ASIS International – Chapter Focus: New Delhi

ASIS International

Share this content

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Matthew Porcelli, CPP speaks exclusively with Vashita Mehra, CSP, CATS, CPP, PCI of the ASIS International – New Delhi Chapter.

What are the most pressing security challenges you are facing in your region?

The top two challenges I feel we are facing in the region.

  • Data security: Post-COVID-19, a lot of organisations are working in a hybrid model. 100% return to office is still a distant plan. Because of this a lot of data is resting in an insecure environment, where sometimes the employees may not be aware of the kind of cyber-risks that their simple actions are exposing the company data to. In such scenarios, companies are in vulnerable positions at times.
  • Political unrest: The India General Elections are scheduled for 2024. As a result, we have seen some political clashes between the different parties. Such incidents can sometimes escalate very fast and very unpredictably, affecting a large population.

Can you describe your journey in the world of security?

Being commissioned in the Indian Army in the year 2000 actually laid the foundation for me to join the corporate security sector.

When I transitioned to the civil world, joining corporate security was the obvious choice for me.

In those days, there were not many women in security and to choose this profession was not considered a very smart decision. But, I felt that this was where my calling was and I jumped into it.

The initial years were indeed challenging, not because of the work, but because of the biases and stereotypes that I had to combat. 

Over the years, slowly and steadily, I have made a place for myself in this industry.

But, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to make this industry a lucrative career option for women in this region.

Tell us about your journey within ASIS International and how it has helped you in your career

My journey with ASIS has been absolutely wonderful.

I initially joined ASIS International to pass the CPP certification.

But, I was soon hooked on the plethora of knowledge that ASIS offers.

Within a year I got certified for PSP and PCI too.

Along with the knowledge, ASIS International is also a brilliant networking forum.

In the last few years I have had the opportunity to meet and connect with some of the biggest names in the industry and learn so much from each of them.

ASIS has also contributed a lot in me getting international recognition because I was covered in the ASIS blog and also got featured in the #myASIS story.

Now, I am part of the core team for the Delhi Chapter, Region 13 A which is giving me opportunities to work in the back-end and bring forth events and discussions which help the community to learn more, imbibe more and explore more.

So, for me, my journey with ASIS International has been a ten out of ten.

Newsletter
Receive the latest breaking news straight to your inbox