HFA appoints Align exec to lead Cybersecurity Committee

The Hedge Fund Association (HFA) has selected Vinod Paul, president of Align Managed Services, to lead its Cybersecurity Committee amid the growing cyber threat landscape in the alternative investment industry. Paul will oversee the committee's efforts to offer guidance on emerging cyber threats, regulatory requirements, and technology risk management for hedge funds and other alternative investment firms.

The committee, comprising investment industry executives and technology specialists, aims to enhance awareness of cybersecurity risks and foster stronger resilience and risk-management practices throughout the sector. Paul will also collaborate with the HFA's Executive Committee on recruiting additional cybersecurity specialists and organizing events centered around the increasing role of cyber risk within the alternative investment industry.

With over two decades of experience in technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, and technology risk management for financial services and alternative investment firms, Paul currently serves as the head of managed services operations at Align Managed Services, where he oversees the company's cybersecurity offering. The appointment aligns with the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies by hedge funds, which presents additional challenges in balancing innovation with security and governance.

Paul emphasized that his primary goal at the HFA is to assist firms in making practical cybersecurity decisions and avoiding distraction from rapidly changing technology trends. The HFA, established in 1996, represents participants across the alternative investment sector, such as hedge funds, private equity firms, venture capital firms, family offices, institutional investors, and financial services providers.

Paul's focus at the new committee will be on cybersecurity education and industry collaboration as hedge funds face mounting pressure to fortify data, technology infrastructure, and third-party systems controls while simultaneously embracing new digital tools.