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
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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.
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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".
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Digital Security Officer (DSO)
Prestwick Aerosystems · Contract, through Airbus Protect
Leads cyber security for Prestwick Aerosystems, the Scottish aerostructures site that builds wing components for the Airbus A320 and A350 families, as it integrates into Airbus. Engaged by Airbus until Sep 2026, then directly by Prestwick Aerosystems.
- Focal point for cyber incidents and escalations, acting as major incident manager for cyber security
- Owner and chair of the Security Change Board; represents cyber security on the Digital Enterprise Change Board
- Built the site's software risk-assessment and supplier cyber-questionnaire processes, and its cyber security policies
- Briefs site leadership on security posture, emerging threats and incidents
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Airbus Protect
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Cybersecurity Consultant
Cyber security consultant in Airbus Protect's UK team, deployed on Airbus engagements in supply-chain security and as Digital Security Officer at Prestwick.
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Supply Chain Security Consultant Airbus
Third-party security assurance for the Airbus commercial supply chain: assessed suppliers against tailored security requirements, including EASA Part-IS, and raised supplier risk to the business.
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BT Group
Joined through the cyber security graduate programme (Sep 2022 – Sep 2024): six rotations across security communications, cloud consultancy, awareness, assurance and risk. Chaired the Early Professionals Group (200+ members) and sat on the Chief Security Authority's Shadow Leadership Team.
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Security Assurance Professional – PCI DSS
Second-line compliance monitoring and controls testing for the Telecoms Security Act, and support for PCI DSS assessments.
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Security Risk Lead Graduate rotation
Modelled the threat of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer 15 years ahead, using FAIR and Monte Carlo simulation, for emerging-risk reporting to BT's Executive Committee.
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Security Assurance Professional – TSA Graduate rotation
Designed BT's second-line quarterly governance and assurance process for the UK Telecoms Security Act. The first Quarterly Return reached senior sign-off in Q1 2024, and the BT Group CISO recognised the work.
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Security Behavior and Awareness Professional Graduate rotation
Led the campaign for reporting phishing in Microsoft Teams, credited with helping bring group-wide phishing metrics below target.
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Cloud Security Consultant Graduate rotation
Secure-by-design reviews of cloud projects; wrote cloud security design patterns and BT's Cloud Security learning pathway.
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Security Storyteller Graduate rotation
Security communications, and a metrics dashboard tracking the move from single- to multi-factor authentication.
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Founder
C-BoT · While at university
An IoT home-automation start-up incubated at AIC-DSU. Led a team of 10 through the whole product lifecycle, with security built in. Patent-pending, from an invention disclosure he authored and filed.
Education
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Royal Holloway, University of London
Master of Science (MSc), Information Security
Dissertation: a consolidated study of blockchain technology and its risk assessment and risk management.
Modules included Security Management, Cryptography and Security Mechanisms, Security Technologies, Secure Business Architecture, Cyber Crime, and Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Cyber Security.
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Dayananda Sagar University
Bachelor of Technology (BTech), Computer Technology · First class
Capstone project: C-BoT. Modules included Cyber Security, Cryptography, Cloud Computing, Computer Networks and Operating Systems.
Core member of CySec DSU, the university cyber security club (150+ members), and university ambassador for the Government of Karnataka's "March for Secure Code" programme.
Licenses & certifications
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ISO 27001:2022 Implementation
LRQA
Professional memberships
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Associate Member (ACIIS)
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Full Member (MITP)
Honors & awards
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Graduate of the Year, ITP Telecoms Awards
The judges cited his impact on Telecoms Security Act compliance for a major telecoms operator, and company-wide recognition from the Chief Information Security Officer.
Official winners list ↗ -
Excellence in Career Advancement
Inspire to Aspire Alumni Awards, School of Engineering (Computer Science and Technology, Batch of 2021).
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Super Star
Recognised at the CISO all-hands for going above and beyond on Telecoms Security Act assurance.
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Brilliant
BT's highest annual performance rating.
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Skills Influencer
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Prize winner, UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge
Team "Cyber Royale".
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
Writing
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Oct 2026
Putting a price on the quantum threat
How to turn "harvest now, decrypt later" into a number your board can act on.
Contact
For speaking, writing or media requests, connect on LinkedIn or email hello@prateekashokkumar.com.