Chris Beal

Chris Beal has worked as a cybersecurity professional for over 20 years. Over that time, he has observed that a healthy cybersecurity posture is something that emerges out of doing foundational things well. He strives to create a positive culture around cybersecurity and to make cybersecurity something that enables organizations to achieve greater success.

Chris joined MCNC in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Enterprise IT and Cybersecurity Initiatives and Chief Information Security Officer. In this role, Chris leads efforts to keep MCNC protected from cyber threats. He also leads Vital Cyber, MCNC’s cybersecurity services line of business that is making world-class cybersecurity protections affordable and accessible to the MCNC community.

Chris graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and holds several industry certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC). Chris was named “CISO of the Year” in 2021 by the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTECH).