Erik Avakian
Global cybersecurity thought leader, former state CISO, media contributor, public speaker, songwriter and recording artist
Cybersecurity BIO
About Erik Avakian, Cybersecurity Executive
Erik Avakian is a global cybersecurity thought leader and executive. He is currently a Technical Counselor with Info-Tech Research Group and the former state Chief Information Security Officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Erik is a regular media contributor on enterprise cybersecurity strategy and AI security and has over 30 years enterprise level leadership experience in cybersecurity program management, strategy, service delivery and program execution and spent 18 years in the public sector. In his 12 1/2-year tenure in the Pennsylvania state CISO role, Erik amassed a wide range of practical cybersecurity leadership experience and spearheaded numerous successful enterprise initiatives and shared services.
Erik’s accomplishments and contributions to the security profession have been nationally recognized. In 2015, Erik was named by Govtech as one of the top 10 Influencers in Government. Erik received a Top 50 in Cybersecurity from StateScoop in 2018 and was named a Top 25 Doer, Dreamer & Driver from GovTech in 2019. During his public sector tenure, Erik served on the MS-ISAC Executive Committee for 8 years and was chair the CISA SLTTGCC where he assisted with developing the nationwide strategic approach for cybersecurity for the state and local government sector.
He is a media analyst and contributor, frequent public speaker, and is a published author. Erik holds numerous industry certifications including CISSP, CISM, CISA, and CRISC, is a Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) and is ITIL v3 certified.
Music BIO
About Erik Avakian, Professional Musician / Recording Artist
Erik Avakian is an established ASCAP singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and recording engineer and former and founding member of the rock band Fuel. The band was formed in 1993 by guitarist-songwriter Carl Bell, vocalist Brett Scallions, drummer Jody Abbott, keyboardist Erik Avakian, and bassist Jeff Abercrombie. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Erik has toured the country with some of the most successful bands in the business. In the early part of his career, Erik was vocalist and keyboardist for the top New England touring band Sunshyne, which not only had a number one hit on Boston radio stations, but was composed of some of New England's most talented and successful players including Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and Mary J. Blige former drummer, Pookie Coles.
Erik's Fuel vocals and keyboard work are prominently featured and credited on many of the tracks from the pre-Fuel release Small the Joy up to and including Fuel's next two self-titled releases including the album Porcelain. Several audio Samples that feature Erik's work can be downloaded directly from Fuel's website. Erik.has collaborated and recorded keyboard tracks on several of Fuel's originals including the Top 10 Billboard hit song Shimmer.
A songwriter at heart, Erik has recorded lead vocal, background vocal, and keyboard tracks in recording studios throughout the country and has collaborated extensively with some of the most influential musicians of our era including Nicko McBrain, drummer for Iron Maiden. Erik has written and produced hundreds of songs and continues to write and record his own material in his professional recording studio.
