Altrin Elmazi

About Altrin

I am a Resident in Practice at the University of New Haven, where I teach graduate courses in the Cybersecurity Graduate Program. I bring over two decades of experience in Information Security, Risk Management (GRC), and IT Leadership across government, financial services, and higher education and retail.

I currently serve as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Connecticut Department of Labor, where I lead enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy, governance, and risk management initiatives. My work includes building programs aligned with NIST, ISO, HIPAA, PCI, and federal compliance requirements, while also driving modernization in security operations, cloud adoption, and data protection.

In addition to my government experience, I have held technology and cybersecurity leadership roles in the private sector, including financial institutions and consulting. I have also taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in cybersecurity and information technology at several institutions across Connecticut.

My teaching philosophy is to bridge the gap between theory and practice while fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. By bringing real-world case studies, federal security frameworks, and my hands-on experience as a CISO into the classroom, I encourage students to think creatively, take initiative, and approach cybersecurity challenges as opportunities for innovation and leadership.