Singapore, March 1, 2023 – Pragma, a leading global provider of cybersecurity and regulatory compliance consulting services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Pearson as its new Head of Incident Response for the APAC region.

With more than 30 years of experience in cyber security consulting, Pearson specialises in digital forensics, incident response and security infrastructure. He has worked with a range of companies across the world, including Epson, Setanta Sports, and the NBA. Since 2014, he has been based in Singapore, where he has been a trusted consultant to some of the main players in the DFIR arena across APAC. Pearson has completed an MSc in Advanced Cyber Security at King’s College London and holds professional certifications including CISSP, EnCE, CISA, CISM, MCSE, and ISO27001 Lead Auditor.

“When we were searching for a new Head of Incident Response for the APAC region, we were looking for someone who had deep expertise in cybersecurity consulting, as well as a proven track record of success in managing and responding to security incidents,” said Manish Chawda, Co-Founder of Pragma. “Chris Pearson fits the bill perfectly, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Pragma team.”

Q&A with Chris Pearson:

Q: What do you consider to be the most pressing cybersecurity challenges facing organisations in the APAC region, and how do you plan to address them in your new role at Pragma?

A: Having come from an IT infrastructure background, I’m convinced that security practitioners need to work hand-in-hand with IT departments. A large percentage of problems and incidents in which I’m involved is caused by poor IT infrastructure. There are many reasons for this, for example, underinvestment, understaffing, poor training and just general apathy towards IT. I often comment to clients who have been compromised that if they had spoken to us a few weeks earlier they would have saved a lot of heartaches. Security doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be too expensive but it does have to be thorough, ongoing and iterative.

Q: What do you believe are the most important qualities for a successful leader in the cybersecurity industry, and how do you cultivate those qualities in yourself and your team?

A: When I made the jump to pure cybersecurity, I was happy to be specializing rather than being a generalist IT leader. Little did I know, a cyber security leader needs to be familiar with a large body of knowledge on almost every aspect of technology, then just about every aspect of the security industry. It takes a lot of time and dedication to keep up with industry trends because each client has a different infrastructure then add to that keeping up with cyber threat intelligence and a multitude of other disciplines. It keeps you on your toes!

Q: How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in cybersecurity, and what resources do you rely on to continue learning and growing in your field?

A: I spend a few hours each day keeping up with industry trends, threat intelligence and breach notifications. There are so many sources out there so everyone has a preference. Personally, my favourites are:

• CVE Database,
• Various sites such as CISA & the various ISACs,
• National Security Centres such as
  • Singapore’s Cybersecurity Agency (CSA)
  • UK NCSC
  • Australia’s ACSC,
• Blogs such as Krebs on Security and Bruce Schneider’s security blog, Dark Reading
• Podcasts such as SANS Stormcast, Cyberwire and CISO series
• YouTube channels such as HAK5 and Computerphile

I try not to spend much time on ‘theoretical’ risks and concentrate on real-world threats which are likely to be found ‘in the wild.’ Of course, often the best intelligence comes from actually working IR cases. A lot of content out there focuses on quite obscure threats, but the real threats are the ones happening every day to our clients and they are almost always very simple exploits.

As Pragma continues to expand its cybersecurity offerings in the APAC region, Chris Pearson’s extensive experience in digital forensics, incident response and security infrastructure will be a valuable asset in ensuring our clients are prepared for any potential cyber threat. If you are in need of emergency incident response services, please contact Pragma’s Incident Response Team (CIRT) at [email protected] or visit our website www.pragmastrategy.com/incidentresponse to learn more.