Cyber security leadership · Aerospace & critical infrastructure

Prateek Ashok-Kumar

Digital Security Officer, Prestwick Aerosystems · Airbus Protect

I help organisations turn regulation and emerging risk into security decisions their leaders can act on.

About

Prateek Ashok-Kumar is a cyber security leader in aerospace and critical infrastructure. He is the Digital Security Officer at Prestwick Aerosystems, working through Airbus Protect, where he leads the digital security function.

His focus is turning regulation and emerging risk into decisions leaders can act on. At BT Group he designed the second-line governance and assurance process for the UK Telecoms Security Act, and modelled the threat from quantum computing in financial terms for the Executive Committee's emerging-risk reporting. At Airbus Protect he assured the security of the Airbus commercial supply chain, including compliance with EASA Part-IS.

Prestwick Aerosystems builds wing components for the Airbus A320 and A350 families. Prateek leads the site's cyber security as it integrates into Airbus, from incident escalation and supplier risk to security governance and reporting to site leadership.

A first-generation computer engineer, Prateek moved to the UK on his own, founded an IoT start-up while at university, and holds an MSc in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London. He was named Graduate of the Year at the 2025 ITP Telecoms Awards.

Selected work

  • Securing an aerostructures site joining Airbus

    Prestwick Aerosystems, through Airbus Protect

    As the site's Digital Security Officer, he's the focal point for cyber incidents and escalations and chairs the Security Change Board. He built its software and supplier risk-assessment processes and its cyber security policies.

  • Governance for the Telecoms Security Act

    BT Group

    Designed BT's second-line quarterly governance and assurance process for a regulation carrying fines of up to 10% of turnover. The first Quarterly Return reached senior sign-off in Q1 2024, and the BT Group CISO recognised the work for going "above and beyond".

  • Putting a price on the quantum threat

    BT Group

    Modelled a cryptographically relevant quantum computer 15 years ahead, quantifying annualised loss with FAIR and Monte Carlo simulation, for emerging-risk reporting to BT's Executive Committee.

  • Security culture that moved the numbers

    BT Group

    Led the campaign for reporting phishing in Microsoft Teams, which senior security leaders credited with helping bring group-wide phishing metrics below target.

  • Aerospace supply-chain assurance

    Airbus, through Airbus Protect

    Assessed suppliers in the Airbus commercial supply chain against tailored security requirements, including EASA Part-IS, and raised supplier risk to the business.

  • Building the next generation

    BT Group

    Chaired the Early Professionals Group of 200+ apprentices, graduates and placement students, redesigned the graduate rotation process as part of the Shadow Leadership Team, and authored BT's Cloud Security learning pathway.

Experience

  1. 2025 – now

    Digital Security Officer

    Prestwick Aerosystems (an Airbus affiliate), on assignment from Airbus Protect · since Oct 2025

  2. 2025 – now

    Cybersecurity Consultant

    Airbus Protect

  3. 2025

    Supply Chain Security Consultant

    Airbus

  4. 2022 – 2024

    Cyber Security Graduate Programme, then Security Assurance

    BT Group: security risk, assurance, consultancy, and culture & education

  5. University

    Founder

    C-BoT, an IoT start-up incubated at AIC-DSU

Recognition

  1. 2025

    Graduate of the Year

    ITP Telecoms Awards · Institute of Telecommunications Professionals

    Official winners list ↗
  2. 2025

    Excellence in Career Advancement

    Inspire to Aspire Alumni Awards (School of Engineering) · Dayananda Sagar University

  3. 2024

    Recognised by the BT Group CISO

    "Superstar" for Telecoms Security Act assurance work

  4. 2022

    Prize winner, UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge

    Atlantic Council · Royal Holloway team

Credentials

  • MSc Information Security, Royal Holloway, University of London (2022)
  • BTech Computer Technology, Dayananda Sagar University (2021)
  • CISSP (ISC2) · Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer · CompTIA Security+
  • Associate Member, Chartered Institute of Information Security (ACIIS) · Member, Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (MITP)

Speaks & writes on

  • Regulation that genuinely reduces risk: the Telecoms Security Act, NIS2 and UK cyber legislation, EASA Part-IS, NCSC CAF
  • Putting a price on emerging risk: quantum and AI, in terms leaders can decide on
  • Building security teams and the next generation of security leaders

Contact

For speaking, writing or media requests, connect on LinkedIn or email [email protected].