PALM HARBOR, Fla., U.S.A. – (ISC)2 (‘ISC-squared’), the largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information security professionals and administrators of the CISSP, today announced the finalists for its 9th annual U.S. Government Information Security Leadership Awards (GISLA) program.

Sponsored by (ISC)2’s U.S. Government Advisory Board for Cyber Security (GABCS), the GISLA program was established in 2004 to spotlight federal information security leaders who are modeling excellence and achieving clear results as they help to build a more secure federal IT infrastructure and a highly qualified and ethical information security workforce. Awards are given to individuals or teams in five categories.

‘The GISLA program provides a unique opportunity to showcase the talent, creativity, and commitment that these information security professionals demonstrate every day to continually improve the security posture of government infrastructure, networks, and data,’ said W. Hord Tipton, CISSP-ISSEP, CAP, CISA, executive director of (ISC)2 and former CIO of the U.S. Department of the Interior. ‘We are proud to be able to recognize these leaders, whether they’re on the front lines or in the executive suite, and give them the high-profile credit they’re due for making a difference in the lives of their colleagues and the American public.’

The 2012 GISLA finalists are as follows:

Category: Community Awareness

Nancy Hendricks, CISSP, information systems security specialist, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration

Initiative: U.S. FAA Cyber Security Awareness and Training Program

Craig McComb, GS-15/deputy CIO, 88th Communications Group, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force

Initiative: Wright Patterson AFB Cyber Security Working Group

Christopher Douglas, CISSP, branch chief, Information Systems Security Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

Initiative: USDA-FSIS Computer Security Awareness and Training

Category: Federal Contractor

David Rohret, CEH, Security+, CHFI, ECSA/LPT, CNDA, senior principal systems engineer, CSC

Initiative: Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) Adaptive Red Team at U.S. Department of Defense

Michael Worden, CISSP-ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP, CEH, senior principal systems security engineer, Raytheon Company

Initiative: Global Positioning System Operational Control Segment (GPS OCX)

Gary Gagnon, senior vice president and deputy general manager of CIIS and chief security officer, MITRE Corporation

Initiative: The Mitre Corporation’s Initiative-‘Making Security Measurable’

Category: Process/Policy Improvement

Janet Stevens, PMP, chief information officer, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

Initiative: FSIS Information Assurance

Major John McLain, CISSP, network operations chief, Directorate of Information Management, U.S. Army Reserve Theater Support Group (USAR TSG), U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC)

Initiative: Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process

M. Sgt. Robert Dahl, CISSP, information assurance manager, Special Operations Command Central, U.S. Air Force

Initiative: Significant IA improvements within Special Operations Command Central

Category: Technology Improvement

Steven Martin, CISM, information assurance manager, U.S. Air Force

Initiative: Military Satellite Communications Systems HBSS Pilot Integration

Vance Middleton, information technology specialist, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Initiative: Security for IRS Customer Account Data Engine 2 (CADE 2)

Kevin Charest, CISSP, MBA, PMP, CSIRC, cyber security program manager, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Project: HHS Cybersecurity Program

Category: Workforce Improvement

Colonel John Diaz, CISSP, CRISC, professional engineer and commander, U.S. Army Reserve Information Operations Command

Project: Cyber Warrior Training at the United States Army Reserves

Dr. Harold Arata III, associate director of the U.S. Air Force Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence, U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology

Project: U.S. Air Force Advanced Cyber Education (ACE)

Each year, a judging committee of senior information security experts from (ISC)-2’s GABCS and industry reviews the nominees and recommends finalists based upon selection criteria and eligibility requirements. (ISC)-2 officials and sponsor Raytheon will announce and honor the 2012 GISLA recipients on October 16, 2012 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. Mark Weatherford, deputy under secretary for cyber security, Department of Homeland Security, National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech [1].