Center for Digital Government Recognizes Cybersecurity Leaders in Government, Education and Healthcare

The Center for Digital Government announced the winners of its sixth-annual Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Awards today.
The annual Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Awards program, underwritten by Intel Security, recognizes the cybersecurity-related contributions of state and local government, education and healthcare organizations and leaders. Winners are evaluated on creativity and leadership, the utilization of technology to achieve results, and the impact of those efforts on state and local government, education and healthcare organizations.
“Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern for all types of organizations, and that makes it more important than ever to recognize those who have made keeping critical systems secure a top priority,” said Todd Sander, executive director of the Center for Digital Government. “The winners have demonstrated commitment and dedication to doing the hard work necessary to ensure government, education and healthcare systems are available, reliable and trustworthy. Congratulations to all!”
Awards were announced in the following categories: state, county, city, education and leadership. Top honors were awarded to entrants who have developed effective programs to safeguard systems and data.
The 2016 Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Award Winners include:
State Government Category:Indiana Information Sharing and Analysis Center
Indiana’s multi-agency initiative reduces the overall cost of cybersecurity through centralization and collaboration across state government and education. For example, through an innovative arrangement, Purdue University students are trained at the Security Operations Center, providing them hands-on job experience using cutting-edge technology tools.
County Government Category:Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Information Security Office
Cook County developed an information-sharing threat intelligence platform focused on smaller jurisdictions in the counties that have fewer resources. The county’s work formalizes cyber law and policy by championing ordinance adoption.
City Government Category:Louisville Metro Government Cybersecurity
Louisville secured $1.2M in special funding to implement a cybersecurity program mapped directly to Mayor Fischer’s strategic priorities.
Education Category:Broken Arrow Public Schools, Oklahoma
Broken Arrow Public Schools has a challenging technology environment, with 20,000 students, 2,200 staff, 34 district buildings and 5,000 Chromebooks operating in the cloud. Security measures include logging, auditing, GPS tracking, threat detection and mitigation, and alerts to students about potentially unsafe sites.
Leadership/Innovators — Healthcare Category:Dr. Shafiq Rab, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Hackensack University Medical Center
Dr. Rab, both a medical doctor and CIO, has been at the helm of hospital and health systems for more than a decade, improving security while elevating the level of patient care. For example, doctors, nurses and clinicians can securely collaborate on patient diagnosis and treatment while in full compliance with HIPPA.
Leadership/Innovators — Local Government Category:Dr. Robert Pittman, Chief Information Security Officer, Los Angeles County
Dr. Pittman has provided program development and administrative leadership in the nation’s largest county for nearly two decades. The cybersecurity program he leads includes collaboration with law enforcement partners across all levels of government and an annual awards program.
Leadership/Innovators — State Government Category: Mike Watson, Chief Information Security Officer, Commonwealth of Virginia
Mike Watson’s tenure, serving under three different governors, demonstrates his ability and effectiveness. Current Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has made cybersecurity a focal point of his chairmanship of the National Governors Association, and Watson is looked to as a key advisor.
Leadership/Innovators — Critical Infrastructure Category: Arthur House, Chairman, Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
Arthur House worked with Connecticut’s electricity, gas and water utilities to draw up and implement a cybersecurity strategy announced by Gov. Malloy in 2014. House then worked with other states and the National Association of Regulators of Utility Companies to share the Connecticut strategy.
The Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Awards will be presented at the FOCUS 16 Security Conference in Las Vegas next week.
See more information about the awards.
About the Center for Digital Government
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of e.Republic, the nation’s only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.