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Navigating the Endless Sea of Threats: Insights from Leron Zinatullin of Linkly (Part 2)

In the second part of our conversation with Leron Zinatullin, CISO at Linkly, Corinium’s Maddie Abe uncovers his perspectives on the critical aspects of incident management, emerging cyber threats, and the next big steps in cyber maturity.

In Part 1, we explored his strategies for staying ahead of cyber threats and driving cyber maturity. This article continues the conversation, providing deeper insights into navigating today’s complex security landscape. Zinatullin reflects on lessons learned from past security incidents, shares concerns about the evolving nature of cybercrime, and outlines his forward-thinking approach to leveraging AI for defence.

Key Lessons from Past Incidents

When reflecting on past security incidents, Zinatullin shares a critical lesson he learned about the importance of leadership and values in times of crisis. "Managing a significant security incident requires strategic leadership, resilience, and effective communication," he states. "Crisis events like data breaches often create an atmosphere of chaos, with rapid changes and high tension. This is something I had to navigate through in one of my previous organisations."

For Zinatullin, one of the most valuable lessons was the importance of maintaining a clear focus on the organisation's values even in the midst of an incident. "Responding to a cyber incident requires modifying your work activities instantly and making decisions under extreme time pressure. A key lesson learned for me personally is that even in a crisis, it’s important to put your values at the centre of every decision you make."

He continues, stressing the importance of leadership in refocusing teams during a crisis. "In the midst of an incident, it is easy for people to lose sight of the organisation’s overarching mission. Security leaders play a vital role in refocusing their teams, reminding them of the greater purpose they serve."

Zinatullin also highlights the importance of empathy during a data breach. "A data breach affects not only the organisation but also the people whose information has been compromised. As a security leader, it is important to demonstrate empathy towards those affected, acknowledging their concerns and fears. Remind your stakeholders of the broader mission – to protect customers. Your steadfastness will show not only in your plans but also in your values."

In terms of communication, Zinatullin underscores the need for transparency. "Communicate honestly, frequently, and transparently. Provide realistic interpretations of events, avoiding both overly optimistic and pessimistic viewpoints. By sharing what is known and acknowledging uncertainties, security leaders can maintain credibility and foster trust."

Emerging Cyber Security Threats

As the cyber threat landscape evolves, Zinatullin points out several concerning trends. "Adversaries leveraging AI is a concerning trend," he says. "Cybercriminals use AI to increase efficiency, speed up attacks, lower their costs, and mitigate the challenges of attracting skilled staff in an already constrained environment."

Social engineering, according to Zinatullin, remains one of the most prevalent attack vectors. He notes the shift in how AI is changing the game: "Historically, crafting a believable phishing email required significant labour—days, sometimes weeks of research. Now, AI accelerates the process, allowing attackers to analyse large data sets, prioritise victims, and even adjust ransom demands based on a victim’s profile."

The threat posed by AI-powered social engineering is becoming more sophisticated. "AI is used to create and tailor phishing emails and websites based on data profiles. Trust is built through long conversations with victims on social media using chatbots, which can impersonate people’s writing styles and interact over extended periods without human involvement."

Zinatullin also highlights the alarming use of AI for deep fake videos and voice impersonations. "AI is making social engineering attacks much more dangerous. The ability to create convincing deep fake voice and video that can impersonate people you know significantly exceeds traditional deception techniques."

Furthermore, AI enables attackers to stay more anonymous and distant from their victims, reducing the need for direct engagement. "Autonomous weapons, for instance, show how AI increases anonymity and psychological distance. Attackers are no longer required to pull the trigger and observe the impact of their actions."

The Next Step in Cyber Maturity

Looking forward, Zinatullin sees AI playing a pivotal role in the future of cyber defence. "Just like adversaries leverage AI to improve effectiveness, we need to explore opportunities to better leverage AI for defence," he states. "AI can support human decision-making, where people are aided by AI systems to combat cyber attacks more effectively."

AI is already being used to predict new threats and malware based on existing patterns. "Machine learning techniques are being employed to monitor system and human activity to detect potential malicious deviations," Zinatullin explains. "But there is much more potential—can AI help influence user behaviour towards safer choices, or help us develop better cyber threat prevention mechanisms?"

To realise this potential, Zinatullin advocates for a multidisciplinary approach. "We need a socio-technical approach to mitigating cyber threats. This should include technologists, psychologists, academia, and government partners working together to develop responsible and trustworthy AI solutions. These solutions must use data while maintaining personal privacy."

He further stresses the importance of a people-centred approach to AI development. "Participatory co-design and a people-centred approach can help develop personalised and contextualised solutions to address ethical, legal, and social challenges—things that cannot be solved with AI automation alone."

 


Don’t miss the opportunity to hear more from Leron Zinatullin at CISO Sydney 2025 on 11-12 February at Royal Randwick Racecourse.

If you would like to share your experience and insights at the event, feel free to reach out to Maddie Abe.