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Risk-based thinking has always defined Santosh Kapalavai’s professional journey, whether in the highstakes cockpit hangars of the Indian Air Force or today’s corporate boardrooms.
*Read the original article published by TradeFlock Magazine; shared here for informational purposes only, with full credit to the source.
As a former officer responsible for compliance audits, safety checks, and operational risk assessments in aviation, Santosh developed an uncompromising respect for precision and structured governance. A defining moment in his transition came when he realised that a single lapse in compliance could lead to catastrophic failure in aviation. Santosh realised that this lesson directly parallels the consequences of cybersecurity and regulatory breaches in business. This insight sparked a powerful shift. Moving into Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) wasn’t just a career pivot; it was a mission to protect organisations with the same discipline and foresight he once used to safeguard aircraft. Today, as Senior Manager – GRC at Dexian India, Santosh brings nearly nine years of expertise and top-tier certifications like ISO 27001/9001 Lead Auditor, CSOX, GRCP, and CC. He has a proven track record of leading enterprise-wide risk assessments, steering IT audits, and embedding a resilient, compliance-driven culture across functions. At Dexian, Santosh is not just managing risk; he’s future-proofing businesses against a landscape of ever-evolving threats. His leadership is marked by clarity, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to operational integrity, making him a powerful force in India’s risk and compliance ecosystem. In this exclusive interaction with TradeFlock, Santosh shares details of his interesting journey and work.
What complex risks have you encountered, and how did you successfully navigate them?
The most complex risks I’ve faced are those that evolve faster than the rules meant to manage them. Cybersecurity and regulatory compliance are the most critical. A major challenge was navigating regulatory uncertainty during the rollout of India’s DPDP Act and Saudi Arabia’s PDPL. While many paused, I proactively collaborated with regulators, industry peers, and compliance experts to interpret mandates and build future-ready frameworks aligned with global standards. Another growing threat is AI-driven cyberattacks—deepfakes, automated phishing, and self-learning malware. I tackled this with global threat intelligence, agile processes, and by embedding governance into business DNA. Risk management today demands adaptability, not just controls.
What AI-driven tools or technologies are you using to enhance audits and governance in risk and compliance?
AI-driven automation is redefining how we approach governance, risk, and compliance—and at Dexian, we’re leading this transformation. We leverage Gartner top-quadrant tools from best-in-class vendors to deliver cost-effective, high-performance GRC solutions. But what sets us apart is our hybrid strategy: alongside third-party platforms, we’re building custom in-house tools tailored to specific client needs. These include automated risk assessments, real-time compliance dashboards, and predictive analytics engines. This synergy enables us to shift from reactive audits to continuous, intelligent monitoring. Our goal is simple yet powerful—embed AI-driven governance into daily operations, reduce compliance fatigue, and create a future-ready risk culture that’s proactive, seamless, and value-generating.
How can businesses stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated, AI-driven cyber threats?
Cyber threats are no longer just a technical challenge. They’re a strategic business risk. With AI advancing rapidly, cybercriminals are now leveraging intelligent automation, deepfake technology, and self-learning malware to launch attacks that are faster, more sophisticated, and harder to detect. One chilling example I encountered involved a deepfake voice scam, where attackers cloned a CFO’s voice to instruct a finance team to wire millions. The impersonation was so accurate—tone, inflection, even verbal quirks—that by the time the fraud was detected, the funds had vanished. To combat this, organisations must embrace an “AI vs. AI” defence strategy. Deploying tools like behavioural analytics, anomaly detection, and AI-powered SOC monitoring ensures threats are identified in real time. A Zero Trust security model is now non-negotiable—assume nothing and verify everything, including identities, communications, and access requests. Businesses must also build cyber resilience, not just cybersecurity—preparing for breaches with robust incident response plans, rapid recovery mechanisms, and automated containment. Equally critical is employee awareness. Train teams to recognise deepfake scams and socially engineered phishing. Finally, proactive collaboration with cybersecurity communities, industry experts, and regulatory bodies is key. Shared threat intelligence and adaptive defence frameworks can mean the difference between being a target—or a success story.
What’s the most overlooked blind spot in IT security today?
One of the biggest blind spots in IT security is the overreliance on compliance certifications. Many organisations assume that achieving ISO 27001, SOC 2, or PCI-DSS means they’re secure. But these are merely baselines—security must go beyond the checklist. Threats evolve daily, while certifications are periodic snapshots. This false sense of safety leads to complacency. Another overlooked risk is “control fatigue”. Companies may have policies and response plans, but without real-world testing—like red teaming or breach simulations—they remain unprepared for actual incidents. Controls that aren’t actively validated or embedded into daily operations offer limited protection. To close these gaps, businesses must shift from compliance-driven to risk-driven strategies. Embed continuous validation, invest in detection and recovery, and treat security as a business enabler. Most importantly, build a culture of resilience—because real security is not a certificate; it’s a mindset.
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