Global Security Leader Arun Kumar Elengovan Delivers Influential Keynote on Secrets Management at SCIS 2025
International Business Times presents this report as part of its continuing coverage of global technology leadership and emerging directions in sustainable computing, intelligent systems and cybersecurity.
The 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Computing and Intelligent Systems, known as SCIS 2025, concluded with a keynote session that drew considerable attention from both academic and industry attendees. Arun Kumar Elengovan, Director of Engineering Security at Okta, Inc. and a recognized leader in secrets management and cryptographic engineering, was invited by the organizers to deliver a keynote address in the dedicated keynote speaker track. His inclusion among the invited speakers reflects the international standing of his work in secure system design.
SCIS 2025, jointly organized by the Soft Computing Research Society and the University of Canberra, Australia, is a global forum that attracts researchers and practitioners from several countries. The hybrid format enabled participation from diverse regions, and the conference maintained its peer reviewed structure for research contributions. According to the organizers, invited keynote speakers are selected based on impactful contributions in computing, intelligent system design and related engineering fields. Against this backdrop, Arun’s selection underscores the relevance and influence of his work.
A Keynote Address Focused on Structural Change in Security Engineering
The keynote session listed on the official programme introduced Arun’s talk as an exploration of the real story behind secret management. Conference organizers indicated that his session aimed to clarify why secrets management is not simply an operational activity or policy artefact, but an engineering discipline that must be architected thoughtfully. During the session, Arun emphasized that in modern intelligent systems, secrets must be treated as core components of system integrity. He outlined how sustainable computing architectures break down when secrets are managed through scattered or ad-hoc processes.
Observers noted that his keynote aligned closely with the mission of SCIS, which seeks to integrate sustainability and intelligence in computing. Mr. Arun Kumar Elengovan addressed the growing complexity of cloud based environments, distributed services and emerging AI workflows, explaining that secrets often form invisible dependencies that can introduce silent risks across entire systems. His session highlighted the need for systematic visibility into secrets, regular rotation mechanisms and verifiable auditability to ensure sustained trust in intelligent computing environments.
Reinforcement Through Published Thought Leadership
The themes presented in his keynote reflect the ideas he articulated in a recent article for the Forbes Technology Council titled Secrets Management as a Strategic Engineering Responsibility. In that article he wrote that secrets management operates at the intersection of security and engineering and that the best time to invest in it is before any incident occurs. He described secrets as engineering artefacts that require governance, measurement and lifecycle management just like any other component of modern software systems.
The article outlines three essential pillars. Visibility to understand where secrets exist and how they behave, rotation to ensure secrets are refreshed frequently, and auditability to provide measurable evidence of system trust. These principles formed the foundation of his message at SCIS 2025, making his keynote an extension of the ideas gaining traction across industries and academic communities.
Recognition Across Global Technology and Security Circles
Arun Kumar Elengovan has become widely recognized for his contributions to secure system design, modern cryptographic engineering and enterprise scale secrets management. His professional achievements include serving as Vice Chair of the Fremont ACM Chapter, Fellow of the British Computer Society, Fellow of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, Distinguished Fellow of the Soft Computing Research Society, Fellow at Hackathon Raptors, Gartner Information Security Ambassador, Advisory Council Member of Products That Count and Industry Advisory Board Member at the Washington University of Science and Technology.
His academic influence is substantial. He has reviewed more than one hundred and sixty technical papers for international publications including IEEE Access, Elsevier MethodsX and several IEEE conferences. Organisers and reviewers across these journals have noted the importance of experienced evaluators in maintaining academic quality, highlighting his sustained role in the research ecosystem.
His public profile, available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun-kumar-elengovan, reflects additional leadership. At Okta he oversees engineering security across teams based in the United States, Canada and India. His expertise spans cryptography, secrets and certificate management, cloud identity architectures and the protection of large scale distributed systems.
Broader Public Presence Through Global Events
Beyond SCIS 2025, Mr. Arun has contributed to marquee industry gatherings including Oktane 2025, where he presented a talk titled Building Invisible Security. The session demonstrated how security can be embedded into user experiences in ways that enhance trust without introducing friction. Oktane is a widely attended identity and cloud security event with international participation, giving his work visibility across both product and engineering leadership audiences.
Contribution to the Future of Secure Computing
Industry observers note that Arun’s work stands out for its ability to bridge academic research with enterprise scale engineering. His forthcoming book on secrets management is anticipated by researchers and engineering leaders who seek structured guidance on building sustainable trust in distributed systems. Early interest from academic groups and industry peers reflects the growing importance of this field.
His keynote at SCIS 2025 reinforced a message that resonates globally. Secrets management must evolve from a reactive operational task into a proactive engineering discipline that supports sustainable intelligent systems. By presenting at an international peer-recognised forum and publishing widely accessible thought leadership, Mr. Arun Kumar Elengovan continues to influence how systems are secured, designed and trusted in a rapidly evolving digital world.
