NEBRC Board Member Professor Babak Akhgar has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honour, the second highest order of the British Empire award.
The Professor of Informatics and Security Research at Sheffield Hallam University received the OBE in recognition of his services to security research.
Professor Akhgar is a globally recognised leader in his field, his research and work over the years contributing to better online safety and helping to tackle organised crime, child sexual exploitation and terrorism.
The Professor is also the founder and director of the Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC) at Sheffield Hallam University. CENTRIC has helped bring together researchers, law enforcement agencies, policy makers and the public to bridge the gap between academic research and operational reality. Partnerships have included working alongside Europol and other global agencies,leading to significant advances in tackling cyber and cryptocurrency crime.
Professor Akhgar is also a member of the Academic Advisory Board of SAS UK, Board member of ECTEG (European CyberCrime Training and Education Group), Board member of European Organisation for Security (EOS) and member of Europol External Advisory Board on data protection.
Babak has been a NEBRC Board member since its foundation in 2019 providing oversightand direction in the bid to support businesses across the region in both public and private sectors develop approaches to help prevent cyber crime and fraud.
NEBRC Director Supt Rebecca Chapman said: “Babak’s knowledge of global and domestic cyber security is second to none and we are extremely lucky to have him as a Board Member. Having worked with Babak I know this OBE is richly deserved and we are delighted that the issue of cyber security and those who work so hard behind the scenes is being recognised at the highest level.”