Honoring the Few Laborers

Four federal information security workers were honored on Wednesday with Government Information Security Leadership Awards. The annual awards program, which is run by consulting firm (ISC)2, recognize individuals who have significantly enhanced the information security workforce by demonstrating a leadership role in any information security workforce improvement initiative, program or project on either a government-wide or agency-specific basis.

Bruce McConnell, former chief of information policy and technology at the Office of Management and Budget and now a cybersecurity counselor at the Homeland Security Department, offered the keynote at the GISLA awards gala held in Arlington, Va. "The GISLA awards are a good part of recognizing the important people," he said on Friday. "I was talking to someone the other day who quoted from the gospel of Luke in saying, 'The harvest is plenty; the laborers few.' There's so much to do and so few qualified to do it, and everyone is feeling overstretched."

The program awarded an IT professional in each of the following categories:

Non-Managerial Information Security Professional

Bobby Akins, a 20-year-plus veteran of the U.S. Air Force, is currently a network integrator at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, where he has worked to bolster the mission critical systems he supports as well as ensure compliance with a Defense Department directive that requires all information security personnel at the department to obtain a professional certification. Under his leadership, his squadron increased its compliance with the directive from 13 percent to 87 percent, with the remaining personnel scheduled to take an exam for the Certified Information Security Specialist credential later this year.

Senior Non-Information Security Manager

Erin Finkes, director of workforce development at the Defense Contract Management Agency, has worked to ensure the continuity of IT mission and programs through the delivery of an outstanding IT security and training program. She has directly contributed to DCMA efforts to train, certify and manage its information assurance workforce.

Senior Information Security Manager

Stanley Joseph Jarzombek, Jr., director of software assurance of the National Cyber Security Division at the Homeland Security Department, organized and managed an outstanding software assurance forum for DHS, Defense and the National Institute for Standards and Technology. He also has improved software security processes at DHS through a multifaceted program that includes improved software development techniques, stronger acquisition practices and improvements in software security research and development.

Federal Contractor Information Security Professional

Margaret Spanninger, a senior associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, leads an effort to improve the skills of information security personnel for government clients. In one key engagement with the Veterans Affairs Department, she set up online awareness training and developed an innovative learning cube to assist students in focusing on key aspects of information security. As a result, more than 7,000 VA professionals, managers and executives were trained in information security best practices in a short period of time.