The Institute for Security and Technology (IST), in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce The Second Annual Cyber Policy Awards presented by Microsoft—a gathering of the U.S. cyber policy community, alongside key foreign partners, to honor and celebrate those who drove significant progress in the past year and to look ahead with resolve to confront challenges to come.
When
Thursday, February 6, 2025
6:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
Attire: Black tie optional
Where
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1615 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20062
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Support
The Second Annual Cyber Policy Awards is presented by Microsoft.
Special thanks to our event partner, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Interested in event sponsorship? Contact us.
Organizing Committee
Steve Kelly (chair)
Megan Stifel
Institute for Security and Technology
Vince Voci
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Ari Schwartz
Bri Law
Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law
Michael Daniel
Jeannette Jarvis
Cyber Threat Alliance
Kemba Walden
Paladin Global Institute
Chris Painter
The Global Forum on Cyber Expertise
Andy Ozment
Capital One
Iranga Kahangama
Meredith Burkart
Event concept
In its second year, the Cyber Policy Awards will take the form of a dinner gala with live entertainment. Esteemed members of the cyber policy community will introduce the nominees and present awards.
Announcements
January 9, 2025 | Announcing Finalists for the Second Annual Cyber Policy Awards™ presented by Microsoft
December 18, 2024 | IST Welcomes Microsoft as Presenting Partner for the Second Annual Cyber Policy Awards™
Award categories & nomination process
Thank you for submitting your nominations for the Second Annual Cyber Policy Awards to help us recognize and celebrate members of the cyber policy community who have shaped U.S. and international cyber policy landscape, forged international partnerships, championed the cyber ecosystem, contributed through research and journalism, and made an impact over the course of their careers.
The nomination period closed on Friday, December 13 at 11:59 pm PT.
README: Rules
- Definition. The term “cyber policy” shall be broadly defined as: “Governance efforts to advance for the common good any aspect of the global digital ecosystem, including but not limited to interoperability, access, trust, privacy, safety, security, stability, human rights, workforce, and the rule of law.” This may include thought leadership and action from individuals, academia, non-governmental organizations, technical standards bodies, industry specific fora, state or national governments, and formal or ad hoc international bodies.
- Time period. Except as otherwise set forth in the special criteria of a particular award category, nominations must have an articulated nexus to the calendar year (CY) in question. For the second annual event to be held on February 6, 2025, the performance period is CY 2024.
- Eligible recipients. The description for each award category may specify it as being intended for an individual recipient, a small group (defined herein as consisting of five or fewer named individuals), or an organization (which may involve a named subdivision of an organization). Where no such criterion is specified, nominations may involve any of the three recipient types. In all cases, submitters are encouraged to narrow a nomination to the key person, or people, who championed the celebrated achievement. Submissions must include details regarding each listed individual’s specific contribution. Judges have been instructed to favor individual and more tailored nominations over those involving larger groups or an organization.
- Qualifying nominators. Anyone may submit an award nomination; however, a proposed recipient may not self-nominate.
- Exclusions. Nominations involving persons or activities regulated under the United States Code that seek to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying), including equivalent state statutes and regulations, shall not be considered.
- Selections. Judges may select up to four finalists per award category. If an award category yields two or more finalists, they will be publicly announced in advance of the ceremony. Judges may decline to name finalists or a recipient for an award category if, in their view, no nominee warrants selection. Lifetime Achievement award finalists will be retained for future consideration, and therefore, will not be publicly announced.
U.S. Domestic Policy Impact
Description: This award recognizes those whose efforts have had significant impact on the U.S. domestic policy landscape, such as by materially influencing the community’s thinking and trajectory, overcoming a longstanding and intractable obstacle, or galvanizing broad stakeholder support to take some action.
International Policy Impact
Description: This award recognizes those whose efforts have had significant impact on the international policy landscape, such as a shift in international narratives, viewpoints, or prioritization; the emergence of international consensus or an agreement; or resulting in collective action when previously unlikely.
International Partnership
Description: This award recognizes those who have demonstrated a unique level of commitment to, or teamwork with, a foreign entity regarding a cyber-related foreign policy issue or a significant cybersecurity challenge.
Ecosystem Champion
Description: This award recognizes those whose tenacious efforts have led to broad structural and long-lasting positive impact on the cyber ecosystem through policy changes or by putting policy into action at scale; or those who enable the ecosystem-impacting work of academic institutions, think tanks, or other civil society organizations through significant financial or in-kind support.
Research Impact
Description: This award recognizes those whose research has led to a conclusion, discovery, concept, tool, approach, or proposal that can be shown to have advanced or made a substantial contribution to domestic or international cyber policy.
Special Criteria: Individual or small group award. Research must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal or otherwise subjected to a credible organizational-level pre-publication review process, and not individually self-published.
Excellence in Journalism
Description: This award recognizes journalists who positively contributed to their readership’s understanding of complex cyber policy issues by correctly detailing technical aspects, drawing complex connections with other relevant events and proceedings, fairly representing tradeoffs and divergent viewpoints, and accurately reflecting policy substance.
Special Criteria: Individual or small group award.
Lifetime Achievement
Description: This award recognizes those who had a sustained and significant impact on domestic or international cyber policy over the course of their career. Such impact might be evidenced by contributions on numerous issues, a long-term sustained effort on a single issue that eventually culminated in a watershed development, or a combination thereof. Recipients of this award will be listed as members of the Cyber Policy Awards’ Hall of Fame.
Special Criteria: Individual award; duration of impactful service must equal or exceed 25 years.
Judging panel and selection process
A group of esteemed individuals from across the cyber policy community have been empaneled as judges to review, rank, and select the finalist nominees and winner in each category.
Cyber Policy Awards Judges
Leonard Bailey
Federal Prosecutor/Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center and New York University Law School
Frank Cilluffo
Director of the McCrary Institute at Auburn University, former Cyberspace Solarium Commissioner, and former Special Assistant to President Bush for homeland security
Ann Cleaveland
Executive Director of the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at the University of California at Berkeley
Hon. Chris Inglis
Inaugural U.S. National Cyber Director and former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency
Hon. James Langevin
Retired member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Cyberspace Solarium Commissioner
Dr. James Lewis
Senior Vice President and Director for the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Chandra McMahon
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at CVS Health and member of the Aspen Institute U.S. Cybersecurity Group
Amb. Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar
Director of the Digital Society Institute at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin and former Estonian ambassador for cyber diplomacy
Award trophy
Recipients will receive the Cyber Policy Award of Merit, which features “The Atlas” statuette representing the ultimate symbol of strength and endurance. The Ancient Greek Titan Atlas bears the cosmos and turns the sky on his shoulders for eternity. Atlas’ burden represents the skill, strength, and commitment required to positively influence domestic and international cyber policy.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors!
Presenting Partner
Gold Level
Silver Level
Bronze Level
About the Inaugural Cyber Policy Awards
The Inaugural Cyber Policy Awards took place on April 26, 2024 in Washington, DC, presenting five recipients with the Cyber Policy Award of Merit before a full house of cybersecurity community leaders across the public sector, industry, and civil society.
The first edition of the new annual event was presented by the Institute for Security and Technology in partnership with the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law (CCPL). The recipients were selected by an independent panel of judges from among 43 total nominees, narrowed to four finalists in each category.
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