Coinbase Appoints Former Unit 42 CTO Michael Sikorski as Chief Information Security Officer

Coinbase has appointed cybersecurity veteran Michael Sikorski as its new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), strengthening its security leadership as the crypto exchange continues to expand its global digital asset platform.

Sikorski joins Coinbase from Unit 42, the cybersecurity and threat intelligence division of Palo Alto Networks, where he served as Chief Technology Officer for the past four years. During his tenure, he led the engineering, product, and threat intelligence teams, driving AI-powered security automation and expanding the firm's incident response and cyber defense capabilities.

With more than two decades of experience in cybersecurity, Sikorski has also held senior leadership positions at Mandiant and FireEye, where he led advanced malware research, threat intelligence, and incident response teams. Earlier in his career, he worked at the US National Security Agency (NSA) and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, focusing on network defense and cyber intelligence. He also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University.

In his new role, Sikorski will oversee Coinbase's global cybersecurity strategy, including information security, cyber resilience, threat intelligence, and security operations. His appointment comes as digital asset firms continue to strengthen their defenses against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Announcing the move on LinkedIn, Sikorski said the rise of decentralized systems and AI-enabled attackers motivated him to move from an advisory role into an operational leadership position. He added that he looks forward to working with Coinbase's security team to build a resilient security architecture and protect the future of digital finance.

The appointment underscores Coinbase's continued investment in cybersecurity as regulatory scrutiny and cyber risks across the cryptocurrency industry continue to grow.