Dr. Veysel Erdag Honored with Top Global CISO Of The Year Award at CyberDefenseCon 2025 

Dr. Veysel Erdag, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at UA Little Rock, was recently honored as one of the recipients of the prestigious Top Global CISO award.

Recipients of the Top Global CISO Award are honored for excellence in cybersecurity leadership, including innovation, threat prevention, compliance, and risk reduction. Key qualities also include executive communication, inclusive leadership, and mentorship. The recent ceremony took place at CyberDefenseCon 2025 in Orlando, hosted by Cyber Defense Magazine—widely regarded as the leading source for InfoSec news and the organizer of the industry’s most esteemed conference.

With more than two decades of experience spanning academia, government, telecommunications, and financial sectors, Dr. Erdağ has built and led comprehensive information security, risk management, and compliance programs across complex organizations. At UA Little Rock, he oversees the university’s enterprise-wide cybersecurity posture, risk management framework, and strategic technology alignment to support academic and research excellence.

Dr. Erdağ holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership, an MBA, and an M.Sc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He is also certified as a CISSP, CISM, and CISA, and formerly held the CCIE-Security credential for over a decade. Beyond his operational role, he is a frequent speaker at national cybersecurity and privacy conferences, including EDUCAUSE and InfoSec World, and serves as President of the InfraGard Arkansas Members Alliance, fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and law enforcement.