Icertis adds three experts to its Information Security Advisory Board

Icertis announced that Alissa Abdullah, PhD, Deputy Chief Security Officer for Mastercard, Mark Simos, Lead Cybersecurity Architect, Microsoft, and Professor Rolf Schwartmann, Chairman of the German Society for Data Protection and Privacy have joined the Icertis Information Security Advisory Board (ISAB).

Formed in 2020, the Icertis ISAB helps guide Icertis’ Zero Trust security model for the company’s infrastructure, information assets, and customer environments, defining and advancing best practices related to security policy, configuration, monitoring, and remediation. The Icertis Security Advisory Board is led by Icertis CTO and Co-founder Monish Darda and driven by Icertis CISO Sandeep Kulkarni, as well as head of Information security, Amit Malhotra, and head of Application Security, Gaurav Tarey.

“A strong security advisory board is the foundation of good security and data compliance practices,” said Monish Darda, Chief Technology Officer, Icertis. “As contract lifecycle management becomes the fifth system of record, and Icertis becomes the de facto standard for contract intelligence in the enterprise, it is critical that we manage all aspects of security holistically. We are thrilled to add Alissa, Mark, and Rolf to this team. Each brings world-class expertise from their field and will serve as an invaluable advisor as we maintain the trust of our customers and partners today, and well into the future.”

The ISAB focuses on the three pillars of security in safeguarding Icertis and customer environments worldwide: infrastructure security, platform security, and data protection and compliance. Within these pillars, Icertis addresses the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), contractual compliance for Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG), and more, leveraging technologies such as blockchain and AI, and the fulfillment of contractual obligations to securely ensure the intent of each contract is fully realized.

The new members of the Icertis Information Security Advisory Board are:

Alissa Abdullah, PhD is currently Deputy Chief Security Officer for Mastercard, is an active board member for Girls in Tech, Inc., and Smartsheet. She was named one of the 300 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America by Black Enterprise Magazine, and has been listed as one of DC’s Top 50 Women in Tech. She also earned a FedScoop 50 Federal Leadership Award.

“Security, data protection, and compliance are critical in today’s global business climate,” said Dr. Alissa Abdullah, Deputy Chief Security Officer, Mastercard. “Icertis has proven its leadership in these areas, and I look forward to applying my data governance and security knowledge to helping the company stay ahead of tomorrow’s risks, while continuing to help customers transform contract management.”

Professor Rolf Schwartmann is the head of the Center for Media Law at TH Köln University of Applied Sciences in Germany. He is also the chairman of the Society for Data Protection and Privacy (GDD) and was a member of the Data Ethics Commission.

“I am honored to provide Icertis with ongoing insight and counsel related to European data security and compliance laws,” explained Dr. Rolf Schwartmann, Head of the Center for Media Law, TH Köln University of Applied Sciences. “With the best-practices, visionary expertise of its Information Security Advisory Board, Icertis is well-positioned maintain a resilient and secure infrastructure, while fostering a culture of security awareness and compliance throughout the organization.”

Mark Simos is co-chair of The Open Group’s Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) working group and contributed heavily to both the Zero Trust Core Principles and Zero Trust Commandments publications. He is the Lead Cybersecurity Architect for Microsoft.

He is a recognized thought leader in cybersecurity who focuses on helping organizations meet both their cybersecurity and digital transformation goals. Mark has presented at numerous conferences, including Black Hat USA, RSA Conference, Gartner Security & Risk Management, Microsoft BlueHat, Microsoft Ignite, and Financial Executives International. He is a recipient of The Open Group: Author Award.

“Icertis structures and connects business contract data to help customers move faster and deliver on their commitments, making it paramount to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information systems, identity, and data assets,” said Mark Simos, Lead Cybersecurity Architect, Microsoft. “It is my pleasure to play a role in advancing the company’s infrastructure and application security posture.”