BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SANS
Institute today announced Governor Raimondo of Rhode Island and Christina M. Cosgrove have been named among the
winners of the 2017 SANS Difference Makers Award. The Difference
Maker Awards were created to honor the unsung heroes in cyber
security whose innovation, skill, and hard work have resulted in
real successes in information security.
"Rhode Island's Congressional
delegation have been leaders in cybersecurity for more than a
decade. Here we see Rhode Island
once again showing its leadership," said Alan Paller, National Program Manager, U.S.
CyberStart and Director of Research, SANS Institute.
Governor Raimondo was recognized for her leadership in bringing
the CyberStart pilot program to the students of Rhode Island. CyberStart is a forward-thinking
skills program designed to inspire the next generation of cyber
security professionals while identifying talented young Americans.
In addition to providing a unique learning opportunity and
scholarships for students, the program can lead to job growth and
improved cyber security in Rhode
Island.
The CyberStart pilot program was managed by Ms. Cosgrove who,
along with her team, signed up 92 students in just two weeks; 50
percent of whom went on to qualify for the CyberStart Game. Of the
nearly 3,300 students competing from seven states, two Rhode Island high school and college students
were in the overall top 15 nationally. Four Rhode Island students won scholarships for
more advanced education in cyber security.
Participant Sandra Lopes, a
sophomore at the Community College of Rhode
Island sent a note to Governor Raimondo saying, "Thank you
so much for the opportunity. I enjoyed trying to figure out codes
and questions. I think it's a great way to teach and introduce
people to cyber security with a game."
To learn more about the SANS Difference Makers Awards, visit:
www.sans.org/cyber-innovation-awards
About SANS Institute
The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative
research and education organization.
SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of
cybersecurity training and certification to professionals at
governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS
instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live
cybersecurity training events as well as online. GIAC, an affiliate
of the SANS Institute, validates employee qualifications via 30
hands-on, technical certifications in information security. The
SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent
subsidiary, offers master's degrees in cyber security. SANS offers
a myriad of free resources to the InfoSec community including
consensus projects, research reports, and newsletters; it also
operates the Internet's early warning system--the Internet Storm
Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners,
representing varied global organizations from corporations to
universities, working together to help the entire information
security community. (www.SANS.org)
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SOURCE SANS Institute