About Dr. Chanaka Lasantha
Security Architect & vCISO, with 25+ years across enterprise security architecture, governance and compliance, AI/ML-driven defence, cloud security and higher education, one accountable expert for industry and academia alike.
A security leader who builds, teaches and defends
Dr. Chanaka Lasantha Nanayakkara is a distinguished cybersecurity strategist, academic and researcher with over 25 years of progressive experience spanning enterprise security architecture, governance, risk and compliance (GRC), artificial intelligence, cloud security and higher education. Serving as a Security Architect, he integrates advanced cybersecurity practice with cutting-edge AI and machine learning to address the most complex modern security challenges.
His technical depth runs across Zero Trust Architecture, SOC operations, malware analysis, cloud security, intrusion detection, threat intelligence and multi-framework compliance, including ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, FedRAMP and NIST. He has led large-scale security transformations across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, delivering measurable improvements in resilience, compliance maturity and threat mitigation through AI-driven detection and automated response.
Academically, he holds a PhD in Information Security and Forensics, an MSc with Distinction in Network and Information Security from Kingston University (UK), and a Bachelor of Information Technology from the University of Colombo School of Computing. His research focuses on machine-learning-driven cybersecurity, adaptive defence mechanisms, cloud security intelligence, IP reputation validation and advanced anomaly detection.
He is also an international lecturer in cybersecurity, blockchain, AI, cloud-computing security and advanced malware analysis, and an active contributor to the global research community through peer-reviewed publications and IEEE conference reviewing, bridging the gap between rigorous research and real-world, production-grade defence.
Where 25 years of depth shows up
A rare full-stack security profile, from board-level GRC to packet-level analysis and the AI models that automate defence.
Security Architecture & Zero Trust
Designing resilient, identity-centric architectures that shrink the attack surface and assume breach, from greenfield builds to legacy hardening.
GRC & Compliance
End-to-end programmes across ISO 27001:2022, GDPR, PCI DSS, NIST and FedRAMP, from gap analysis and risk treatment to audit readiness.
SOC, SIEM & Threat Intelligence
Building and tuning security operations, detection engineering, threat hunting and incident response that scales with the threat landscape.
Cloud Security
Securing multi-cloud estates across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, from posture management to workload and data protection.
AI/ML-Driven Defence & Data Science
Applying machine learning to detection, automated response and analytics, turning raw telemetry into adaptive, intelligent defence.
Malware Analysis & Anomaly Detection
Reverse engineering, behavioural analysis and advanced anomaly detection to surface stealthy threats before they cause damage.
Academic foundations
A research-grade academic track underpinning every engagement.
Information Security & Forensics
Doctoral research in machine-learning-driven cybersecurity, adaptive defence, cloud security intelligence and advanced anomaly detection.
Network & Information Security, with Distinction
Kingston University, United Kingdom, awarded with Distinction.
Bachelor of Information Technology
University of Colombo School of Computing, Sri Lanka.
Professional membership & industrial certifications
- MBCS, Member of the British Computer Society
- Data Centre Design
- Digital Satellite Communication
- Network Engineering
- Electronics & Robotics
Beyond consulting, advancing the field
Equally at home in the lecture hall and the SOC, contributing to the next generation of security professionals and to the global research community.
Senior lecturing
Cybersecurity, Information Security, Telecommunications, Satellite Communications, IoT and Data Science, delivered to university and professional cohorts.
Research supervision
Official MSc & PhD research supervision and co-supervision, plus structured internship training with recognised universities and companies.
Peer review & community
Active IEEE conference reviewer and peer-reviewed author, contributing to standards of rigour across the international research community.