Young C. Cho, the CEO of PIOLINK, has taken the helm of the Korea Information Security Industry Association (KISIA). Since the regular meeting last month, Cho has been expanding contacts with member companies and accelerating efforts on the support projects that the association will focus on this year.

Cho is a figure known in the domestic security industry as a "sharp-witted person." After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in Control and Instrumentation Engineering from Seoul National University, he completed his doctoral program in Electrical Engineering at the same university. He then embarked on a path as a researcher. In 1999, he worked as a specialist researcher at the Automation Systems Joint Research Institute at Seoul National University, and in 2000, he served as a visiting researcher at Boston University in the United States.

According to the industry, Cho initially planned to pursue an academic career. However, he shifted his focus to entrepreneurship with the intention of making a more significant impact beyond academic papers. Cho and seven others who shared the same research lab at Seoul National University founded PIOLINK in 2000.

Until 2006, Cho served as the head of the affiliated research institute, leading the development of application delivery controllers(ADC) and web application firewalls(WAF). Then, in 2007, he was appointed as the new CEO, succeeding Moon Hong-ju and Lee Ho-seong. He is recognized as the figure who has led PIOLINK for about 17 years and established its current identity.

PIOLINK is a company specializing in cloud data center infrastructure, security solutions, and technical services. It particularly excels in the network field, including application delivery controllers and cloud-managed networking. Moreover, it is expanding its presence in data center infrastructure, web/API protection, security monitoring, and consulting fields.

Cho has been recognized with various awards, including the Minister of Knowledge Economy Commendation for Contributions to the Information and Communication Industry, the Industry Contribution Award for Information Security, and the Kwon Wook-hyun Technical Innovation Award from the Korea Institute of Electrical Engineering. Professor Kwon Wook-hyun is also a mentor to the founding members of PIOLINK. In 2022, PIOLINK received the Kwon Wook-hyun Technical Innovation Award for its successful development of domestically produced L4/L7 switches.

Observations within the industry suggest that Cho will focus on association activities for the foreseeable future. It's noted that his predecessor, Lee Dong-beom, the CEO of Genie Networks, dedicated much of his four-year term to industry development projects conducted by the association. During the recent KISIA regular meeting, Cho stated, "If we liken the information security industry to football, it has defensive characteristics," and he emphasized the goal of creating and discovering excellent companies.

Under the new leadership of Young C. Cho, KISIA, flying a new flag, aims to strengthen the industry base this year and support domestic companies in their successful overseas expansion especially targeting markets with significant interest in security enhancement such as the United States, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

KISIA plans to organize national-level global accelerating programs and export consultations for information security startups, along with conducting company-specific programs. Cho emphasized the importance of showcasing the entire national security capability system rather than individual product exhibitions for the direction of global exports. He also highlighted the significance of forming alliances between companies, enhancing government support, and presenting a Korean model.

It's not an easy task for domestic companies to exert influence in a market where global competitors are active, especially considering the advancement of technologies like artificial intelligence. Finding new business opportunities amid these circumstances poses challenges for existing security companies. Following his role as the CEO of PIOLINK, the emergence of Cho as the chairman of KISIA makes this year a pivotal moment, with expectations high for his upcoming activities.

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