2023 Difference Makers Awards Ceremony | Watch the Replay
The awards ceremony took place in Washington, DC on Wednesday, December 13, during SANS Cyber Defense Initiative 2023. It was a most special night of highlighting and celebrating our nominees — amazing unsung heroes in the cybersecurity community. Catch the replay on your channel of choice below.
Interested in Sponsoring the 2024 DMA's?
If you'd like to learn more about how your organization can be involved in next year's ceremony, email us at differencemakers@sans.org.
Why are the DMAs special?
There are thousands of cyber security practitioners out there who are quietly succeeding and making breakthroughs every day in advancing security. It's time to recognize these individuals and teams.
At the SANS Cyber Defense Initiative conference in December 2023, SANS will hold its annual celebration of the most dedicated and innovative people who made a difference in security in 2023.
This prestigious annual awards program honors individuals and teams in the cyber security community who have made a measurable and significant difference in security. Through their implementation of security processes or technology, each person has raised the bar in enabling secure business operations and reducing risk.
We have expanded the awards to include top mentors, content creators and the most influential champions focused on building the next generation. We've also partnered with on Chris Cochran and Ron Eddings from Hacker Valley Media as they share our passion for supporting the unsung heroes of cybersecurity and the humans at work behind the technology.
The common denominator in each nominee is their willingness and ability to do what SANS calls 'Fight the Good Fight' in advancing the state of practice in cybersecurity.
2023 Award Categories
We expanded the awards this year to include top mentors, content creators, and the most influential champions focused on building the next generation. Take a look at the variety of categories, nominees, and winners below.
Article or Book of the Year
Published content in book or article form that makes a significant contribution to cybersecurity literature.
Nominees:
- Software Transparency: Supply Chain Security in an Era of a Software-Driven Society by Chris Hughes and Tony Turner
- The Ransomware Diaries, Jon DiMaggio
- 11 Strategies of a World-Class SOC , MITRE with authors Kathryn Knerler, Ingrid Parker, Carson Zimmerman
- The Little Cyber Engineer By Amber DeVilbiss
- See Yourself in Cybersecurity, Zinet Kemal
Winner - Community:
- The Ransomware Diaries, Jon DiMaggio
Winner - Committee:
- See Yourself in Cybersecurity, Zinet Kemal
Community Champion/Influencer of the Year
Deeply supports the community and/or social media presence provides valuable resources and connections for others in the field.
Nominees:
- Alyssa Miller
- Andrew Rathbun
- Bryson Bort & Tom VanNorman
- Caitlin Sarian
- David Meece
Winner - Community:
- Caitlin Sarian
Winner - Committee:
- David Meece
Diversity Champion of the Year
Devotes significant time and energy to fostering talent and increasing representation and participation of under-represented minorities.
Nominees:
- Alma Maria Rinasz
- Darold Kelly Jr
- Kerissa Varma
- LaLisha Hurt
- Lillian Teng
- MK Palmore
- Sarah Morales
Winner Community:
- Lillian Teng
Winner Committee:
- MK Palmore
Innovator of the Year
Using unique approaches to succeeded through innovation and risk-taking.
Nominees:
- Bryson Bort
- David Kovar
- Francesco Cipollone
- Jones Baraza
- Maxime Lamothe-Brassard
Winner - Community:
- Jones Baraza
Winner - Committee:
- Bryson Bort
Mentor of the Year
Devotes significant time and energy to fostering talent and support those getting into cybersecurity.
Nominees:
- Donny Greene
- Justin David G. Pineda
- Lesley Carhart
- Mark Perry
- Tanya Janca
Winner - Community:
- Tanya Janca
Winner - Committee:
- Donny Greene
Open-Source Tool Creator of the Year
Created an open-source tool that is of significant value.
Nominees:
- Nick Tsamis, Misha Belisle & Blaine Jeffries
- Brian Maloney
- David Blais
- Steve Springett
- Jean-Pierre LESUEUR
Winner - Community:
- Dependency Track (OWASP) - Steve Springett
Winner - Committee:
- Caldera for OT - Blaine Jeffries, Misha Belisle. Nick Tsamis
Podcast, Livestream or Video Series of the Year
Podcast or video of live-streamed content that makes a significant contribution to the industry.
Nominees:
- John Hubbard | BlueTeam Podcast
- Larry Pesce & Paul Asadoorian | Security Weekly
- Patrick Akil | Beyond Coding Podcast
- Phillip Wylie | The Hacker Factory
- Erika Eakins, Maril Vernon & Amber Devilbiss | The Cyber Queens Podcast
Winner - Community:
- Phillip Wylie | The Hacker Factory
Winner - Committee:
- Erika Eakins, Maril Vernon & Amber Devilbiss | The Cyber Queens Podcast
Rising Star
Newer practitioners to keep an eye on.
Nominees:
- Day Johnson
- Dimple Gajra
- Jasmine Suarez
- Jonny Johnson
- Zinet Kemal
Winner - Community:
- Dimple Gajra
Winner - Committee:
- Jasmine Suarez
Team Leader of the Year
Displayed extraordinary leadership skills, dedication to their team and passion for fostering an inclusive, thriving team environment.
Nominees:
- Komi Sergio Hognaglo
- Laurie Salvail
- Martin Bos
- Robert Wood
- Tia Hopkins
Winner - Community:
- Tia Hopkins
Winner - Committee:
- Robert Wood
Team or Practitioner of the Year
An individual or team who has done extraordinary work.
Nominees:
- Ambareen Siraj
- CyberDefenders Team
- Molly McLain Sterling's Security Culture Team
- Proofpoint Threat Research Team
- The KC7 Team
Winner - Community:
- CyberDefenders Team
Winner - Committee:
- The KC7 Team
Lifetime Achievement Award
Transcends categories; has made substantial contributions to cybersecurity over many years.
Nominees:
- Craig Newmark
- Kevin Mitnick
- Lisa Ventura MBE
- Ron Gula
Winner - Community:
- Kevin Mitnick
Winner - Committee:
- Ron Gula
Proudly Partnering with Non-Profits
2023 Advisory Committee Members
Thank You to Our Sponsors
FAQ
What are the Difference Makers Awards?
This prestigious annual awards program, created by John Pescatore and our late founder Alan Paller, honors individuals and teams in the cyber security community who have made a measurable and significant difference in security. You can read more and view lists of previous winners at the links below.
Who can nominate someone for an award?
Anyone can make a nomination! We want to hear from people all around the industry.
What are the rules for nominating?
Complete all fields on the nomination form. The more detailed and specific your nomination, the better. The nomination should focus on work performed in 2022.
Is there a cost to nominate?
No! Nominations are free and open to anyone who wants to share great news about people and projects that deserve to be celebrated by the cybersecurity community.
Can people and teams receive multiple nominations for a single category? Does that help their case?
Yes, and no! People and teams can receive multiple nominations, but it won’t add weight to the selection process.
What happens after the nomination phase?
Two things: The nominations will be summarized, and we’ll post a new survey form for the public to vote for their choice in each category. At the same time, the SANS Advisory Board, made up of a panel of SANS instructors and industry practitioners, will review the nominations and make their selection. There will be two winners in each category – the People’s Choice winner and the SANS Advisory Board winner.
Who is the SANS Advisory Board?
The SANS Advisory Board represents a collective of SANS instructors and industry practitioners.
When will finalists be announced?
The third week of November.
How are the winners being chosen?
There will be two winners per category – one selected by a popular vote and one selected by a SANS/industry committee.
How does voting for the people’s choice work?
There will be a simple form available online.
Where and when is the award event being held?
The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 13 in Washington, DC during SANS Cyber Defense Initiative 2023.Is the travel for finalists subsidized?
There is travel support available for invited nominees as needed.