Arava Anantha Rao

Before you scroll

security starts with you.
whoever you are.

You don't need to be hacked to be exposed. Most breaches begin with everyday habits — let me show you one.

🔒

⚠ WEAK

Now, let me guess…

Felt familiar? Then you're already vulnerable. And a UPI ID like 9999999999@upi — built on your phone number — means you're leaving your personal information everywhere, with every payment. Breaches rarely start with code. They start with habits.

The strongest firewall in any organisation is an aware human being — an awareness I've delivered to 20,000+ professionals, one conversation at a time.

🎮 Career Quest

every level, earned.

My journey — played like a game. XP gained, quests cleared, next boss level loading.

⭐ Player · A. Anantha Rao 🧭 Class · GRC Specialist ❤️ Streak · 3+ Yrs

Level 01 · Origin Story

Bachelor of Science

2018 — 2021

Maharaja's Autonomous College, Vizianagaram

CGPA 9.02

🏅 First Class with Distinction

Level 02 · Skill Tree Unlocked

Master of Computer Applications

2021 — 2023

Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam

CGPA 8.84

🏅 First Class with Distinction

Level 03 · Main Quest — Active

Information Security Manager · GRC

Sep 2023 — Present

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Hyderabad · Corporate Security

✓Own the end-to-end GRC program for a global business group — 75+ client accounts

✓Core member of Corporate Security, driving enterprise-wide initiatives

✓Full risk management lifecycle & group risk register governance

✓Design & govern Security Controls Identification (SCI) from client MSAs

✓Issued security PoV on 500+ RFCs, new business requests & POCs

✓Monthly security scorecards & CISO / leadership review decks

✓Audit readiness & SOC 2 — gap assessments, zero repeat findings

✓Built an internal cross-audit program across the ISM team

✓Account lifecycle, ODC physical security & HOTO readiness for new buildings

✓Access governance — periodic reviews, RBAC, least privilege, SoD

✓TPRM, RFP/RFI & GenAI risk assessment with Privacy & Legal

✓Incident analysis & RCA · trained 8 team members · L2 escalation

Level 04 · Side Quest → Startup

Founder — The Corporate Chai

2024 — Present

Building India's #1 corporate community — ideas brewed, connections built, impact delivered.

Growing 📈

🌐 Visit thecorporatechai.in →

🔒

Boss Level · Loading...

Chief Information Security Officer

The Goal

XP 38%

Grinding XP: leadership · strategy · certifications · scale. Every audit, every campaign, every risk call — one step closer.

🏆 Achievements Unlocked

🎖️Achievement Unlocked

Special Initiative Award

2024 & 2025 · outstanding performance & contribution to the team, awarded by CISO

🔍 View Certificates

⚡Achievement Unlocked

tcsAI ACCESS.AI SPARK

2026 · innovation at the TCS ACCESS.AI Hackathon

🔍 View Certificate

📈Achievement Unlocked

50,000+ Community

Across all social media · GRC & InfoSec insights

🔍 View Proof

Domains of practice

what i bring to the table

Nine domains of governance, risk & compliance I own end-to-end — straight from my day-to-day.

🏛️

DOMAIN 01

Governance, Risk & Compliance

ISO 27001:2022NIST CSFNIST RMFSOC 2Risk RegisterGap Assessment

🔎

DOMAIN 02

Audit & Assurance

Audit ReadinessControl WalkthroughsEvidence ValidationNC ClosureCross-Audit

⚖️

DOMAIN 03

Regulatory & Privacy

GDPRHIPAAPCI DSSDPDP ActData Protection

📋

DOMAIN 04

Client & Contractual Governance

MSA → SCISecurity ScorecardsRFC GovernanceRFP / RFICompliance Profiles

🔐

DOMAIN 05

ITGC & Access Management

Access ReviewsRBACLeast PrivilegeSegregation of DutiesChange Mgmt

🚨

DOMAIN 06

Security Operations

Incident MgmtRCAVA/PT GovernanceFirewall ReconciliationHardening (CIS)

🏢

DOMAIN 07

Physical & ODC Security

ODC Baseline ControlsBuilding HOTO ReadinessAsset Security

☁️

DOMAIN 08

Cloud Security

Azure SecurityAZ-500Shared ResponsibilityCloud Control Assessment

📊

DOMAIN 09

Governance Reporting & Culture

CISO / Leadership DecksKRI & MetricsSOP DesignSecurity AwarenessGenAI Risk

Verified credentials

certified. proven.

Tap any credential to view the certificate.

2025

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Lead Auditor

TÜV SÜD

2026

ISO/IEC 27701:2025 Lead Auditor

Mastermind · Certificate of Competency

2025

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)

CompTIA

2025

Azure Security Engineer Associate

Microsoft · AZ-500

2026

Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional

Microsoft · Jul 2026

2024

Security, Compliance & Identity

Microsoft · SC-900

2024

Azure AI Fundamentals

Microsoft · AI-900

2026

DPDP Act 2023 — Certified · 93%

Digital Personal Data Protection

2026

ISC² Hyderabad Chapter — Member

Professional Affiliation · FY 2026–28

Founder · The Corporate Chai · Est. 2024

ideas brewed. connections built.
impact delivered.

Where the corporate world meets a cup of chai — on a mission to build India's #1 corporate community.

Certificate of True Corporate — The Corporate Chai

the certificate of true corporate™

Every member of our community earns this — recognition of commitment, resilience and professional excellence in the world of work. Want yours, with your name on it? It takes a minute.

Claim Yours — Join Us → Instagram WhatsApp

security starts with you.
whoever you are.

are you secaware
as an individual?

every level, earned.

what i bring to the table

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Audit & Assurance

Regulatory & Privacy

Client & Contractual Governance

ITGC & Access Management

Security Operations

Physical & ODC Security

Cloud Security

Governance Reporting & Culture

certified. proven.

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Lead Auditor

ISO/IEC 27701:2025 Lead Auditor

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)

Azure Security Engineer Associate

Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional

Security, Compliance & Identity

Azure AI Fundamentals

DPDP Act 2023 — Certified · 93%

ISC² Hyderabad Chapter — Member

ideas brewed. connections built.
impact delivered.

the certificate of true corporate™

let's build something
secure together.

Are you SecAware?

security starts with you.whoever you are.

are you secawareas an individual?

every level, earned.

what i bring to the table

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Audit & Assurance

Regulatory & Privacy

Client & Contractual Governance

ITGC & Access Management

Security Operations

Physical & ODC Security

Cloud Security

Governance Reporting & Culture

certified. proven.

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Lead Auditor

ISO/IEC 27701:2025 Lead Auditor

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)

Azure Security Engineer Associate

Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional

Security, Compliance & Identity

Azure AI Fundamentals

DPDP Act 2023 — Certified · 93%

ISC² Hyderabad Chapter — Member

ideas brewed. connections built.impact delivered.

the certificate of true corporate™

let's build somethingsecure together.

Are you SecAware?

security starts with you.
whoever you are.

are you secaware
as an individual?

ideas brewed. connections built.
impact delivered.

let's build something
secure together.