Awards recognize collaboration, innovation, leadership, knowledge-sharing, and service across the state and local cybersecurity community.
CLIFTON PARK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS®) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®) have announced the recipients of the 2026 MS-ISAC Awards. The awards were presented during the 2026 ISAC Annual Summit and recognize individuals and organizations whose dedication, expertise, and commitment have strengthened the cybersecurity posture of the U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government community.
2026 MS-ISAC Award Recipients
Community Impact Award – Kevin Galusha, Cybersecurity Architect, Clackamas County of Oregon. Recognized for strengthening Oregon’s SLTT cybersecurity community through leadership in the Cyber Disruption Workgroup, expanding collaboration and increasing engagement by more than 100 percent while mentoring peers and supporting organizations with limited resources.
Collaboration Excellence Award – Stephen Brucker, Derek Beauchamp, and Josh Haft, Security Operations Specialists, New York State Attorney General’s Office. Recognized for reducing their organization’s vulnerability footprint by more than 50 percent in less than a year while sharing tools, processes, and best practices across the cybersecurity community.
Leadership & Mentorship Award – Cristian Balan, Professor, SUNY Plattsburgh. Honored for empowering students through hands-on learning, fostering leadership, and bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world cybersecurity practice.
Innovation & Best Practices Award – Hsiawen Hull, CISO, California Community College Security Center. Recognized for transforming the California Community Colleges Security Center into a vital statewide resource and launching an innovative student-run security operations center.
Outstanding Knowledge Exchange Award – Dr. Domingo A. Castillo, Chief Information Security Officer, Miami Dade College. Honored for delivering engaging and practical learning experiences that translate complex cybersecurity concepts into actionable strategies.
Distinguished Service Award – Donald Pogue, Network Analyst, Westminster School District. Recognized for exceptional service, leadership in community engagement, and commitment to sharing practical solutions that strengthen cybersecurity across the MS-ISAC community.
“This year’s MS-ISAC award recipients exemplify the spirit of innovation, service, and partnership that defines the state, local, tribal, and territorial government community,” said Carlos Kizzee, Senior Vice President, MS-ISAC Strategy and Plans. “Their commitment and contributions have strengthened the security and resilience within their jurisdictions and, with amplification of their challenges and successes to others, across the nation. We recognize their dedication, leadership, and appreciate their continued willingness to share their expertise to help others succeed.”
For more information, please contact media@cisecurity.org.
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About MS-ISAC
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®) is the trusted nationwide network for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) governments. The mission of the MS-ISAC is to improve the overall cybersecurity posture of the nation’s SLTT governments through coordination, collaboration, cooperation, and increased communication. The MS-ISAC is a division of the Center for Internet Security® (CIS®), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Visit https://www.cisecurity.org/ms-isac/ or email info@cisecurity.org for more information.
About CIS
The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS®) makes the connected world a safer place for people, businesses, and governments through our core competencies of collaboration and innovation. We are a community-driven nonprofit, responsible for the CIS Critical Security Controls® and CIS Benchmarks™, globally recognized best practices for securing IT systems and data. We lead a global community of IT professionals to continuously evolve these standards and provide products and services to proactively safeguard against emerging threats. Our CIS Hardened Images® provide secure, on-demand, scalable computing environments in the cloud. CIS is home to t information.he Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®), the trusted resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government entities, and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (EI-ISAC®), which supports the rapidly changing cybersecurity needs of U.S. election offices. To learn more, visit cisecurity.org or follow us on X: @CISecurity.
Kelly Wyland
Center for Internet Security
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