With more than a decade of experience in cybersecurity risk management, Sonia Mishra has served in banking, finance, insurance, and technology sectors. She has also been honored as the “Most Excellence Leader in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) of 2025” by the CToday Awards. She started as an information security analyst with IndraSoft, where she gained experience in compliance and governance. Sonia drove enterprise security risk assessments at Deloitte and Workday and crafted cybersecurity strategies. Today, as a Senior Security Risk Management Specialist with Cloudflare, she drives proactive security responses in a changing threat landscape.

Defining Moments and Challenges

One of the defining moments in Sonia’s career was spearheading the Enterprise Cybersecurity Risk Assessment at Workday, spanning several products and cloud environments—the effort involved working with senior leadership across departments to determine the top risks and align mitigation plans. The challenge was consolidating various teams’ security insights into an overall risk assessment model. Conquering these challenges reaffirmed her faith in organized communication, risk prioritization, and building a security-first culture. Today, at Cloudflare, she is driving enterprise cybersecurity risk assessments across more than 200 products in a multi-cloud landscape.

Leadership Principles and Industry Impact

Sonia has been guided by three core principles—integrity, continuous learning, and collaboration. She believed cybersecurity to be in the ever-changing domain of innovation with the need for constant adaptability. A leadership approach using Sonia means empowerment through shared knowledge, encouraging a proactive, risk-management mindset, and being transparent in decision-making. Sonia has always highlighted, at both Cloudflare and Workday, aligning cybersecurity efforts with the business objective so security continues to be at the center of organizational strategy.

 Her work has not gone unnoticed. In 2025, Sonia was awarded the Cybersecurity Risk Leader of the Year award for recognizing professionals who have made substantial impacts on enterprise risk management. She was further recognized for Excellence in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), citing her dedication to implementing risk frameworks and compliance measures into business functions. These awards cement her standing as a leader in cybersecurity.

The Future of Cybersecurity

Sonia opines that the cybersecurity market is evolving, powered by AI-driven threat detection, zero-trust architecture, and advanced third-party risk management. Companies are relying more on automation to anticipate and block cyber threats. As regulations continue to change, businesses need to embrace tighter compliance measures, aligning cybersecurity with business resilience planning.

Advice for Emerging Professionals

For aspiring professionals who wish to pursue a career in cybersecurity, Sonia suggests developing technical acumen, strategic thought, and flexibility. It’s imperative to understand frameworks such as NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and FAIR methodology, but cybersecurity is more about resilience and problem-solving than compliance. Excellent analytical and communication skills bridge the technical expertise and executive decision-making gap. She advocates for ongoing learning, networking with practitioners in the field, and curiosity to open up new opportunities. Sonia Mishra’s path is one of leadership, innovation, and dedication to improving cybersecurity risk management. Her vision and expertise serve as an inspiration for professionals in the field.