Ibrahim Waziri Jr, a renowned expert in cybersecurity and compliance, has had a remarkable career spanning across top US defense contractors, tech giants, and now, a leadership role at Google. His professional journey began in Washington while he was still a student at Purdue University. In 2015, he interned as a cybersecurity analyst in the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the U.S. International Trade Commission.
After completing his PhD in 2016, Waziri took a job as a security research engineer at Apogee Research, a U.S. defense contractor. He worked on defense and national security research and later as an information systems security engineer. In 2018, he joined Deloitte, where he worked as a senior consultant in the firm's federal cyber risk practice, focusing on cyber risk and threats for U.S. agencies.
Waziri's expertise in cybersecurity and compliance led him to Microsoft in 2020, where he worked on governance, risk, and compliance engineering on the Azure for U.S. Government team. One of his notable projects was the Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service (eMASS) effort, which involved converting Azure's system security plans into a machine-readable format and loading them into eMASS.
In addition to his work at Microsoft, Waziri also taught as an adjunct professor of cybersecurity at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, and served on PhD dissertation committees. His website lists courses in managing cybersecurity risk, cybersecurity in the system lifecycle, securing evolving technology infrastructure, computer security, and computer networking.
Waziri's career continued to ascend at Microsoft, where he worked on Virtual Enclaves in Azure Mission Engineering from 2022 to 2024. He then moved to a cybersecurity and trust engineering group in Microsoft's Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs division as a principal security product manager. He also contributed to the Secure Future Initiative, a company-wide security program launched after a federal review board criticized Microsoft's handling of a 2023 Exchange Online intrusion.
In spring 2024, Waziri was appointed to the 20-member implementation committee of the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative, a Federal Government initiative aimed at shaping data policy and regulation, managing data repositories, and acting as an ombudsman for a national digital health environment. This appointment marked his return to Nigeria and a new chapter in his career.
Waziri's most recent role is as Global Insider Risk and Incident Governance Lead in the risk and compliance group of Google Cloud's Cloud CISO organization, a position he assumed in June 2025. In this role, he leads the regulatory incident governance domain, helps shape Google's AI insider-risk strategy, and supports the company's Secure AI Framework.
Key points
- Ibrahim Waziri Jr's career highlights his expertise in cybersecurity and compliance, with roles at top US defense contractors and tech giants.
- Waziri's appointment to the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative marks his return to Nigeria and a new chapter in his career.
- Waziri's current role at Google Cloud focuses on insider risk and incident governance, AI strategy, and secure AI frameworks.
