CCR honored as finalist with Security Leadership Award

  • Published
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  The Air Force Institute of Technology's Center for Cyberspace Research Advanced Cyber Education team was a finalist for the ISC2 2012 U.S. Government Information Security Leadership Award.

Several members of the ACE Team attended the ISC2 Inc. awards gala Oct. 16 in Washing-ton, D.C. The 17-member ACE team was highlighted for demonstrated leadership in advancing and improving the information security workforce.

The ACE team, led by Dr. Harold Arata III, CCR associate director, was honored as an ISC2 finalist for their role in developing Reserve Officer Training Corps students into robust cyber security workforce leaders.

"The ACE team met the staggering task of transferring, reinventing and implementing the Department of Defense's only cadet cyber education program, hosting students from 30 separate schools and 22 states," said Dr. Arata. "These are our future cyber warriors who will protect America from those who would do our nation harm."

The 8-week internship immerses Air Force ROTC/USAFA/ Army cadets and Navy midshipmen into the cyber security discipline and assists in their leadership development to ensure these upcoming officers are capable of handling future cyber threats. Through intense coursework with associated CCR faculty members and hands-on internship experience working with mentors housed at AFIT, the Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing, 88th Communications Group, and SAIC, participants receive a unique learning opportunity created for the Department of Defense.
In 2011, the GISLA Workforce Improvement Team award was presented to the Center for Cyberspace Research/ Cyber 200 /300 Professional Continuing Education team for delivering cyber security senior and master professional rating courses for the Air Force Space Command that enabled a new cyber career force.

The hosts for the GISLA awards gala, ISC2 Inc., is a global, not-for-profit leader in educating and certifying information security professionals throughout their careers with a membership network of nearly 75,000 certified industry professionals worldwide. ISC2 Inc. launched the GISLA program in 2004 to raise awareness of IT security executives who have made significant contributions to the improvement of the federal information security workforce.