Benjamin Yankson

Dr. Benjamin Yankson is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director of Cybersecurity at the State University of New York at Albany (USA). He holds a PhD in Computer Science, an MBA in Management, and an MS in IT Security.  He is the Founder and Director of the HackIoT & PCCRT Research Lab and the visionary behind the Global CyberTech Exchange—a nonprofit initiative advancing cybersecurity capacity and leadership through global academic-industry collaboration.  

Dr. Yankson is an accomplished international scholar with research and academic experience across the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. His research and advisory work center on cybersecurity risk and compliance, privacy and security of small-scale IoT systems, emerging technology security, digital forensics, and cybercrime —core priorities for C-suite leaders navigating digital transformation, regulatory pressure, and third-party risk. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and conferences, contributing globally to the advancement of cybersecurity governance and regulatory innovation.  He has served as a co-investigator on the Department of Defense-funded multi-university Virtual Institute of Cyber Operations, with a portfolio of grants and contracts totaling more than two million dollars.  He is also a recognized media contributor, offering expert commentary on cybersecurity threats, regulatory innovation, and digital resilience strategy through platforms such as ABC News 10, Spectrum News 1, RGB News 6, and WAMP Radio.

Before joining academia, Dr. Yankson spent over 15 years in the Information Technology and Cybersecurity industry and held various technical and leadership roles, including serving as an Application Security Manager for Critical Care Information System (CCIS), I.T. Operations Manager, Help Desk Incident Manager, Systems Specialist, Technical Coordinator, Technical Lead, and Senior Security Consultant. His field experiences greatly inform his research and experiential learning focus teaching style in the classroom.

Dr. Yankson is involved in several initiatives on campus, including supporting DEI initiatives for underrepresented groups in Cybersecurity, serving as Chair of the Council Academic Assessment (2021-2023), Member of the Senate Executive Committee (2022-2023), and Senator (2022-2023). He seeks to mentor and is actively engaged in programs to improve access for minority populations in Cybersecurity.