Cagil C. Albayrak
Program Director, MS in Cybersecurity
- Tel
- (831) 275-7985
- calbayrak@middlebury.edu
Cagil Albayrak has taught and researched topics in counterterrorism and foreign policy and is a subject matter expert in cybersecurity. Cagil cultivated his interest in international relations during multinational war games focused on the laws of armed conflict in San Remo, Italy, and his participation in NATO’s Partnership for Peace mission in the Balkans. Serving in the military and pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science further fueled Cagil’s interest in violent non-state actors, the politics and policies of terrorism designation, and the emerging threats to global security. His enthusiasm for cybersecurity was kindled during a graduate course on cyber threat intelligence and further solidified through a Security Operations Center analyst apprenticeship, where he gained practical, hands-on skills in cyber defense and blue teaming. Currently, as a cybersecurity and threat management specialist at IBM, Cagil is actively involved in consulting and empowering organizations to safeguard against malicious actors. Cagil finds joy in exploring languages and technology, harbors a deep passion for Mediterranean food and culture, and is passionately dedicated to upskilling students in Middlebury Institute’s online Master of Science program in Cybersecurity.
Areas of Interest
Cagil Albayrak has taught several courses in international relations, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, Middle Eastern politics, and authoritarianism. His published research involves topics such as religiously motivated terrorism and state sponsorship of terrorist groups. Cagil is interested in exploring non-state actors beyond terrorist groups, such as cyber mercenaries and state-sponsored cyber threat actors including advanced persistent threats (APTs). He is fascinated by the patterns of attribution and designation of malicious or violent actors. What motivates him in his research, teaching, and practice is securing those who are vulnerable against exploits - of any kind and building the next generation of cyber-skilled workforce.
Expertise: Cyber Security and Threat Management, Counterterrorism, International Relations, Foreign Policy
Languages: English, Turkish
Academic Degrees
Ph.D. candidate (ABD) in Political Science, University of Kansas
M.A. in Political Science, University of Kansas
B.Sci. in Systems Engineering, Army War College (TUR)