Bethesda, MD, October 2, 2018 – SANS Institute, the global leader in cyber security training, today announced that the call for nominations for the sixth annual SANS Difference Makers Awards is now open. Individuals, teams, and groups from within the cybersecurity community are invited to submit nominations detailing their successful implementation of security processes or technology in 2018 that resulted in meaningful and measurable advances in security.

According to John Pescatore, SANS Director of Emerging Security Trends, “Last years nomination submissions showcased some interesting trends in cyber security and some remarkable achievements. Included among the achievements recognized were more innovative methods to increase the cyber security talent pool and creative, lower cost ways of finding and fixing vulnerabilities. We can’t wait to see what remarkable developments were achieved this year.”

The SANS Difference Makers Awards were created to honor security professional that are quietly succeeding and making breakthroughs in advancing security. By raising awareness of what works, SANS hopes to help others achieve similar cyber security success.

Applications will be accepted now through October 16, 2018. Nominations will be evaluated by a team from SANS, security industry analysts and thought leaders. The award categories include, but are not limited to, the following.

• Enhancing the Security Workforce
• Implementing the Critical Security Controls
• Meaningful Security Metrics
• Mitigating Advanced Threats
• Securing the Human
• Vertical Industry Difference Makers: ICS, Healthcare, Government, etc.

Winners will be honored at the SANS Cyber Defense Initiative 2018 training event in Washington D.C. in December. For additional details on the SANS Difference Makers Awards, including the nomination criteria and how to submit nominations, please visit:
https://www.sans.org/cyber-innovation-awards