Alabama’s cybersecurity landscape spans government, healthcare, higher education, finance, and critical infrastructure. As these sectors modernize, security leaders protect core systems and guide organizations through rising operational and regulatory risks. Below are ten security executives worth watching for their influence, direction, and growing impact across the state.
Chad Smith — State of Alabama (CISO)
Leads cybersecurity for Alabama’s state government. His work focuses on statewide coordination, consistent tooling, and stronger incident readiness across public agencies.
Ryan Allen — UAB Health System (CISO)
Oversees cybersecurity for one of Alabama’s largest healthcare networks. He manages clinical system protection, patient data security, and advanced threat response.
Mark Davis — Regions Bank (CISO)
Heads enterprise security at one of the Southeast’s most important financial institutions. His focus areas include fraud defense, digital banking protection, and large scale threat operations.
Laura Jennings — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (CISO)
Leads information security for the state’s largest health insurance provider. She guides data governance, privacy programs, and platform resilience across millions of member records.
Eric Thompson — Alabama Power (CISO)
Directs cybersecurity for critical energy infrastructure. He supports operational technology security, grid reliability, and incident response across a statewide utility footprint.
Kendra Hall — Auburn University (CISO)
Oversees cybersecurity for a major research university. She manages research protection, campus network security, and compliance for federally funded programs.
James McMillan — Huntsville Hospital Health System (CISO)
Guides cyber operations for one of Alabama’s largest hospital networks. His priorities include medical device security, EHR protection, and rapid incident response.
Samantha Rhodes — City of Birmingham (CISO)
Leads cybersecurity for Alabama’s largest city government. She supports public safety systems, internal services, and modernization of legacy digital infrastructure.
Daniel Foster — University of South Alabama (CISO)
Manages security for a major academic and clinical environment. His role covers research security, clinical partner protection, and campus wide risk reduction.
Michael Grant — Redstone Arsenal Defense Contractors Consortium (Security Leader)
Supports cybersecurity across Huntsville’s defense and aerospace ecosystem. His work strengthens supply chain resilience and protects high value defense data.
Alabama’s cybersecurity sector continues to expand as digital systems take on larger roles in public and private services. These ten leaders shape how the state navigates new threats, reinforces resilience, and prepares for the next wave of risk. Following their work offers a clear view of where Alabama’s security priorities are heading and what strategies will influence the years ahead.