The winners of the prestigious 2011 SC Awards U.S. were announced on Feb. 15 in San Francisco.
More vibrant than ever, the 14th edition of the SC Awards U.S. was held on Feb. 15 in San Francisco. The gala event honors those companies and individuals whose products and services have most strongly contributed to the vitality of the IT security industry.
“I attend because I believe it's the preeminent award ceremony in our industry,” said Dov Yoran, co-founder of MetroSITE Group. He likens the event to the Oscars. “I also find the attendance consists of the who's who in the information security industry.”
John Johnson, senior security program manager at John Deere, also considers the SC Awards to be the most prestigious awards banquet for the security profession. “The RSA Conference has certainly grown to be the largest (nearly 20,000) and best general security conference, and anyone who is anyone in the security industry will attend,” he says. “The problem I have is how difficult it is to find the time to connect with other security leaders in the course of this hectic week. When I attend the SC Awards, I know that it will be valuable, because the leading security innovators will be in one place at one time.”
The SC Awards was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and make new friends, said Johnson. “I enjoyed networking and drinks in a wonderful venue. The dinner was great, accompanied by meaningful conversations. The Awards banquet was an opportunity to celebrate the best innovations and individuals in the security space. The recipients were all deserving, and it was an honor to be there to honor them for their contributions. I accomplished so much, in the course of the evening. Count me in for next year!”
Randy Sanovic, owner RNS Consulting, says he enjoys participating in the SC Awards program for two basic reasons: “First, the judges that help select many of the awards are second to none in terms of long-term, well-recognized, professional experience, and many are direct users of the technology; and second, the SC Lab tests many of the products, often echoing many of the choices offered by the independent judges.” A process in stark contrast to other awards programs, he said.
“I attended the SC Awards because the event brings together some of the best people in the information security community,” said Bob West, CEO of Echelon One. “It's always a good place to reconnect with friends and there is usually business benefit that comes out of it as well.”
Rob Pate, vice president for cybersecurity, cyber and information solutions business unit at SAIC said the gala was an excellent networking opportunity. “It was a chance to catch up with friends from Washington who I only see at the SC Awards dinner once a year.” He said the event is valuable in bringing together a diverse group representing government and private sector. “It is an opportunity to honor the industry's best security providers.” Plus, he said the food was good, there were great conversations and idea exchange with deep understanding of market changes, particularly which companies are coming on strong in specific sectors.
Visit our website to view a full list of winners, as well as view photos and video clips from the evening.Preparations are already underway for the 2012 SC Awards U.S. For more info, please contact Natasha Mulla at 646-638-6108 or [email protected].
from left to right:
1. Lindsey Jones, media relations, Entrust; Karen Kiffney, sr. product marketing manager, RSA; Paul Stamp, senior manager, product marketing, RSA; Jennifer Binet, territory account manager, Entrust; RSA was winner of Best Multifactor Product
2. Winn Schwartau, president and founder of The Security Awareness Co.; Jackie Baumann, director of PR at M.A.D. Partners; and Richard Marshall, director of global cybersecurity management at the Department of Homeland Security
3. Maurice Hampton, information security and privacy services leader, Clark Schaefer Consulting, and an SC Awards judge
4. Illena Armstrong, editor-in-chief of SC Magazine; Neal O'Farrell, founder and executive director of Identity Theft Council, winner of the Editor's Choice Award; and host/comedian Ron Pearson
5. Chris Porter, CEO of The Training Camp and Col. Mike Convertino, leader of the U.S. Air Force's information warfare group
6. Sophos team, winner of Best Email Security
7. Rob Smith, co-founder and CTO, and Daniel Ashby, CEO, M.A.D. Partners, winner of Rookie Security Company of the Year
8. (ISC)2 team: Jayda Shriver, marketing program manager; Judy Livers, senior market development manager; and Pamela Simon, senior product development manager; (ISC)2 was winner of Best Professional Training Program
9. Qualys team, winner of Best Security Company and two other awards
10. The crowd listens in anticipation as an award is announced