(ISC)² has selected Professor Howard Schmidt, executive director of SAFECode and former White House cybersecurity coordinator, as the recipient of the 2016 (ISC)² Harold F. Tipton Lifetime Achievement Award.
The group also has selected Daniel Ryan, attorney at law, as the recipient of the 2016 (ISC)² James R. Wade Service Award, which recognizes (ISC)2 members whose volunteer efforts have made a sustained and valuable contribution to the organization. The award’s namesake was instrumental in shaping (ISC)² through his active and tireless volunteerism.
The annual (ISC)² Harold F. Tipton Award recognizes an individual’s lifelong contributions to the improvement of the information security profession. The award’s namesake, Harold “Hal” F. Tipton, is often referred to as “the grandfather” of the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). His work with (ISC)² as its past president, chief instructor and ambassador was integral to the formation of (ISC)² and the information security profession.
Schmidt was honored for his efforts to advance the information security profession through his many volunteer roles. His career in information security has spanned over 30 years, and he has served on numerous boards throughout his career, and held high-ranking positions when he was employed by eBay, Microsoft, the Executive Office of the President of the United States, and others. He is a professor of practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GTISC), professor of research at Idaho State University, adjunct distinguished fellow with Carnegie Mellon's CyLab, and a distinguished fellow with the Ponemon Institute. Schmidt holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP®) designations, and is a former member of the (ISC)² Board of Directors. He has also written several books on cybersecurity.
“Professor Schmidt is one of the most recognized and respected information security luminaries in the world,” said Freddy Tan, chair, (ISC)² Board of Directors Award Committee. “He’s a true visionary thinker, and has served in numerous high profile roles throughout his career, including as special assistant to President Obama from 2009-2012. One of Professor Schmidt's leading policy objectives was the development of the ‘National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace’ while he was the cybersecurity coordinator for the Obama Administration.”
Meanwhile, Ryan was selected to receive the 2016 James R. Wade Service Award because of his efforts as a volunteer legal counsel for the (ISC)² Board of Directors. He has been involved with (ISC)² as a volunteer since 2007, providing legal advice over the years. His career in information security has spanned over 25 years. Previously, he was a professor at the National Defense University, corporate vice president for SAIC, executive assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence at the US Central Intelligence Agency, and director of information security for the US Department of Defense. Mr. Ryan also holds the Fellow of (ISC)² and Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFP) certification.
“Dan has been a key pillar of the (ISC)2 Board of Directors, giving legal advice and guidance to both the members of the board and committee chairs,” said Tan. “He has also been a great mentor during the on-boarding of the current (ISC)2 general counsel since he was first hired in 2013. Dan’s guidance helped to support the organization tremendously as it grew and transformed over the last decade, which is why he was a natural choice for the James R. Wade Award.”