Madusanka Hettige

When Madusanka Hettige first started working in cybersecurity, the profession was so unfamiliar to the people around him that he once had to write a two-page explanation of what he did. Until that point they had thought he was a very well-qualified security guard. 

It is a story that illustrates just how much the industry has changed over the past 15 years. At the start of his career, working as a consultant in Sri Lanka, part of Madusanka’s role was to explain to financial institutions why they needed cybersecurity. This ability to connect security decisions to business needs has remained central to his approach. 

His early career involved supporting banks and other financial organisations. The projects ranged from vulnerability assessments and ISO certification to helping introduce additional safeguards for online banking. Much of the work took place overnight so that systems could be scanned without disrupting daily transactions. Prior to joining prosource.it, he worked as a 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) Analyst, monitoring, investigating and responding to cybersecurity incidents for one of the largest online education providers in the world. 

Madusanka’s experience across financial services, education and energy has also shown him that the right approach is never identical from one organisation or industry to another. The important question is not simply how much to invest, but where that investment will make the greatest difference. 

Buying a tool is not the same as building a secure organisation. People, awareness, processes and technology all need to work together to make that happen.  

Madusanka has watched cybersecurity move from an unfamiliar specialism to a business priority that every organisation recognises. What motivates him is the part that has not changed: understanding the risk, explaining it clearly and helping people make better decisions about how to protect their business.