(ISC)² Announces Winners for its Sixth Annual Americas Information Security Leadership Awards

Jim Davis, Garfield cartoon creator, spoke at Americas ISLA Gala Dinner

Orlando, FL, September 14, 2016 — (ISC)²^® (“ISC-squared”) tonight announces the winners of its sixth annual Americas Information Security Leadership Awards (Americas ISLA^®).

Americas ISLA is part of (ISC)²’s Global Awards Program, which aims to recognize the achievements of outstanding cybersecurity professionals who have led a workforce improvement initiative, program or project. The program recognizes professionals who are leading initiatives that result in a more proficient, resilient information security workforce in Central, North and South America.

Recipients were announced during the sixth annual (ISC)² Security Congress on the evening of September 14, 2016. The awards gala was held at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Universal CityWalk in Orlando, Fla. Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, provided the keynote address to the finalists and guests. Garfield, the inconic cartoon cat featured in the Garfield & Friends series, is the spokescat for the Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s Safe and Secure Online program. Davis was also honored with the first ever Education Partnership Award by the Center, which is the charitable arm of (ISC)². The program aims to keep children, parents and seniors safe and secure online.

“We are excited to honor the Americas ISLA recipients once again this year,” says (ISC)² CEO David Shearer. “These professionals are advancing our industry and truly making a difference in the cyber world.” The 2016 Americas ISLA winners are as follows:

Senior Information Security Professional

Diego Andres Zuluaga Urrea, Information Security Officer, ISAGEN S.A. (Colombia)
Project: Colombian Energy Sector Cyber Security Improvement

Information Security Practitioner

Mack Bhatia, Senior Practice Director, Enterprise Integration (U.S.A.)
Project: Enterprise Integration – SOC 2 and SOC 3 Compliance

  Up-and-Coming Information Security Professional

Jennifer Chermoshnyuk, Paralegal, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (U.S.A.)
Project: Continuing Legal Education Program

Community Awareness

Sandra Toner, Sr. Technical Specialist, ICF International (U.S.A.)
Project: Online Cybersecurity Awareness Tools

The winners were chosen by a judging committee of eight members from the (ISC)² North American and Latin American Advisory Boards. A record number of nominations was received for the 2016 awards. For more information on the Americas ISLA program, please visit https://www.isc2.org/en/About/Award-Programs. 

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About (ISC)²^®

(ISC)² is an international nonprofit membership association best known for its award-winning Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP^®) certification, with additional certification and education programs that holistically address security. Our membership, 120,000 strong internationally, is made up of sought-after cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance this new industry. Our vision to inspire a safe and secure cyber world reaches the general public through a commitment to social responsibility via our charitable foundation – The Center for Cyber Safety and Education^TM. For more information on (ISC)², visit http://www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook. 

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Media Contact:
Kaity Eagle

Global Communications Specialist, (ISC)²

(813) 842-6626

keagle@isc2.org