Symantec Honors 2012 Cyber Award Winners

Awards Recognize Individuals Who Exemplify Excellence in Government Cyber Security

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced the 2012 Cyber Award winners, which recognize leaders who exemplify government cyber security excellence through their contributions to programs that protect national and global data and systems. The awards also recognize thought leaders who have developed and operationalized innovative strategies or programs to address government cybersecurity challenges.


Symantec along with its platinum partners - General Dynamics, HP and NetApp - will honor the Cyber Award winners at the 2012 Symantec Government Symposium. General Keith B. Alexander and Ted Koppel will keynote the event, scheduled for Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Now in its 10th year, the one-day annual Symantec Government Symposium invites the government IT security community to engage in peer-to-peer dialogue on the most pressing issues in today's information management and security arena.


"Each and every day, our public servants in government IT security and management play a critical role in securing our country's online information," said Gigi Schumm, vice president and general manager for Symantec Public Sector. "Symantec - along with our platinum sponsors General Dynamics, HP and NetApp - is honored to recognize leaders who constantly strive to raise the bar on cybersecurity, here in the U.S. and abroad."


The Symantec Government Symposium Advisory Group selected winners based on their strong leadership, innovative approaches and willingness to go "above and beyond" to make a difference in government cyber security. The awards recognize winners in five categories:

  • U.S. Congress/Capitol Hill
  • International - Civilian
  • National/Federal - Civilian
  • National/Federal - Defense
  • Regional/State and Local
  • Education

2012 Cyber Award Winners

  • U.S. Congress/Capitol Hill: Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), U.S. Senate
    Senator Carper serves on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management. He has led the charge for more than six years to reform the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and has always been a technology community ally. He is a primary advocate for moving government away from a paper-based audit system, to continuous network monitoring to mitigate cyber threats. He has also placed a focus on IT management, encouraging chief information officers and chief information security officers to have more control over technology budgets to ensure that agencies can - on an automated and continuous basis - detect, report and mitigate cyber incidents. The Cyber Awards recognize Senator Carper as one of today's leading cybersecurity advocates in the U.S. Senate.
  • International - Civilian: Cornelia Rogall-Grothe, (federal government commissioner for Information Technology and state secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior) for the Federal Republic of Germany
    State Secretary Rogall-Grothe is responsible for the strategic IT security guidelines in Germany's federal administration and is involved in all proposed legislation and other government projects significantly affecting IT in public administration. She heads the National Cyber Security Council that aims to enhance cyber security cooperation within the federal government and the public and the private sectors. Under State Secretary's Rogall-Grothe's leadership, in February 2011, Germany implemented a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, which includes establishing objectives and measures to protect critical infrastructure, control crime in cyberspace and coordinate cybersecurity efforts across borders. The Cyber Awards recognize State Secretary Rogall-Grothe for her leadership in moving the German government's cybersecurity initiatives forward.
  • National/Federal - Civilian: Rickey T. Branning, Manager, Information System Security, Computer Incident Response Team, U.S. Postal Service
    Branning manages the U.S. Postal Service Security Process Enhancement team that deployed data loss prevention (DLP) tools to monitor the daily design, analysis and debugging of its infrastructure to ensure sensitive information is not exposed or stored in inappropriate locations. Branning championed the acquisition and implementation of DLP for a network that is one of the largest in the world, supporting more than 600,000 employees and contractors, as well as more than 800 business and support services applications. He is highly respected within the Postal Service community for his communication, management and problem-solving skills, as well as his focus on the customer. The Cyber Awards recognize Branning for his continued efforts to seek opportunities to improve business processes, products and services.
  • National/Federal - Defense: Major General Suzanne M. Vautrinot, 24th Air Force
    Major General Vautrinot is the Commander for the 24th Air Force (24 AF); Air Forces Cyber (AFCYBER); and Air Force Network Operations, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. As Commander, 24 AF, she provides the Air Force with trained and ready cyber forces to conduct full spectrum operations. As the Commander of AFCYBER, she provides combatant commanders with trained and ready cyber forces which plan and conduct cyberspace operations worldwide 24/7, 365 days per year. In her role as Commander, Air Force Network Operations, she operates and defends the Air Force cyber enterprise. The Cyber Awards recognize Major General Vautrinot today as she continues to provide guidance and leadership to 3,500 active duty military personnel, 800 military civilians and 11,000 Air National Guard and Air Force reservists in three global operational cyber wings.
  • Regional/State and Local: Governor Rick Snyder, State of Michigan
    Rick Snyder was elected Governor of Michigan in January 2011, and in October of the same year he launched the Michigan Cyber Initiative, a focused action plan that that will help defend Michigan against cyber attacks and position the state to take advantage of opportunities in the growing cybersecurity industry. The initiative acknowledges the boundless benefits of the internet - including its ability to improve communication efficiency and empower business - but simultaneously identifies the growth and sophistication of internet-based attacks on personal safety and economic security. The Cyber Awards recognize Governor Snyder for leading Michigan to protect its critical systems and data and accelerate cybersecurity industry development and growth.
  • Education: Kristopher Cox, Chief Information Security Officer, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (JSRCC)/Virginia Community College System
    Through his leadership and direction, Cox blazed the path for JSRCC to host its first U.S. Cyber Challenge (USCC), which aims to significantly reduce the cyber workforce shortage by serving as the premier program to identify, attract, recruit and place the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Through his tireless efforts over the course of a year, Cox successfully coordinated everything from catering to press interviews for JRSRCC's USCC, and ultimately enabled 40 students to secure jobs and scholarships. The Cyber Awards recognize Cox for his continued efforts to raise awareness of the importance of cyber security to the next generation of IT leaders.

The Symantec Government Symposium will feature five tracks, more than 30 government speakers and post-election plenary panels debating cyber policy priorities and global data protection. For more information or to register, visit www.symantec.com/symposium.


About Symantec

Symantec protects the world's information, and is a global leader in security, backup and availability solutions. Our innovative products and services protect people and information in any environment - from the smallest mobile device, to the enterprise data center, to cloud-based systems. Our world-renowned expertise in protecting data, identities and interactions gives our customers confidence in a connected world. More information is available at www.symantec.com or by connecting with Symantec at: go.symantec.com/socialmedia.


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