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Cyber Frontlines: Mark Hughes

Published 28 July 2025

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As new technologies advance, so too do the cybersecurity threats that challenge organizations across the globe. On the cyber frontlines, researchers, hackers, penetration testers and incident responders work relentlessly to stay ahead of the curve. They analyze the threat landscape, uncover weaknesses in technology and systems before attackers can exploit them, and develop the tools and capabilities needed to help organizations prepare for and respond to real-world incidents.

Welcome to Cyber Frontlines, a new IBM blog series that takes you behind the scenes—introducing the experts behind IBM Consulting’s Cybersecurity Services and IBM X-Force. In each post, you’ll meet the people on the front lines of digital defense, working to uncover vulnerabilities, respond to threats, and protect businesses, governments and consumers from today’s most pressing cyber risks.

In this first edition of Cyber Frontlines, meet Mark Hughes, Global Managing Partner of Cybersecurity Services at IBM. Mark has worked in cybersecurity for over 20 years, accountable for IBM’s security business globally. We caught up with Mark to learn more about his work and recommendations for those looking to start a career in security.

Stay up to date on Mark’s work on LinkedIn.

Meet the rest of the team on the Cyber Frontlines. Up next: Troy Bettencourt

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Meet Troy Bettencourt

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Resources

Cost of a Data Breach Report

Learn how AI is transforming the threat landscape for attackers and defenders alike and gain up-to-date insights into cybersecurity threats and their financial impacts on organizations.

IBM named a Leader in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Access Management

Learn how IBM leads in access management with secure authentication, SSO and adaptive access, recognized as a Leader for the third year in a row.

Securing non-human identities: Identifying and eliminating identity-based threats

Learn how identity-based attacks are rising and how to respond, with key insights from the X-Force® Threat Intelligence Index on credential theft, phishing and identity security.

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Identity Security Vendor Assessment

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