security at the forefront in the AI era.