In an exclusive interview with Armando Dacal, Group Vice President for APJ at DigiCert, insights were shared into how the company is navigating the complex cybersecurity landscape and driving digital trust across various sectors.
DigiCert, as Dacal describes, is the backbone of digital trust. Whether it’s connecting to a website or a digital platform, DigiCert ensures the legitimacy and safety of these interactions. “Think about DigiCert as the means by which organisations create digital trust,” Dacal explains. This role is becoming increasingly vital as our reliance on digital platforms intensifies.
Under Dacal’s leadership, DigiCert has expanded its reach across Asia Pacific, serving thousands of customers, particularly in Japan, ANZ, ASEAN, China, and India. However, Dacal notes the challenges posed by diverse local regulations, emphasizing the critical role of partnerships in navigating these complexities.
Dacal, with over two decades in the cybersecurity industry, brings vast experience from his tenures at VeriSign, Palo Alto Networks, and Tanium. His expertise has been instrumental in DigiCert's growth, particularly in the APJ region. He remarks, “I’ve been around the block a few times, but primarily building go-to-market teams around high-growth cybersecurity vendors in this part of the world.”
DigiCert caters to a wide range of clients, from small SMBs to large enterprises and government agencies. Their technology is fundamental for any organisation seeking to establish trust with users and consumers. Dacal highlights the ubiquitous nature of their services, “Our technology is required at some level, everywhere.”
Dacal predicts significant changes in the cybersecurity landscape with the advent of quantum computing. This new era poses a threat to current digital trust infrastructure, potentially allowing adversaries to crack encryption standards. DigiCert is proactively preparing organisations for this shift, focusing on quantum readiness.
DigiCert’s Trust Lifecycle Manager is a key product, helping organisations manage cryptographic assets and prepare for post-quantum computing. Dacal stresses the importance of crypto agility and the challenges organisations face in managing their digital infrastructure.
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital certificates and the need for robust digital trust solutions. DigiCert observed innovative use cases during this period, particularly around passwordless authentication and expanded network security for remote work.
Looking ahead, DigiCert is focused on helping customers navigate the evolving digital landscape. The key is to embed trust ubiquitously across all platforms and manage digital assets effectively. Dacal emphasizes the importance of visibility and control in this dynamic environment.
DigiCert’s partnership program is diverse, ranging from managed service providers to resellers. These partnerships are essential in delivering tailored solutions across various sectors, including IoT and cloud services.
What sets DigiCert apart, according to Dacal, is its commitment to customer success and robust authentication systems. He underlines the importance of maintaining high trust levels with every customer interaction, saying, “Trust is acquired in drips but lost in buckets.”
Dacal concludes on an optimistic note about DigiCert’s trajectory, “We’re in a unique position to help our customers and the marketplace address this transition.” As digital landscapes evolve, DigiCert remains at the forefront, ensuring the integrity and trust of our digital interactions.