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The Third Annual Cyber Policy Awards: Celebrating Cybersecurity Excellence

On January 8, 2026, the Institute for Security and Technology proudly announced the 23 finalists vying for The Cyber Policy Award of Merit at the upcoming third annual Cyber Policy Awards™ gala. This prestigious event will take place on February 5, 2026, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, showcasing excellence in cybersecurity policy, leadership, diplomacy, research, and journalism.

The Cyber Policy Awards are widely regarded as the premier gathering of the U.S. cyber policy community, drawing in key international partners to celebrate individuals and organizations that have made significant strides in enhancing cybersecurity over the past year. The announcement of this year’s finalists follows an open nomination period where a diverse group of stakeholders was invited to nominate those who made impactful contributions in 2025. A distinguished panel of judges, selected from various sectors of the cyber community, meticulously reviewed the 85 submissions before finalizing the contentious list of nominees.

Steve Kelly, the chairman of the organizing committee, highlighted the collaborative nature of these awards: "The Cyber Policy Awards belong to the entire community. With open nominations and transparent procedures, this is genuinely a celebration of excellence by and for those committed to enhancing the security and resilience of cyberspace." This statement reinforces the awards' focus on community involvement and recognition of diverse accomplishments.

Finalists Categories

1. U.S. Domestic Policy Impact

• - Colin Ahern: Recognized for his thorough efforts in protecting critical infrastructure in New York State.
• - Alexandra Seymour and Emily Park: Awarded for their bipartisan efforts to push reauthorization of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 in Congress.
• - Michael Geraghty: Acknowledged for transforming New Jersey’s cybersecurity landscape, resulting in notable economic and security improvements.

2. International Policy Impact

• - Australian Signals Directorate and Cyber Security Centre: Honored for shifting the conversation around critical infrastructure resilience into a global imperative.
• - Will Mayes and colleagues: Recognized for establishing the Cyber Monitoring Centre, an initiative aimed at improving measurement and categorization of cyber incidents.
• - Mark Montgomery: Celebrated for his leadership in the cyber domain, from the conflict zones of Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific region.

3. International Partnership

• - Digi Americas Alliance: Acknowledged for their legislative collaborations that shape Brazil’s cybersecurity and AI governance framework.
• - The Global Forum for Cyber Expertise (GFCE): Lauded for uniting global stakeholders to effectively build cyber capacity.
• - The Cyber Defense Assistance Collaborative: Commended for enhancing assistance to Ukraine through innovative private sector engagement.

4. Ecosystem Champion

• - Philip Reitinger: Recognized for leading the charge in enhancing non-profit ecosystems in cybersecurity.
• - Building Cybersecurity: Awarded for their commitment to improving human safety within the connected built environment.
• - United States Navy's Chief Technology Office: Acknowledged for pioneering the implementation of zero trust architecture and operational resilience across the Navy.

5. Research Impact

• - Dr. Fred Heiding and colleagues: For creating the Cybersecurity Strategy Scorecard, guiding nations towards better cyber policies.
• - Wenyi Morty Zhang and team: Celebrated for their critical research highlighting vulnerabilities in GEO satellite links.

6. Excellence in Journalism

• - Dina Temple-Raston et al.: Recognized for their investigative coverage on North Korea's hacker army.
• - Jenna McLaughlin: Acknowledged for her in-depth reporting on cybersecurity issues surrounding unauthorized data access in government agencies.

The gala will also feature the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement award, recognizing individuals who have made lasting contributions to the field of cybersecurity.

For more information about the finalists or to request an invitation to the Cyber Policy Awards gala, interested parties can visit CyberPolicyAwards.org.

Sponsorship

The event will be supported by prominent sponsors, including Microsoft, Forescout, and AWS, who play crucial roles in advancing cybersecurity efforts worldwide.

About IST

The Institute for Security and Technology (IST) operates as a 501(c)(3) action-focused think tank, bringing together leaders in technology and policy to tackle significant security challenges. With initiatives since its foundation in 2019, IST focuses on areas such as ransomware, critical infrastructure resilience, and integrating AI in security frameworks.

For further insights into their work, visitors can explore Security and Technology.org.