From Cloud to Quantum: Haider Pasha on Security Leadership and the Next Frontier

This is sponsored content.

Haider Pasha’s journey to his current role as Chief Security Officer, EMEA and LATAM at Palo Alto Networks, is marked by more than 25 years of experience in cybersecurity – in fact, he recently wrote an article about spending 10,000 days in cybersecurity. 

Haider began his career in the late 1990s when the industry was still in its infancy. He shared that one of the pivotal moments shaping his leadership journey was witnessing a major denial-of-service attack against a large e-commerce organization during his first days in the field. The impact of this incident cemented his commitment to cybersecurity and set the tone for his career. As Haider recalls, “It had an impact on me literally from day one, and that's when I knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life.”

Another defining phase came during the industry’s transition to cloud computing. As organizations moved beyond traditional endpoints and data centers, security considerations evolved rapidly. Haider observed firsthand the challenges of deploying best-of-breed security solutions in the cloud. 

For Haider, this transition underscored the importance of simplification and consolidation in cybersecurity strategy – principles that continue to guide his leadership today. Haider sat down with us to share his current priorities as a CISO, advice for new-to-role CISOs and what he hopes security executives will walk away with after his upcoming session at the Gartner Italy CISO Executive Summit.
 

The Next Pivotal Moment: AI

Haider identifies the launch of ChatGPT as another transformative moment for security leaders, marking a new era where artificial intelligence became accessible and relevant to everyday users. He notes that, much like the early days of cloud computing, organizations initially rushed to adopt generative AI without prioritizing cybersecurity. He explains, “[Businesses] didn't care about cybersecurity. It was like cloud computing all over again. They said, ‘We want to leverage it, so put it out there.’” 

Despite significant investments, only a fraction of organizations realized value in the beginning, a finding echoed by Haider’s conversations with thousands of CXOs across EMEA. “It was a very small fraction of people that could really show tangible ROI,” Haider shares. However, in 2025, Haider found that businesses turned a corner with GenAI. “We found similarities to the Gartner hype cycle around GenAI usage, where GenAI reached this trough of disillusionment in 2025,” he says. “When we re-asked CXOs those questions about value, the answers were – we're using GenAI, we're solving specific problems, and we do see the value.”

With the adoption of AI agents accelerating, and Gartner projecting a rise from less than 5% to 40% of enterprises leveraging these technologies, Haider emphasizes that security must be integrated from the outset of AI initiatives, rather than as an afterthought. 
 

All of a sudden businesses realize that AI is not a technology project; it's a business transformation that is occurring, and they need to have the security element in lockstep and sync.

2026 Top Priorities as CISO

For Haider, the rapid evolution of AI underscores the critical need for proactive security leadership in guiding organizations through this next technological wave. These are Haider’s top priorities for 2026:

• AI as a Cross-Functional Business Transformation
  Haider emphasizes that AI is not just a technology initiative, but a fundamental business transformation impacting every function. CISOs must collaborate closely with CEOs, boards, CFOs, and CTOs, as each stakeholder leverages AI in unique ways. Security must be integrated into AI adoption from the outset, ensuring that risk management keeps pace with rapid innovation and cross-functional enablement.
  

• Be Brilliant at the Basics
  Despite the emergence of new technologies, the foundational principles of cybersecurity remain unchanged and as critical as ever. Haider stresses the importance of mastering core practices such as zero trust, least privilege, and robust authentication. He notes that many organizations still struggle with these basics, and prioritizing them is essential before taking on advanced initiatives like AI.
  

• Preparing for Quantum Computing
  Quantum computing poses a significant and imminent threat to current encryption models, with the timeline for “Q Day” – when quantum computers can break today’s encryption – shrinking rapidly. Haider highlights the urgent need for organizations to develop and begin implementing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) strategies. This includes not only software updates but potentially hardware changes, ensuring long-term data security. “Organizations need to have a plan and many of them should be on the journey, especially those that host sensitive data,” he explains.

Quantifying the Impact – Measuring AI Effectiveness in Cybersecurity

At the upcoming Gartner Italy CISO Executive Summit, Haider will be hosting a boardroom discussion on how to evaluate the real-world impact of AI on an organization’s security posture. “The basis of the discussion needs to be around – how ready do you feel you are when it comes to AI or the security of AI?” he says.

These are the three key points Haider hopes to cover during the discussion:

• Assessing AI Security Readiness and Ownership: Evaluating whether organizations have strong security foundations in place for AI adoption, and clarifying who leads, influences, and consumes AI across the business.
  

• Balancing Innovation and Risk: Discussing how organizations can rapidly innovate with AI while effectively managing associated business risks, especially given the accelerated pace of AI implementation.
  

• Visibility and Governance of AI Usage: Exploring how organizations can gain visibility into all AI usage – including shadow AI and AI usage across the supply chain – and establish the right policies, tools, and frameworks to govern AI securely.

Future Outlook for Security Leaders

Haider sees an unprecedented opportunity for CISOs to take a leading role in driving business transformation, moving from observers to true owners of strategic change within their organizations. This new position allows CISOs to influence innovation and efficiency, particularly by embracing consolidation and what he calls “platformization” to reduce risk and complexity. “On the opportunity side, there is the ability to have a strong seat at the table and drive the business forward,” Haider says.
 

There has never been a better time for the CISO to own business transformation.

According to Haider, the main challenge for security leaders lies in not losing sight of emerging threats. He shares that CISOs must avoid becoming overly focused on current technologies at the expense of preparing for future risks, like quantum computing. Haider believes that CISOs “sometimes get so excited with technology that we forget to honestly look around the corner for what may impact our business.” Success will depend on their ability to anticipate what’s next and provide actionable solutions. 
 

Advice for New-to-Role CISOs

Haider also believes that new CISOs are “very lucky” to be coming into the role today. “I think my peers will disagree with me and say it's much more difficult to do cybersecurity today because of the attack surface, but I disagree with that.” He continues, “I have a much more positive view on cybersecurity today than I did maybe 10 to 15 years ago.” 

For new-to-role CISOs, Haider advises them to: 

• Leverage your unique background and perspective, regardless of whether you come from a traditional cybersecurity path or another field, as fresh viewpoints can uncover new insights and solutions.
• Focus on mastering the fundamentals – be brilliant at the basics by ensuring strong security foundations and clear visibility into your environment.
• Engage proactively with your board, aligning on meaningful metrics for success and being decisive and well-prepared to answer their questions about risk and readiness.
• Stay forward-thinking and curious, continuously researching emerging trends and technologies so you can anticipate future challenges and help your organization stay ahead.

As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, Haider believes both security foundations and innovation are on the roadmap for security leaders. “The CISO role has evolved so much in the last two to three decades. It's just incredible to see the pace and the sheer amount of innovation in the cybersecurity industry,” he shares. “I'm super excited to see what happens next.”
 

To join your CISO peers in navigating the complexities of cybersecurity, find your local Gartner CISO Community and apply to participate. If you’re already a community member, sign in to the app to explore upcoming opportunities to connect and collaborate with your CISO peers.