Prof. Muhammad Khurram Khan Honored with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in Cybersecurity
In a landmark recognition of his globally impactful career in cybersecurity, Prof. Muhammad Khurram Khan from the Center of Excellence in Information Assurance at King Saud University has been awarded the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award in Cybersecurity’. This distinguished accolade was presented to Prof. Khan at the Saudi Critical Infrastructure Security Summit (CyberForge), held from April 22–23, 2025, in Saudi Arabia. The award represents the highest level of recognition for a cybersecurity professional in acknowledgment of their groundbreaking research, visionary leadership, and exceptional contributions to advancing the field, both nationally and internationally.
With over 20 years of transformative contributions to cybersecurity, Prof. Khan has emerged as a global leader in education, research, policy development, and innovation. Ranked among the leading cybersecurity scientists, with over 35,000 citations (Google Scholar) and an h-index of 99, he has authored more than 500 high-impact publications and holds 10 granted U.S. patents in key areas such as smart systems security, AI in cybersecurity, IoT security, vehicular and automotive cybersecurity, digital authentication, etc.
Prof. Khan has also played a pivotal role in shaping global cybersecurity policy, particularly through his involvement in the G20 Digital Economy Task Forces during Saudi Arabia's (2020) and Italy's (2021) presidencies. He has also co-developed several industrial standards in security and communication technologies. He has also provided consultancy to local and international cybersecurity startups and business organizations to scale up their research and innovation. His remarkable achievements are further reflected in numerous accolades, including Excellence Awards, Best Paper Awards, and international innovation medals, underscoring his profound impact on cybersecurity and national resilience.
His editorial leadership spans over a dozen top-tier journals and transactions of IEEE (e.g. IEEE COMST, TIFS, TIV, TNSE, IOTJ, TMC, COMML, etc.), Springer, and Elsevier, including serving as Editor-in-Chief of SCI-E indexed journal ‘Telecommunication Systems’ by Springer-Nature since 2014. He has also been a key figure in cybersecurity education reform across Saudi universities, reviewing academic programs to align with Vision 2030. These accomplishments collectively reflect his unwavering commitment to advancing global cybersecurity and enhancing Saudi Arabia’s position as a Tier-1 nation in cybersecurity, as recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations.
In sum, Prof. Khan’s work has catalyzed Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity research and innovation ecosystem, mentored the next generation of researchers, and driven innovations that continue to shape global cybersecurity standards and bolster national resilience.
It is to note that this ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ celebrates a visionary whose contributions have fortified digital trust, security, and sovereignty across borders and generations.
