(ISC)² recognizes and celebrates annual and lifetime achievements in the field of cybersecurity

(ISC)² announced the honorees of its 2021 (ISC)² Global Achievement Awards, which recognize and celebrate the most outstanding annual and lifetime achievements in the field of cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity professionals demonstrate resilience, agility and brilliance every day,” said Clar Rosso, CEO, (ISC)². “Whether they’ve been working in the industry for a lifetime or a couple years, we want to take the time to honor individuals for their commitment to the profession, the workforce and making the cyber world safer for all. We look forward to honoring this year’s Global Achievement Award recipients at our (ISC)² Security Congress in October.”

(ISC)² Global Achievement Awards

The Global Achievement Awards recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to cybersecurity and information security and who have made a difference in this ever-evolving industry, honoring tireless efforts and standards of excellence. Honorees were nominated by qualified colleagues, mentors and peers.

The (ISC)² Senior Professional Award recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the enhancement of the information security workforce by demonstrating a leadership role in an information security workforce improvement initiative, program or project:

• Americas: Marouane Balmakhtar, CISSP, principal technology strategist, T-Mobile, for his leadership on T-Mobile’s 5G Cybersecurity and Security Awareness initiative, which focuses on applying new and improved security practices to mitigate 5G network risks and extensive research on 5G architectural changes and subsequent attack vectors.
• Asia-Pacific: Dr. InJung Kim, senior researcher, The Affiliated Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), who created Korea’s cybersecurity technology roadmap, advancing its broader technological movement while keeping its critical assets secure.
• EMEA: Soney Paul Bahanan, information security manager, NMC Healthcare, for contributions to enabling the Abu Dhabi Health Information Cyber Security Standard within NMC Healthcare to uphold privacy and security, thus enhancing security and public trust.

The (ISC)² Mid-Career Professional Award recognizes an individual who is at the mid-career stage and has demonstrated commitment and achievement in managing or implementing a vital component of a cyber, information, software, infrastructure program/project:

• Americas: Diondria Holliman, CISSP, IT cybersecurity analyst, Medtronic, for her successful implementation of Medtronic’s USB Block program, which spans across 95,000+ employees located in 160+ countries worldwide, to prevent data exfiltration. In addition, as the pandemic spread, she was instrumental in orchestrating secure code signing of ventilator software to assist Medtronic’s efforts to open-source its ventilator design to speed up the production of the life-saving machinery.
• Asia-Pacific: Neha Malhotra, CISSP, CCSP, vice president, cybersecurity attack surface management, Credit Suisse, for her leadership executing a global initiative to optimize vulnerability management and secure configuration baseline standard violation processes. These initiatives impact the entire bank infrastructure, applications and thousands of employees, helping manage attack surfaces, reduce risks and manage KRIs, in addition to ensuring MAS 655 Notice compliance.

The (ISC)² Rising Star Professional Award recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of an up-and-coming professional who has made a significant impact in the information security industry early in their career.

• Americas: Kathryn M. Murphy, cybersecurity engineer, MSAG, for her instrumental role in the U.S. Department of Defense initiative, Comply to Connect (C2C), which ensures all devices attached to the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN) are identified, authenticated and controlled.
• EMEA: Alexander Kuehl, CISSP-ISSMP, CAP, SSCP, information security expert, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, for his success in selling a significant component of Kuehne + Nagel’s U.K. contract logistics portfolio to XPO Logistics.

The (ISC)² Government Professional Award

• Americas: Erica M. Mitchell, CISSP, critical infrastructure key resources team lead for the U.S. Army Cyber Institute, for the development of The Jack Voltaic Cyber Research Project, a bottom-up approach to critical infrastructure resilience. Cities and municipalities nationwide use the repeatable framework to prepare, prevent and respond to critical infrastructure cyberattacks. The findings and recommendations are shared with the military, federal agencies and policymakers to influence future legislation, policies and standards.
• Asia-Pacific: GP CAPT Amorn Chomchoey, CISSP, acting deputy secretary general, National Cyber Security Agency of Thailand, for his gamification approach to improving the security skillset of the Royal Thai Air Force and other defense services. The annual competition has grown from three teams in 2014 to over 60 teams from all Royal Thai Air Force units.
• EMEA: Angella Tugume, CISSP, risk analyst, National Information Technology Authority – Uganda, for her leadership implementing the National Information Security Framework across 20 government agencies, which involved conducting individual assessments, developing customized roadmaps for each to guide their operational implementations to achieve compliance, and organizing cybersecurity risk training sessions.

The (ISC)² F. Lynn McNulty Tribute Award recognizes an individual for their outstanding dedication, service and commitment to the government information security workforce or strengthening the country’s information resources and infrastructure security posture. This year’s recipient is Kelvin Coleman for his leadership in launching Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a joint effort by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security established in October 2004. Participation has grown annually to help citizens protect connected devices at home and work.

(ISC)² Board Awards

The Board Awards recognize outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of cybersecurity over the course of a career. The following award recipients were hand-selected by the (ISC)² Board of Directors.

The (ISC)² Harold F. Tipton Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest tribute bestowed in the information security industry, recognizing members for their lifelong contributions to the advancement of the industry and profession. This year’s recipient is Rich Owen, Jr., CISSP, CEO, Johnny Security Seed, LLC. As one of the early pioneers of the information security industry, Owen created numerous quality security programs and advised others on developing and improving their programs.

Owen built NASA’s Johnson Space Center security program from the ground up, which was one of the first programs to define security as protecting confidentiality, integrity and availability. He also pioneered the early use of risk-based decisions to protect information, for which he was recognized by the NASA Administrator.

The Fellow of (ISC)² Award was established to honor and distinguish an elite information security professional who has made outstanding contributions throughout their career to the information security profession. This year’s distinction is posthumously awarded to Dan Kaminsky, a top security researcher best known for discovering a fundamental flaw in the DNS system, earning him the title of “internet security savior” and “a digital Paul Revere.” Kaminsky was also recognized for holding himself and his teams to a high ethical standard, serving as a model for responsible vulnerability disclosure.

The (ISC)² Diversity Award honors individuals who represent the core values of (ISC)² through significant contributions in driving a more diverse workforce in the cybersecurity community. This year’s recipients are:

• Americas: Julian Waits, GM, cybersecurity, Devo Technologies, for his devotion to mentoring young minority cybersecurity professionals and supporting their career growth trajectory by providing free or heavily discounted training and certification opportunities, as well as more than 10 cash and training scholarships.
• Asia-Pacific: Neha Malhotra, CISSP, CCSP, vice president, cybersecurity attack surface management, Credit Suisse, for her advocacy work mentoring and serving as a career advisor for women in cybersecurity.

(ISC)² CEO Award

The (ISC)² CEO Award recognizes members who have significantly impacted the cybersecurity community by contributing to (ISC)² through dedicated and exceptional volunteer efforts. Nominations are made solely by (ISC)² Board members and executive staff.

The recipient of this year’s (ISC)² CEO Award is Meg West, CISSP, cybersecurity incident responder, IBM X-Force, for her dedication to empowering a more diverse set of candidates to pursue a career in cybersecurity and mentoring women and people of color through her social media platforms.

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education Awards

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education (Center), formerly (ISC)² Foundation, is a nonprofit charitable trust committed to making the cyber world a safer place for everyone. These awards honor organizations and individuals for their steadfast commitment to advancing The Center’s mission.

• The Center for Cyber Safety and Education Partner of the Year Award recognizes an organization whose employees/members donate their time, talent and treasure to support and advance the Center’s mission. The distinction is awarded to CAPA8 for the company’s leadership in translating the Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures program into Spanish.
• The Center for Cyber Safety and Education Julie Peeler Franz “Do It for The Children” Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the betterment of internet safety. This year’s distinction is awarded to Roela Santos of Virginia for her long-time support of Center programs and leadership in developing both the Raytheon and SAIC (formerly Engility) scholarships, which awarded $424,000 to 56 students over the past six years.

(ISC)² Chapter Recognition Awards

The Regional (ISC)² Chapter Recognition Awards are presented to an official chapter of (ISC)² within a specific region that best promotes the vision of (ISC)² by inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. The chapter must demonstrate a well-rounded offering of activities and services designed to benefit its members and affiliates, while making a significant contribution to the profession and local community. This year’s recipients in each region are:

• Asia-Pacific – Singapore Chapter – The chapter continues to gain notoriety by developing partnerships with local schools and organizations to conduct career talks and inspiring the next generation through its successful mentorship program. The chapter also renewed its partnership with the Association of Information Security Professionals, which will enable chapter members to network and collaborate professionally with other cybersecurity organizations.
• EMEA – Nigeria Chapter – As one of the most active chapters in EMEA, the chapter is committed to providing chapter members with continuous learning opportunities and resources to stay ahead of the curve and educate local community members on how to stay cyber safe. Its events include several panel discussions and a mini-series focused on Cyber Security Awareness Month titled “Do Your Part in the New Normal, be CyberSmart.”
• Latin America – Argentina Chapter – The chapter increased visibility by leveraging social media and facilitated membership growth following the success of CyberSec Talks, a regional virtual conference hosted by Argentina and five other LATAM chapters. More than 700 people from over 20 countries registered to attend the two-day event focused on connecting members, educating the public and inspiring future leaders.
• North America – Long Island New York Chapter – Since receiving its official charter in 2019, the chapter built a strong foundation that quickly adapted to the remote environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter hosted virtual meetings while growing attendance – providing both educational sessions and networking opportunities for members. The chapter built strong relationships with local companies and organizations, proving that even new chapters have the strength to inspire and connect the local community and inspire a safe and secure cyber world.