Risk Rewired: Samir Sherif’s Cybersecurity Playbook for Executives
In this episode of CyberOXtales, Samir Sherif challenges executives to drop outdated boundaries and start thinking in systems. Drawing on years in both financial services and security operations, he outlines why integrating the Security Operations Center (SOC) and Network Operations Center (NOC) is no longer optional. It's essential for resilience.
Samir maps out how AI is doing more than just reducing noise in SecOps. It’s already making Level 1 decisions, and soon it’ll take on Level 2 logic, pushing organizations to rethink their human capital strategies. But the tech alone isn’t enough. Culture matters. He breaks down how shifting from a vulnerability-based mindset to a risk-centric language can unlock alignment across engineering, IT, and business functions.
This is a no-nonsense guide to breaking silos, choosing the right tools, and designing for continuity from the code layer to the C-suite. If you're leading a digital transformation, this episode belongs in your war room.
About Our Guest
Samir Sherif is a veteran Chief Information Security Officer with decades of experience across banking, enterprise software, and infrastructure. He has served as CISO at F5 Networks, Absolute Software, and Imperva, and previously spent over 20 years at Citigroup leading application security. Samir currently sits on multiple advisory boards including Mitiga, NetSPI, Secure Code Warrior, and others. His perspective blends technical expertise with board-level strategy to build integrated, resilient security programs.
Connect with Samir
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Key Takeaways
- SOC and NOC must merge both technologically and culturally to tackle today’s threats
- Focus on risk instead of vulnerabilities to drive better decision making
- AI is already reshaping Level 1 and Level 2 operations
- Business resilience depends on shared visibility across tech and security
- True integration requires cultural change, not just new tools
Listen to this episode of CyberOXtales to hear how Samir Sherif is helping organizations rethink security from the inside out.
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