F5 appoints Samir Sherif as new Chief Information Security Officer

F5 has appointed Samir Sherif as its new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). This decision marks a significant step forward in F5's commitment to enforcing paramount security across all its operations and offerings. Sherif will lead F5's enterprise cybersecurity strategy and security culture, evolve F5's security capabilities and resilience, and manage cybersecurity standards and programmes for F5's products and services.

Sherif is a seasoned CISO and specialises in application security, bringing extensive experience to the F5 leadership team. He has previously held the role of CISO at both Absolute Software and Imperva, and had a long-term tenure at Citigroup, eventually serving as the Global Head of Application Security. These past experiences have provided Sherif with comprehensive knowledge in helping companies worldwide steer through the intricate landscape of security, resilience, and compliance.

Tom Fountain, EVP, Global Services and Chief Strategy Officer at F5, commented, "Samir's appointment is a result of F5's unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest level of security is woven into the fabric of our operational processes and product offerings." He continued, "His vast experience and leadership in application security are assets that will propel our enterprise security measures and help us safeguard our customers' digital experiences."

Applications are increasingly at the centre of all digital interactions, and this transformation magnifies the importance of their security. Applications designed today typically operate on multiple architectures, dispersed across various cloud environments, and are connected by a rapidly growing number of APIs. This intricate composition necessitates advanced management skills and resources, while simultaneously creating more openings for cyberattacks. F5 aims to counter this complexity by offering an efficient way to secure, scale, optimise, and manage all applications and APIs, regardless of their deployment space, allowing businesses to thrive in a multi-cloud world.

Upon his appointment, Sherif expressed his objectives for his new role at F5. He stated, "As the new Chief Information Security Officer at F5, my mission is to harness our leadership in multi-cloud application security to further strengthen our enterprise cybersecurity initiatives." Sherif added, "By continuing to raise the bar on our security culture and standards and showcasing the intrinsic value of our security technologies, we aim to empower our customers to build a better and more secure digital world. I am excited to build on F5's commitment to ensuring that security is the foundation of our offerings."

Sherif is succeeding Gail Coury, who plans to retire on March 1.