20 Cyber Leaders to Follow on LinkedIn (and Why They Deserve Your Attention)

Security professionals don’t have time for vague hot takes – they need practical guidance that helps them reduce risk, respond faster, and justify spending. The right LinkedIn voices can act like a peer network, helping you stay current on what’s working in security operations, governance, and culture right now.

‍20 cybersecurity leaders to follow on LinkedIn

1. Marcus Hutchins - Cybersecurity speaker and Principal Threat Researcher, Expel

• Talks about: Malware analysis, threat intelligence, cutting through AI and threat hype with grounded reality checks
• Best for: Cybersecurity practitioners who want honest, experience-based takes on what actually matters in the threat landscape
• LinkedIn: 60k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/malwaretech/ 

2. Nicole Perlroth - Cybersecurity journalist and author of “This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends”

• Talks about: AI-enabled attacks, investigative cybersecurity journalism, geopolitical cyber conflict
• Best for: Leaders translating cyber risk management to boards and business stakeholders
• LinkedIn: 18k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleperlroth/

3. Clint Gibler - Founder, tl;dr sec | Head of Security Research, Semgrep

• Talks about: AppSec tools/research, DevSecOps, static analysis, curated security insights that actually matter
• Best for: Security engineers and AppSec leaders who want actionable intelligence without the noise, all in his tl;dr newsletter - “7 minutes of the week's best security content”
• LinkedIn: 31k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintgibler/

4. Katie Nickels - Director of Intelligence, Red Canary

• Talks about: Threat intel insights, phishing, detection guidance, and SOC-friendly context, women in cybersecurity
• Best for: SOC managers and analysts wanting signal over noise from cybersecurity LinkedIn creators
• LinkedIn: 10k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-nickels/ 

5. Chris Wallis - Founder/CEO, Intruder

• Talks about: Exposure management, exposure reduction, practical security program tips for lean teams
• Best for: Mid-market IT/security leaders who need actionable ways to prioritize and remediate
• LinkedIn: 6k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wallis/ 

6. Troy Hunt - Founder/CEO Have I Been Pwned | security educator

• Talks about: Breach analysis, online security, cybersecurity updates, practical lessons from incidents, cloud development
• Best for: IT leaders and security practitioners focused on user risk and defensible basics
• LinkedIn: 60k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyhunt/

7. Lesley Carhart - Principal Industrial Incident Responder, Dragos

• Talks about: Incident response lessons, OT/ICS security, ransomware behavior, response readiness
• Best for: SOC leaders, incident responders, and teams supporting critical infrastructure
• LinkedIn: 22k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/lcarhart/ 

8. Jackie McGuire - Co-Host, Enterprise Security Weekly 

• Talks about: Data science, honest industry insights, AI/ML in security, real-world SOC-to-CISO perspectives
• Best for: Security leaders and practitioners who need honest, no-BS insights that connect technology trends to actual business outcomes
• LinkedIn: 5k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiesinsecurity/ 

9. Matt Johansen - Founder, Vulnerable U

• Talks about: Software security, AppSec, ProdSec, cloud and infrastructure security
• Best for: Cybersecurity leaders, practitioners, and tech teams seeking actionable guidance on secure development, operational security, and building trust at scale
• LinkedIn: 13k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjohansen/ 

10. Mike Privette - Founder/Cybersecurity Economist, Return On Security

• Talks about: Cybersecurity market intelligence, investment and M&A analysis, startup and funding insights, CISO strategy, and cyber economy trends
• Best for: CISOs, security leaders, founders, and investors looking to connect real-world security decisions with market dynamics and business value
• LinkedIn: 13k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeprivette/ ‍

11. Keren Elazari - Cybersecurity analyst, speaker, author, contributor to “Women in Tech”

• Talks about: Emerging cybersecurity issues, security culture, trends in cybersecurity
• Best for: Security leaders, Founders
• LinkedIn: 20k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerene/ 

12. Andrew Bagnall - CISO/IT Director, The Telegraph

• Talks about: ​​Cybersecurity leadership, IT security strategy, industry insights
• Best for: IT and security leaders in mid-market and enterprise organizations seeking practical insights on aligning security with business strategy
• LinkedIn: 6k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bagnall-63345926/ 

13. Marius Poskus - CEO, MP Cybersecurity Services

• Talks about: Strategic cybersecurity leadership, risk management, cloud & application security, AI, CISO-level insights on aligning security with business risk and resilience
• Best for: Mid-market and enterprise IT/security leaders who want real-world perspectives on leading modern security programs, translating technical risk into business outcomes, and practical advice for evolving cyber leadership roles
• LinkedIn: 19k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/marius-poskus/ 

14. Ross Haleliuk - Co-Founder/CEO, Stealth Startup

• Talks about: Cybersecurity startup strategy, product-led security, industry economics, venture insights, and actionable commentary on building and investing in security products
• Best for: Cybersecurity founders, product leaders, investors, and technology executives who want practical, market-centric guidance on creating, scaling, and evaluating security solutions
• LinkedIn: 60k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosshaleliuk/ 

15. Tyler Shields - Investor & Former CMO | Principal Analyst, Omdia

• Talks about: Security startup strategy, go-to-market insights, product-market fit, entrepreneurship in cybersecurity
• Best for: Founders, security executives, and investors who need practical advice on building and scaling security companies
• LinkedIn: 9k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylershields/

16. Darwin Salazar - Head of Growth, Monad

• Talks about: Security data pipelines, cloud and product security, SecOps efficiency, and weekly industry insights
• Best for: Cybersecurity leaders, practitioners, and product teams looking for actionable guidance on security telemetry, cloud detection, and operational efficiency
• LinkedIn: 11k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/darwin-salazar/ 

17. John Hammond - Senior Principal Cybersecurity Researcher, Huntress

• Talks about: Adversary tactics, Red Team operations, programming tutorials, CTF challenges, and cybersecurity education
• Best for: Cybersecurity professionals, students, and enthusiasts looking for practical insights on offensive security, threat emulation, and hands-on learning
• LinkedIn: 363k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhammond010/

18. Chris Wysopal - Chief Security Evangelist & Founder, Veracode 

• Talks about: Application security, secure by design, vulnerability research, coordinated disclosure
• Best for: AppSec professionals, security leaders, and developers who want foundational insights 
• LinkedIn: 7k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/wysopal/ 

19. Rami Alkafahje - AI Solutions Architect, IBM

• Talks about: cloud security (AWS/Azure/IBM), AI security architecture, DevSecOps automation
• Best for: Cloud security engineers and architects who want hands-on guidance for securing cloud and AI systems 
• LinkedIn: 10k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/rami-alkafahje/

20. Patrick Garrity - Security Researcher, VulnCheck

• Talks about: Vulnerability research, exploitation analysis, CVE/EPSS/CISA KEV insights
• Best for: Vulnerability management teams, security researchers, and practitioners who need evidence-based guidance on what vulnerabilities actually matter and why
• LinkedIn: 36k followers https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmgarrity/ 

Turning Insights Into Action

To turn information security leaders’ posts into outcomes:

• Follow 2–3 strategic voices (risk, leadership, governance) and 2–3 technical voices (IR, cloud, detection)
• Save posts you can action (policy changes, playbooks, training topics)
• Share internally with a one-line “why it matters” so your team learns together

This is how security leaders on LinkedIn become a force multiplier for your program-not just reading material.

What Should You Look for in Cybersecurity Thought Leaders?

The best cybersecurity voices share practical, grounded insights that help you do your job better. Prioritize leaders who:

• Explain real tradeoffs – cost, headcount, tooling constraints – not just ideal-state controls
• Share lessons from actual incidents, not just headline commentary
• Translate between worlds – bridging executive risk language and technical reality
• Provide repeatable guidance – checklists, frameworks, detection ideas you can implement 
• Communicate security clearly – making phishing, MFA, and risk conversations less abstract for stakeholders
• Coach without blame – helping you set realistic expectations with executives about timelines and residual risk

The leaders worth following make security feel doable without oversimplifying it.