11 Cybersecurity CEOs Getting the Industry’s Attention in 2026 | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #ransomware

Cybersecurity’s center of gravity is shifting. Cloud infrastructure, software supply chains, AI agents, data security, and autonomous defense are creating new categories and giving a new generation of security CEOs plenty to talk about. These 11 executives stand out not necessarily because they run the largest cybersecurity companies, but because their companies and ideas are increasingly part of the industry conversation.

1. Amiram Shachar, Upwind

Amiram Shachar is having a particularly consequential year. The Upwind co-founder and CEO previously founded Spot.io, which was acquired by NetApp, and now leads one of the fastest-growing names in cloud security. In September 2026, Upwind raised $300 million at a $3.8 billion valuation, more than doubling its valuation from the roughly $1.5 billion level reported earlier in the year. The latest financing underscores the growing investor interest in securing increasingly AI-driven cloud environments, while putting Shachar among the more closely watched CEOs in cybersecurity.

2. Rob Gurzeev, CyCognito

Rob Gurzeev is CEO and co-founder of CyCognito, a leading attack surface management (ASM) platform. Rob has spent his early career on the attacker’s side of the problem, previously leading offensive security development for private-sector organizations and intelligence agencies. Today he and his team help enterprises reduce external risk using proprietary AI-powered technologies that simulate adversary activity, from reconnaissance through the full attack chains. This puts Gurzeev at the center of the debate over how enterprises should answer advances in offensive AI, and the new classes of risk AI adoption creates.

3. Tina D’Agostin, Alcatraz AI

Tina D’Agostin leads Alcatraz AI, which applies AI-powered facial authentication to physical access control. Her background spans more than 25 years in security technology and solutions, including leadership at Johnson Controls. In 2026, Alcatraz raised a $50 million Series B, while the company reported significant growth in data-center and enterprise deployments. D’Agostin was also named to the Security Industry Association’s 2026 Women in Security Forum Power 100.

4. Yotam Segev, Cyera

Yotam Segev co-founded Cyera in 2021 around data security, but the company’s relevance has expanded as AI has made enterprise data even more strategically important. Cyera raised $400 million at a $9 billion valuation in January 2026 and later announced a $1 billion acquisition of Oasis Security. Segev is increasingly articulating a broader vision connecting data protection with the security of non-human identities and AI agents.

5. Kyle Hanslovan, Huntress

Kyle Hanslovan, co-founder and CEO of Huntress, has become one of the more outspoken voices on the changing economics of cybercrime. A former NSA cyber operator and Air Force offensive cyber specialist, Hanslovan helped build Huntress around protecting small and midsize businesses. In 2026, Huntress research found a 1,380% increase in device-code phishing attacks during the first four months of the year, giving Hanslovan another platform to warn that automation is lowering the barriers to cybercrime.

6. Hagai Shapira, Daylight Security

Hagai Shapira, co-founder and CEO of Daylight Security, is focused on one of cybersecurity’s emerging frontiers: autonomous security. Daylight describes its platform as combining autonomous AI agents with human expertise to address security operations. That positioning places Shapira in the growing conversation around agentic security and what the SOC could look like as AI takes on more operational work.

7. Rebecca Krauthamer, QuSecure

Rebecca Krauthamer is co-founder and CEO of QuSecure, putting her at the intersection of cybersecurity and quantum computing. The company focuses on post-quantum cryptography and cryptographic agility, an area gaining urgency as organizations prepare for future quantum threats. In 2026, Krauthamer was named to the inaugural Quantum Security 25 and Inc.’s Female Founders 500.

8. Michael Fey, Island

Michael Fey, co-founder and CEO of Island, brings a long track record in enterprise security to the company. Before co-founding Island, Fey held senior leadership roles at Symantec and other major technology companies, and he has used that experience to build Island around the enterprise browser category. The company has continued to attract attention as it expands beyond browser security into a broader vision for enterprise work. In 2026, Fey said Island had reached $200 million in revenue while continuing to grow at roughly 100% annually, and recent coverage has put the company’s valuation at approximately $4.8 billion.

9. Eoin Hinchy, Tines

Eoin Hinchy co-founded Tines after more than a decade working as a security operator and experiencing firsthand the repetitive workload facing security teams. Tines has evolved from a security automation company into what it describes as an intelligent workflow platform, combining AI, automation and integrations. Hinchy’s perspective is particularly relevant as companies look to automate more of the SOC without removing humans from critical decisions.

10. Gwenyth Castro, Binarly

Gwenyth Castro is one of the newer CEOs on this list. In March 2026, Binarly announced that Castro had taken over as CEO, with founder Alex Matrosov moving to the board. Castro previously spent more than 15 years in cybersecurity and held senior roles at Bishop Fox. At Binarly, she is leading the company as software supply-chain security becomes increasingly important in an era of AI-generated code and increasingly complex dependencies.

11. Dan Lorenc, Chainguard

Dan Lorenc, co-founder and CEO of Chainguard, has emerged as a prominent voice on software supply-chain security and the changing nature of software development. Chainguard focuses on making open-source software more trustworthy and secure, while Lorenc has increasingly discussed how AI-generated code is changing the development process. In 2025, Chainguard raised $356 million at a $3.5 billion valuation, underscoring investor interest in the category.

What Comes Next

The cybersecurity industry is entering a period where cloud, identity, data, software and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly interconnected. As new threats emerge and security teams adapt, the executives shaping these markets will play an increasingly important role in determining how organizations protect their infrastructure, people and technology in the years ahead.

This story was published on HackerNoon under our Business Blogging Program