The podcast episode #2 features a conversation between Syriac Joswin, SVP Sales – Digital Services at Movate, and Nemi George, former CISO and VP of IT at Pacific Dental Services (PDS Health).
What’s in store? Nemi shares insights from his extensive 30-year career in cybersecurity, highlighting his role as a change agent and his commitment to social causes and community service through ISACA, a global professional association and learning organization with members who work in digital trust fields such as information security, governance, assurance, risk, privacy and quality.
Here are the top takeaways from the podcast episode.
Making an indelible mark: Nemi shared his diverse experiences across multiple continents, emphasizing the importance of leaving a lasting impact in every organization he has worked for. He recounts a pivotal moment during his tenure at a previous telecom company, where the team was swamped by calls and hence created a troubleshooting guide called “tech boxes” that were the size of credit cards to streamline customer support troubleshooting processes, demonstrating his proactive approach to problem-solving.
- The value factor? The quick reference manual empowered customer service representatives to handle calls more effectively. This initiative not only improved operational efficiency but also marked the beginning of his focus on being a change agent within organizations.
He believes that leaving a tangible legacy is essential and states that when you leave an organization, you should be able to leave a bit of yourself with that company.”
Industry’s regulatory nuances: During the discussion, he shared his transition journey from the telecom sector to healthcare. Nemi points out that while there are common technological foundations across industries, understanding regulatory requirements is pivotal. He acknowledges that while the underlying technology stack may be similar across sectors—such as endpoints and data protection—the regulatory nuances that govern the industries differ significantly and hence they need to be thoroughly understood. By mapping out controls and understanding what needs protection—such as patient data—Nemi was able to adapt cybersecurity measures effectively.
He points out that healthcare data is significantly more valuable than other types of information, necessitating a diligent approach to cybersecurity measures.
- The experience factor? His stint managing global healthcare clients at a leading telecom service provider prepared him for the complexities of cybersecurity in healthcare settings, where understanding regulations is crucial for protecting sensitive data.
AI-driven solutions can streamline workflows for healthcare providers, allowing them to focus on the patient care and experience rather than administrative tasks.
The clinician-IT gap and the need to embrace tech: Nemi emphasizes the importance of innovation in healthcare technology adoption. He observes a lacuna between clinicians, who are eager to embrace new technologies, and IT professionals, who often resist change due to established processes. He provides examples of how his novel initiative of bringing in AI-driven voice recognition for data entry in dental practices enhances efficiency and curtails disruptions for healthcare providers.
Nemi advocates for better collaboration between IT and clinical staff to facilitate technology adoption. He highlights the challenges posed by outdated equipment in healthcare settings, where certain devices are critical despite being end-of-life from a security perspective. By engaging with clinical teams and understanding their needs, he aims to implement security measures that do not disrupt patient care. His experience in the technical and operational aspects helps bridge this gap.
- The novelty factor? His organization developed an AI engine that enables dental hygienists to input patient data through voice commands (instead of the typical typing inputs via a keyboard) significantly reducing disruptions during procedures and enhances the workflow efficiency. Dentists need not remove their gloves to retype the password after every 15 minutes when the computer screen locks out. With the AI engine, dentists can just speak/voice out the pocket depth value of the tooth to the microphone and record it instead of going to the computer and typing it out every time. AI can scan images of teeth and compare it with millions of other images and give recommendations on whether a root canal treatment is required or if there is some other issue with the patient.
He emphasizes the need for professionals to adapt quickly to the evolving demands of healthcare organizations, rather than playing catch-up with clinical advancements.
Change management has its share of challenges: Despite the potential for technological advancements in healthcare, he points out the challenges of change management within IT and security sectors. Nemi notes that IT often struggles to keep pace with the rapid technological changes demanded by healthcare organizations, leading to resistance and shadow IT practices.
- The adaptability factor? He advocates for a more collaborative approach between IT and clinical staff to facilitate smoother transitions and better protect sensitive information.
We need to take a step back from our professional titles and labels that we have in the company and ask ourselves what specific problems we are solving for the business; Am I a ‘change agent’ who adds value to the organization?
Ask what value the organization is likely to derive from new technology investments. Reminiscing on the end of 2022 when ChatGPT and generative AI came around, a lot of IT and security professionals were wondering what to do with it—to restrict its usage or give access to employees. Nemi stated that we shouldn’t blindly embrace all technology, but we also can’t restrict things that we don’t understand. He mentioned that we’ve got to invest the time to understand technology before deciding to block it. If it is a force for good, then communicate the risks to the leadership and put in the necessary guard rails.
A notable cause to build talent: Nemi referenced associations such as CSA, ISC2, SANS, ISACA as the conversations turned toward the problems of the ‘dearth of talent’ in organizations. He mentioned that leaders need to bring the best out of the people they already have with them as there is no special ‘group’ of talent somewhere out there waiting for us. Training people and facilitating their certifications for their career paths is Nemi’s passion. Nemi has facilitated partnerships with these organizations that are into cybersecurity, cloud, networking technologies, to conduct academic workshops, training boot camps, and help finance and subsidize cost of certifications for budding professionals. He recommends the audience to become a member of these institutions to hone their skills and hobnob with other professionals in the industry. Toward the end of the podcast, Nemi concludes by saying that he believes in giving back to society as an experienced professional.
Nemi George’s journey reflects a continuous evolution in his approach to cybersecurity, driven by a commitment to innovation, adaptability, and effective management across different industries.
This podcast episode #2 underscores Nemi’s belief in the power of innovation and collaboration to drive value in the organization.
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