Paul Jackson

The work the panel recognised

The Influencer category honours people who shape how the wider field thinks and acts, not people who simply hold a senior title. Jackson qualifies on both fronts. He has built and led regional cyber risk and investigations teams, and he has spent years translating hard technical practice into language that boards, regulators and younger practitioners can act on.

His authority rests on a rare combination of seats. He has worked the investigator side inside the Hong Kong Police Force, the defender side as Global Head of Cyber Investigations at JPMorgan Chase, and the advisory side as Kroll's Regional Managing Director of Cyber Security & Investigations in APAC. Across those roles he became known for the strategic handling of complex investigations, technology fraud, insider threats and compliance programmes. He now leads THEOS Cyber as chief executive. When he speaks about insider threat or the realities of digital forensics, he is drawing on cases he has actually run.

Why influence counts here

Recognition in this category is about reach earned through credibility. Jackson has played key roles in developing international training standards, through leadership positions with Interpol and the International Organization on Computer Evidence (IOCE). He contributes regularly to industry conferences and publications, and as host of the THEOS Cybernova Podcast he talks with industry experts about emerging cyber threats, digital forensics and security strategy. That steady, public contribution is what the panel weighed, alongside the depth of the work itself.

The citation

The Cyber Security Awards judged Jackson on his body of work and his contribution to the field, against the criteria set out for the Influencer category. The award is decided independently. It records merit, and nothing else.