Shinichi Yokohama, CISO of the NTT Group, Receives the Security Governance Award at the Forbes JAPAN "2025-2026 CIO AWARD"

On February 27, 2026, Shinichi Yokohama, who serves as CISO ^*1 of the NTT Group, achieved the Security Governance Award at the Forbes JAPAN "2025-2026 CIO AWARD^*2" ceremony. He was recognized for leading information security management training programs for all NTT Group company presidents in Japan to elevate governance standards across the entire group.

In its fourth year, the award honors leaders described as “driving Digital Transformation in Japan to the next stage by managing growth and risk holistically in the AI era.”

^*1CISO: Chief Information Security Officer

^*2Forbes JAPAN CIO AWARD https://forbesjapan.com/feat/cioaward_portal/

1. Forbes JAPAN CIO AWARD - Accelerating C-suite in Japan for the AX Era -

What defines the technology leadership the world needs today? As cyberattacks targeting nations and critical infrastructure become increasingly sophisticated, enterprises must leverage technology to adopt predictive and proactive strategies. The emergence of generative AI marks the beginning of the "AX, or AI Transformation, era," which pushes Digital Transformation to its next stage. Japanese industry is caught in the vortex of the “2025 Digital Cliff” brought on by legacy systems, and it has struggled with structural stagnation for a long time. This award aims to honor true technology leaders who turn defense or risk response into offense or value creation and navigate Japanese industry and society to the next stage.

2. Reason for the Security Governance Award

He led a specialized executive training program for the presidents of all two hundred and fifty-eight NTT Group company presidents in Japan, instilling a culture of "swift crisis response" based on the assumption that "security incidents will inevitably occur." In terms of technical implementation, he is strongly promoting a shift to "autonomous security operations" that leverages generative AI against escalating cyberattacks. He thoroughly explained to executives that cyber-risk is not technical issues but a "business risk," and elevated the group's overall governance level to a "swift crisis response system in the AI era" in both technological implementation and mindset transformation. This achievement truly embodies the spirit of this award.

Based on this track record, the NTT Group, a global leader providing next-generation infrastructure for the AI era, will keep strengthening its own security governance. Furthermore, the NTT Group will deepen engagement with top management of the clients and contribute through its global activities to enhancing security and resilience across industry and society in the world.