Shahar Ben-Hador: An Innovative Leader Advancing Cybersecurity with AI
By: Marvin Moreira
In an era where cybersecurity threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace, Shahar Ben-Hador has emerged as a key figure in the field of innovation. As the Co-founder and CEO of Radiant Security, he is helping to transform Security Operations Centers (SOCs) by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to automate threat detection and response. With a career spanning nearly two decades in cybersecurity, Shahar’s journey from IT administrator to Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and now a pioneering entrepreneur is widely regarded as inspiring.
A Storied Career in Cybersecurity
Shahar’s cybersecurity journey began at Imperva, where he worked his way up from an IT Administrator to become the company’s first-ever CISO. During his tenure there, he managed cyber risk at an enterprise scale and led security compliance for cloud operations. His expertise was further honed at Exabeam, where he played a significant role as CIO and later VP of Product Management, contributing to the company’s development of its first SaaS product.
During these roles, he witnessed firsthand one of the most pressing challenges in cybersecurity: alert fatigue. Security teams were often overwhelmed by an endless stream of alerts, many of which were false positives, while real threats sometimes slipped through the cracks. This insight became the foundation upon which he built Radiant Security.
Founding Radiant Security – The Future of SOC
In 2021, Shahar teamed up with longtime colleague Barry Shteiman to co-found Radiant Security, an AI-powered security platform designed to modernize traditional SOCs. Unlike many existing security solutions that require extensive playbooks and human intervention, Radiant Security’s AI aims to autonomously triage and investigate every security alert with the precision of a high-tier analyst.
Radiant Security’s AI SOC Analysts help to cut through the noise, automatically detecting and prioritizing real threats, allowing security teams to focus their resources where they matter most. By potentially reducing alert fatigue and analyst burnout, the company is contributing to a shift in how organizations approach cybersecurity.
What makes Radiant’s AI technology particularly notable is its ability to learn and adapt over time. Unlike static security models, which require frequent updates, Radiant’s AI is designed to continuously improve its ability to differentiate real threats from false positives. This self-evolving capability could allow security teams to stay ahead of ever-changing cyber threats with minimal manual intervention.
Overcoming Challenges & Shaping the Future
Shahar’s journey hasn’t been without its challenges. One of the defining moments of his career was during his early days as a CISO when he faced a direct cyber threat from the notorious hacking group Anonymous. This experience deepened his understanding of how high-pressure cybersecurity situations unfold and strengthened his determination to develop better solutions for security teams.
Looking ahead, Shahar believes AI will play an increasingly important role in cybersecurity. In the next five years, he suggests that:
- AI could take over both mundane and sophisticated tasks, enabling faster threat detection.
- Companies may push back against expensive cybersecurity subscriptions, demanding more cost-effective solutions.
- Platform-based security solutions are likely to dominate the market, consolidating disparate security tools into a unified system.
Additionally, he foresees increased regulation and compliance requirements, making AI-driven security increasingly important—not just as a competitive advantage but as a potential necessity. Organizations that fail to embrace AI-driven automation might struggle to keep up with rapidly evolving security threats and compliance mandates.
A Leader Who Moves Fast & Trusts His Team
Shahar’s leadership philosophy is simple yet effective. He believes in moving fast, making quick decisions, and keeping processes simple. His informal yet results-driven approach has helped empower his team at Radiant Security to innovate rapidly.
For young professionals aspiring to succeed in cybersecurity, his advice is straightforward: “Work hard, don’t look for shortcuts, and share both successes and failures with your team.”
Shahar Ben-Hador’s journey from a rising cybersecurity leader to a trailblazing CEO is a testament to his vision, resilience, and commitment to innovation. Through Radiant Security and his leadership, SOC teams worldwide are gaining access to tools that could help them stay ahead of cyber threats. Connect with Shahar Ben-Hador on LinkedIn to learn more about his work and insights into the future of cybersecurity.
Published by Tom W.
