ALEX ALI
Alex Ali professional portrait
Cybersecurity • GRC • Cyber Recovery • Enterprise Risk

Alex AliSyed N. Ali

Senior Cybersecurity & GRC Leader | 25+ Years Experience

Senior cybersecurity, governance, risk and compliance professional with more than 25 years of experience supporting Fortune 500 organizations, financial institutions, healthcare systems, technology companies and government agencies.

Santa Clara, CaliforniaOpen to RemoteOpen to RelocationU.S. CitizenNo Sponsorship Required
Email AlexLinkedInClient Portfolio
25+Years of cybersecurity, infrastructure and GRC experience
4,000+Security controls evaluated in a major enterprise engagement
46Healthcare facilities supported during PCI DSS assessments
Fortune 500Financial, technology, healthcare and government clients
Professional Summary

Executive Cybersecurity, Risk & Compliance Leadership

Recognized for leading cybersecurity governance, cyber resiliency, business continuity, disaster recovery, third-party risk management, privacy, regulatory compliance, audit readiness, security transformation, Zero Trust, API security and enterprise risk initiatives. Trusted advisor to CISOs, CIOs, executive leadership, audit committees, risk committees, engineering teams and business stakeholders.

Cybersecurity Governance

Security program development, policy governance, control design, implementation, modification, architecture reviews and executive advisory.

Cyber Recovery & Resiliency

Business continuity, disaster recovery, operational resiliency, incident response governance and recovery planning aligned with ISO 22301.

Compliance & Audit Readiness

Enterprise assessments, regulatory mapping, evidence readiness, audit coordination, remediation governance and maturity improvement.

Core Competencies

Cybersecurity & GRC Expertise

Broad strategic and hands-on experience across cybersecurity, governance, compliance, privacy, risk and enterprise infrastructure.

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)Cyber Recovery & Operational ResiliencyEnterprise Risk Management (ERM)Business Continuity PlanningDisaster Recovery PlanningThird-Party & Vendor Risk ManagementCybersecurity GovernanceAudit Readiness & RemediationPrivacy & Data ProtectionRegulatory ComplianceSecurity Program DevelopmentSecurity Architecture ReviewsCloud Security GovernanceAI Governance & RiskIncident Response GovernanceSecurity Policies, Standards & ProceduresSecurity Control AssessmentsSecurity Awareness & TrainingZero Trust SecurityAPI SecurityThreat ModelingCybersecurity Maturity AssessmentsControl Design, Implementation & ModificationSecurity Assessment Questionnaire & Tool Development

Enterprise Risk Types

  • Strategic Risk
  • Financial Risk
  • Operational Risk
  • Reputational Risk
  • Compliance & Regulatory Risk
  • Credit Risk
  • Transaction Risk

Threat Modeling

  • STRIDE — Developer-Focused Threat Modeling
  • DREAD — Risk Rating Methodology
  • PASTA — Attacker-Focused Threat Modeling
  • TRIKE — Acceptable-Risk-Focused Threat Modeling
  • VAST — Enterprise-Focused Threat Modeling

Assessment Tool Development

  • Software Security Assessment (SSA) Tool
  • Security Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) Tool
  • Control assessment and maturity methodologies
  • Risk registers, remediation tracking and executive reporting
Frameworks & Regulations

Enterprise Control & Regulatory Coverage

Experience supporting cybersecurity and compliance programs across U.S. and international regulatory environments.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)NIST SP 800-53NIST SP 800-171ISO/IEC 27001ISO/IEC 27002 Security Control ImplementationISO/IEC 42001:2023 Artificial Intelligence Management SystemISO 22301 Business Continuity ManagementDirective (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2)23 NYCRR Part 500PCI DSSHIPAA / HITECHSOX 404J-SOXGDPRCCPAGLBAFDA-Regulated EnvironmentsCOBITCMM / CMMI Capability Maturity ModelsCSA Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ)OWASP Top 10 Web Application & API Security RisksSOC 1, SOC 2 & SOC 3 Attestation Readiness
Professional Experience

Selected Leadership & Consulting Experience

eSecurityAuditors.com

Principal Cybersecurity & GRC Advisor

May 2000 – Present
Santa Clara, California
  • Deliver cybersecurity governance, compliance, risk management, audit readiness, privacy, cyber resiliency and executive advisory services.
  • Conduct enterprise risk assessments, cybersecurity maturity assessments and compliance program reviews.
  • Develop business continuity, disaster recovery and cyber recovery strategies.
  • Support litigation-related technical reviews, audit preparation, security assessments and remediation governance.
  • Developed Software Security Assessment (SSA), Security Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and control assessment methodologies.
Navy Federal Credit Union

Cybersecurity Engineer VI

November 2020 – July 2022
  • Supported enterprise cybersecurity governance, compliance reporting and operational resiliency initiatives.
  • Managed SIEM governance and security monitoring reporting using Splunk.
  • Partnered with security engineering, operations, compliance and business stakeholders.
  • Contributed to cybersecurity program maturity, control effectiveness and risk reduction efforts.
Cisco Systems

Security Risk & Compliance Consultant

March 2020 – July 2020
  • Conducted Privacy Impact Assessments and Data Impact Assessments.
  • Supported Cisco Secure Development Lifecycle compliance initiatives.
  • Developed business continuity plans for cloud-based services.
  • Advised engineering and DevOps teams on security, compliance and architecture requirements.
Agilent Technologies

Senior Cybersecurity Consultant

June 2018 – September 2018
  • Led GDPR readiness and cloud security governance programs.
  • Developed CSA CAIQ vendor risk assessment methodologies.
  • Implemented and customized OneTrust governance workflows.
  • Conducted cloud vendor security assessments and privacy reviews.
Synaptics

Senior Cybersecurity Consultant

May 2017 – September 2017
  • Led cloud security governance and cybersecurity framework initiatives.
  • Conducted CSA CAIQ assessments and developed vendor security requirements.
  • Supported contract security provisions, audit readiness and compliance programs.
State Compensation Insurance Fund

Senior Security & GRC Consultant

September 2016 – April 2017
  • Supported PCI DSS compliance, vulnerability management and security governance reviews.
  • Performed risk assessments and assisted with Archer and ServiceNow GRC implementations.
eBay

Senior Security & Compliance Consultant

May 2016 – August 2016
  • Enhanced enterprise risk management processes and risk register governance.
  • Supported PCI DSS compliance and coordinated with internal audit and major assurance firms.
Gilead Sciences

Senior Security & Compliance Consultant

December 2015 – May 2016
  • Conducted enterprise risk assessments and evaluated more than 4,000 security controls.
  • Supported audit readiness, remediation planning and executive cybersecurity governance.
PwC / Dignity Health

Senior PCI DSS Consultant

April 2015 – June 2015
  • Conducted PCI DSS assessments across 46 healthcare facilities.
  • Performed HIPAA and risk assessments and delivered remediation recommendations.
UC Davis Medical Center

Senior Security Consultant

June 2014 – December 2014
  • Conducted NIST SP 800-53 security assessments.
  • Supported healthcare cybersecurity operations, architecture and governance controls.
American International Group (AIG)

Senior Security Consultant — Vendor Risk Management

October 2012 – May 2014
  • Conducted third-party vendor risk assessments and managed vendor risk lifecycle governance.
  • Supported Archer GRC implementation, risk evaluation and mitigation planning.
Representative Portfolio

Selected Clients & Employers

Experience spanning global financial services, technology, healthcare, government, manufacturing and consumer organizations.

Financial Services

  • Navy Federal Credit Union
  • American International Group (AIG)
  • U.S. Bank
  • Euronet Worldwide / RIA Financial Services
  • Washington Mutual Bank
  • California Federal Bank

Technology

  • Cisco Systems
  • Agilent Technologies
  • Synaptics
  • eBay
  • AT&T

Healthcare & Life Sciences

  • Gilead Sciences
  • UC Davis Medical Center
  • Dignity Health
  • Abbott Laboratories
  • Stratacare

Government

  • State Compensation Insurance Fund
  • State of California
  • Department of Veterans Affairs

Manufacturing & Consumer

  • Walmart
  • Toyota Motor North America
  • Calavo Growers
  • Honda Motor Company
Credentials

Certifications & Education

Professional Certifications

  • CISSP — Certified Information Systems Security Professional
  • CISA — Certified Information Systems Auditor
  • CISM — Certified Information Security Manager
  • CRISC — Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control
  • CDPSE — Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer
  • Associate CCISO
  • ISO 27001 Lead Implementer
  • ISO 27001 Lead Auditor
  • ISO 22301 Business Continuity

Legacy Technical Certifications

Foundational credentials demonstrating early-career expertise in enterprise infrastructure, networking and systems administration.

  • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer + Internet (MCSE+I)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
  • Certified Novell Administrator (CNA)
  • CompTIA A+

Education

MBASingapore Business School
Legal Studies CourseworkNorthwestern California University School of Law
Tools & Platforms

Technology, GRC & Infrastructure Experience

GRC, Risk & Assurance

  • RSA Archer
  • ServiceNow GRC
  • OneTrust
  • Drata
  • BitSight
  • CSA CAIQ
  • PCI DSS Assessment Tools
  • Vendor Risk Platforms

Security, Cloud & Monitoring

  • Splunk
  • QRadar
  • CyberArk
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Qualys
  • Nessus
  • Forescout CounterACT

Network Security & Firewalls

  • Cisco ASA / Cisco ACS
  • Palo Alto Networks
  • Check Point
  • Juniper NetScreen / SRX
  • Fortinet FortiGate
  • WatchGuard
  • Barracuda Networks
  • Linksys Business Security Appliances

IDS / IPS & WAF

  • Cisco IDS / IPS
  • Dragon IDS / IPS
  • Barracuda IDS / IPS
  • Network Threat Monitoring
  • Microsoft IIS Security Solutions
  • Barracuda WAF
  • Check Point Application Security
  • Juniper Application Security

Architecture & Infrastructure

  • Enterprise Infrastructure IT Strategic Planning
  • Network Security Architecture & Design
  • Firewall Deployment, Migration & Reengineering
  • Security Hardening & Configuration Management
  • Network Segmentation & Access Control
  • Secure Remote Access / VPN
  • Security Monitoring & Incident Response

Let’s discuss cybersecurity, GRC or advisory needs.

831-288-3727  •  alex@esecurityauditors.com

Contact AlexAdvisory Profile
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