IT security group honors three feds

Three federal officials were recognized for their contributions to government information technology security by (ISC)2 at its fourth annual Government Information Security Leadership Awards given Oct. 3.There were three categories of awards: senior IT security manager, senior non-IT security manager and nonmanagerial IT security professional.“We’ve recognized and celebrated those leaders in the IT security community who have made a very positive impact not only on our business and professional success, but also on our safety and our national security,” said Lynn McNulty, government affairs director at (ISC)2.The winner of the senior IT security manager award was George Bieber, deputy director of the Defense Department’s Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program. Bieber was recognized for leading efforts for information assurance training and certification.“Without the people behind me in DOD, none of this could happen,” he said.The senior non-it security manager award went to John “Jack” Stoute, acting chief information officer and director of business technology optimization at the Health and Human Services Department’s Program Support Center.Dana Gordon Murray, chief information security officer at HHS, said Stoute “improved the skills and competency of the IT workforce” at the agency.“I’m speaking to the choir. I don’t usually speak to the choir,” Stoute said. “But it’s important for us who don’t usually speak to the choir to continue [the message that] IT security will only continue to get more important.”Cheri Gatland-Lightner, project manager at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Chief Information Security Office, won the award for nonmanagerial IT security professional. Gatland-Lighter's colleagues praised her ability to emphasize to agency workers the need for IT security and to lead agency efforts to improve Federal Information Security Management Act scores.