Principal Corporate Counsel: Security & Trust, Incident Response

The application window is expected to close on: 05/08/2026.

We are seeking a skilled Principal Corporate Counsel to join Cisco’s Legal Department Security and Trust Legal team – we proudly serve as the primary legal advisors for Cisco’s Security and Trust Organization. This team provides legal support to S&TO's security functions (including incident response and risk management, compliance and policy enforcement, infosec, product security, security training and awareness, vendor and workforce security management) as well as market access and trust functions (including product certifications).

Members of the Legal organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions. Location preferences for RTP, NC as well as East coast hours.

In this role, you will be a key legal advisor focused on incident response and risk management within Cisco's Security and Trust Organization. You will play a critical role in safeguarding Cisco's operations and data by providing expert legal mentorship on security events, incidents, and compliance with evolving security, resilience, and data laws. This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with diverse internal and external stakeholders, develop corporate policies, and contribute to cross-collaborative initiatives related to data, AI, and regulatory implementation.

• Provide legal mentorship and support to Cisco's Security and Trust Org. on incident response activities, including coordinating with and advising other members of the legal department, outside counsel, communication teams, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist in managing legal risks associated with security events, incidents, and other issues.
• Advise on compliance with security, resilience, and data laws, other legal requirements (such as contractual and intellectual property), and corporate policies.
• Support the development, implementation, and improvement of security and data policies, standards, and procedures.
• Review and negotiate security, resilience, AI, and data topics in customer and vendor contracts.

• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent post‑undergraduate degree, and active, tested admission to practice law and 7+ years experience.
• Demonstrated mastery of security, resilience, and data protection laws.
• Current meaningful background providing legal counsel on security incidents, including based on regulatory, contractual, and policy risks.
• Validated ability to run company and individual notifications, as well as regulatory reporting, for security and data incidents.
• Solid understanding of the meaning of corporate security policies and incident response protocols.

• Strategic approach to identifying and addressing legal and security challenges.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to analyze complex issues and propose effective solutions.
• Clear communicator, able to convey complex legal and technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Exposure to working with security teams or within a corporate security environment is highly desirable.
• Experience in establishing governance frameworks for the entire AI data lifecycle, from data acquisition and training data preparation to model deployment and monitoring, ensuring compliance with emerging AI regulations and ethical guidelines.

Starting salary range posted for this position is $ to $ and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation, equity, or benefits. Individual pay is determined by the candidate’s hiring location, market conditions, job‑related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long‑term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Employees may be eligible to…