COLIN AHERN
Chief Cyber Officer, State of New York
Colin Ahern was appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul in June 2022 as New York’s first Chief Cyber Officer. In this role, he led the development of the state’s first ever cybersecurity strategy and leads cross-agency efforts to protect New York State from cyber threats. Prior to joining state service, Colin served as First Deputy Director of New York City Cyber Command and Acting Chief Information Security Officer of New York City. Colin worked in cybersecurity in financial services before joining New York City government.
Colin began his career in the Army, enlisting in the reserves after 9/11 and later served on active duty as an Army officer where he deployed twice to Afghanistan. He was promoted to multiple leadership roles and ended his Army career as a company commander in the Army Cyber Brigade, where he oversaw the creation of a specialized cyberspace operations organization. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Knowlton Award.
Colin has taught at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations. His academic and professional writing has been widely published, including by the Advanced Computing Systems Association and the Association for Computing Machinery. Colin received a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and a Master of Business Administration from the New York University Stern School of Business.
Colin lives with his wife and two children in Brooklyn.