As the year comes to a close, we recap and celebrate the winners from our recent Global Achievement Awards, and encourage you to nominate deserving cybersecurity professionals for 2024.

ISC2 Rising Star Professional Awards

These awards recognize the accomplishments and contributions of up-and-coming professionals who have made a significant impact in the cybersecurity industry early in their career.

Americas: Christopher Villas, CISSP

Christopher is a Program Manager at CISA. He is being recognized for his leadership and management of the Protective DHS Resolver Service project, and significantly enhancing CISA's impact on the federal government’s expansive enterprise system. His exemplary guidance on the Protective DNS service, amid swift adoption by U.S. government agencies, sets a valuable roadmap for future cybersecurity solutions.

Asia-Pacific: Yi Zhe “Ethan” Seow

Ethan is a TEDx and Black Hat Asia Speaker, educator, culture hacker and entrepreneur, known for his contributions to Singapore’s cybersecurity ecosystem and making the industry more accessible to everyone. In only his second year in the cybersecurity industry, he has helped more than 40 students from the Center for Cybersecurity to enter the profession. He continues to provide tremendous value by creating a curriculum for management and leadership to provide more engaging and accessible learning in cybersecurity.

Kwadjo Nyante, CISSP

Kwadjo is a CISO at Aignostics GmbH. He is being recognized for giving back to the community through his education efforts. He has delivered pro bono conference presentations and conducted notable research in blockchain and cryptography. He also motivates and mentors young individuals to pursue careers in information security through coaching, public speaking and DEI initiatives.

ISC2 Mid-Career Professional Awards

These awards recognize individuals at the mid-career stage who have demonstrated commitment and achievement in their profession.

Americas: Isaac "Jay" James, CISSP

Jay is a Cyber Security Operations Lead at Auburn University. He earned this recognition through his commitment to higher education, diversity, advocacy and nurturing industry newcomers, evident through his exceptional mentorship within the cybersecurity team and Security Operations Center, leaving a profound impact on Auburn University, the Auburn-Opelika community and countless students.

Asia-Pacific: Ming-Chang “Bright” Wu

Bright is anExecutive Director at Aon Taiwan. We honor him for his role as an external reviewer for new cybersecurity standards for Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and for his innovative approach to integrating cybersecurity into governance by instructing board members as requested by the Taiwan Corporate Governance Association.

ISC2 Government Professional Awards

We recognize government information security leaders that have demonstrated a commitment to excellence. Their initiatives have contributed to improving government information security and advancing the workforce.

Americas: Jared P. Quinn, CISSP, CC

Jared isa Senior Leader in Cybersecurity Operations at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). His work introducing the Bureau's first Enterprise Cybersecurity External Support policy, which greatly reduced single-point-of-failure concerns. He also established the Bureau's inaugural Joint Cybersecurity Operations program, facilitating mission-critical cyber threat intelligence sharing across the public and private sectors more effectively.

Asia-Pacific: Henry Tan, CISSP

Henry is aDeputy Director at Cybersecurity Engineering Centre. We celebrate him for his commitment to bolstering national cybersecurity, particularly within government systems. His efforts contributed to positioning Singapore on the global stage through various cybersecurity testing and certification endeavors, contributing to a safer digital world for all.

ISC2 Senior Professional Awards

These awards recognize individuals who have significantly contributed to the cybersecurity workforce by demonstrating a leadership role in their profession. This award is bestowed upon a senior professional with at least 10 years of work experience directly related to cybersecurity.

Americas: Brian Gorenc, CISSP, CSSLP

Brianis a Vice President of Threat Research at Trend Micro. He is being honored for his decade-long leadership of the Zero Day Initiative, which has led to the disclosure of 11,000 vulnerabilities. His leadership has resulted in significant improvements in its efficacy and impact, and his contributions to industry conferences and events have helped to inspire the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Asia-Pacific: Raul Paolo Miranda, CISSP

Paolois aCertified Instructor and Associate Trainer at NTUC LearningHub. He has demonstrated exemplary leadership, unwavering commitment and significant contributions to advancing the local cybersecurity community through his role as an ISC2 Singapore Chapter ExCo Leader and Vice President. His sharp focus, unshakable commitment and dedication to advancing the cybersecurity profession has helped others to be successful in their journey of growth and success in cybersecurity.

EMEA: Andres Constantinides, CISSP

Andres is a Manager of Professional Services at Odyssey Cybersecurity. We celebrate his unwavering commitment to sharing cybersecurity knowledge through social media and top-rated Udemy courses, as well as providing impactful contributions to his company's product portfolio. Through his diligent work ethic, innovative thinking , and collaborative approach, he constantly works to grow others and offer his experience to the rest of the world.