Welcome to the Second Annual Cyber Policy Awards Presented by Microsoft

Thursday, February 6, 2025 | 6 pm to 10 pm ET at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

We’re excited to have you join us for today’s event!

Run of Show | Our Supporters | Meet the Finalists | Cyber Policy Awards Judges | Cyber Policy Awards Organizing Committee

Run of Show

6:00 Pre-event cocktail reception
7:00 Award ceremony and dinner
Presentation of Award: U.S. Domestic Policy Impact
Presented by Alexandra Seymour, Staff Director of the House Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection; and Brandon Pugh, Policy Director and Resident Senior Fellow at the R Street Institute
Presentation of Award: International Policy Impact
Presented by Adam Dobell, Director for Global Security and Technology Strategy at Venable LLP; and Megan Stifel, Chief Strategy Officer at the Institute for Security and Technology
Presentation of Award: International Partnership
Presented by Angelica Dortch, Vice President of Operational Risk & Cybersecurity Policy at the Independent Community Bankers of America; and Vince Voci, vice president of cyber policy and operations, Cyber, Space, and National Security Division, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Presentation of Award: Ecosystem Champion
Presented by Devin Lynch, Senior Director at the Paladin Global Institute; and Michele Guido, Strategic Security Policy Director at The Southern Company and McCrary Institute Senior Fellow
Presentation of Award: Research Impact
Presented by Sarah Powazek, Program Director of Public Interest Cybersecurity at the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity; and Steve Luczynski, retired Air Force Colonel, commercial jet pilot, and Aerospace Village Chairman of the Board
Presentation of Award: Excellence in Journalism
Presented by Tim Maurer, Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy at Microsoft; and Kat Megas, Program Manager for Internet-of-Things Cybersecurity, Privacy, and AI at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Presentation of Award: Lifetime Achievement
Presented by Suzanne Spaulding, former Undersecretary for Cyber and Infrastructure at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Chris Painter, former Principal Deputy Chief of the Justice Department’s computer crime section, former top U.S. cyber diplomat, and former President of the Global Forum for Cyber Expertise
9:00Concluding celebration
10:00Event concludes

Our Supporters

Thank you to our sponsors!

Presenting Partner

Platinum Level

Gold Level

Silver Level

Bronze Level

Meet the Finalists

The award for U.S. Domestic Policy Impact 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. In no particular order, the finalists are as follows:

  • CyberOhio for incentivizing voluntary adoption of cyber best practices
  • Lauren ZabierekJack Cable, and Bob Lord for making Secure by Design (SbD) a reality while at CISA, alongside Jim Richberg and Taylor Roberts on behalf of the IT Sector Coordinating Council’s SbD subcommittee for their efforts in advancing the private sector pledge
  • Elizabeth Cannon, Esq. for leadership in prohibiting the use of Kaspersky products in the United States
  • The National Security Council’s cyber directorate for advancing key cybersecurity policy initiatives involving software supply chain, consumer products, critical infrastructure, and incident coordination

The award for International Policy Impact 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. In no particular order, the finalists are as follows:

  • Minister Paula Bogantes for leadership in promoting cybersecurity in Costa Rica and on the global stage
  • Virtual Routes (previously known as The European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative and the European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator) for research and analysis on cyber conflict and building a European cyber policy network
  • Dr. Adam Segal for influencing the United States’ strategy on international cyberspace and digital policy
  • Nemanja Malisevic for creating and leading a coalition of industry and civil society groups to positively influence the cybercrime convention negotiations

New for this year, the award for International Partnership 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. In no particular order, the finalists are as follows:

  • Maksym Darkin for delivering cybersecurity assistance to Ukraine at historic scale
  • Organization of American States’ Inter-American Committee against Terrorism for its leadership in advancing cyberspace security in the Western Hemisphere
  • Common Good Cyber for pursuing sustainable funding mechanisms to foster a more secure and resilient global cyber ecosystem
  • The International Counter Ransomware Initiative leadership for shaping the collective international response to ransomware: Jamila Ade from Nigeria, Ambassador Regine Grienberger and Ambassador Maria Adebahr from Germany, Patrick Boucher from Canada, Hamish Hansford from Australia, David Koh from Singapore, Monika Korolioviene from Lithuania, Anne Neuberger from the United States, and Chloe Squires from the United Kingdom

The award for Ecosystem Champion 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. This newly scoped award combines last year’s award bearing this name with Philanthropy(ist) of the Year. In no particular order, the finalists are as follows:

  • Google.org for building a movement for community cyber defense through cybersecurity clinics
  • UAE Cyber Security Council for collaborating across borders for a safer digital world
  • J. Michael Daniel for building bridges to secure the future
  • Dr. David Mussington for spearheading CISA’s “Shield’s Ready” campaign and leadership amongst the interagency, industry, and allies in responding to the Volt Typhoon threat

New for this year, the award for Research Impact 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. 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. In no particular order, the finalists are as follows:

  • Sarah Freeman and Andrew Bochman for developing and institutionalizing consequence-driven cyber-informed engineering
  • Dr. Richard HarknettDr. Emily Goldman, and Dr. Michael Fischerkeller for their work on the “cyber persistent engagement” concept and its adoption
  • Dr. Fredrik Heiding for his research and engagement on AI-enhanced phishing
  • NIST’s Cryptographic Technology Group for research leading to post-quantum cryptographic standards: Dr. Dustin Moody, Dr. Angela Robinson, Andrew Regenscheid, Dr. Lily Chen, Ray Perlner, Dr. Daniel Tone-Smith, Dr. David Cooper, Hamilton Silberg, Noah Waller, Dr. Carl Miller, Dr. Yi-Kai Liu, Quynh Dang, and Dr. Gorjan Alagic

New for this year, the award for Excellence in Journalism 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. In no particular order, the finalists are as follows:

  • Journalist and author Kim Zetter
  • Tim Starks of CyberScoop
  • Sarah KrouseDustin VolzAruna ViswanathaRobert McMillan, and Drew FitzGerald of The Wall Street Journal
  • Recorded Future’s “Click Here” podcast team: Dina Temple-RastonSean PowersMegan Detrie, and Karen Duffin

New for this year, the award for Lifetime Achievement 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. The recipient’s duration of impactful service must equal or exceed 25 years.

  • The judges have selected an individual to receive the Lifetime Achievement award whose identity will be revealed during the ceremony. In accordance with the Cyber Policy Awards™ rules and selection procedures for this category, runners up will be held for future consideration and not publicly announced.

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
Public Company Board Member & Retired CISO 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

Cyber Policy Awards 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