SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RSA® Conference (www.rsaconference.com), the world’s leading information security conferences and expositions, today announced the honorees of its 14th annual awards program. Award applicants were judged in the fields of mathematics, public policy and security practices. To commemorate the Conference’s 20th anniversary, this year’s Awards include an expanded lifetime achievement award to honor the top accomplishments in information security over the past 20 years. This year’s recipients were revealed yesterday at RSA Conference 2011 in San Francisco.
The recipients of this year’s RSA Conference Awards are as follows:
Lifetime Achievement Award
Ronald L. Rivest,
Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
Adi
Shamir, Professor, Computer Science Department, Weizmann Institute of
Science, Israel
Leonard Adleman, Henry Salvatori Chair in
Computer Science and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and
Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California
Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman are pioneers in public key cryptography, responsible for developing the encryption method that became known as the RSA algorithm – a major advance in public key cryptography. Used to secure Internet, banking and credit card transactions worldwide, the RSA algorithm has become the standard technology for encryption that secures the majority of ecommerce. The RSA Algorithm and its impact has guided and shaped the world of information security and how we do business for over 30 years.
Excellence in the Field of Security Practices
C.
Ryan Brewer, Chief Information Security Officer and Director, Office of
the CISO Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Over the past two years, Brewer has completely transformed the information security program and culture at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) through his leadership and vision. As a direct result of Brewer’s leadership, the information security program at CMS is now risk-based and provides a high level of business value and enablement. He successfully guided the information security program at CMS through this transformation while saving CMS millions of dollars and has made significant contributions to improve the security posture and business processes at CMS.
Excellence in the Field of Mathematics
Charles W.
Rackoff, Professor, Theory of Computation Group and Department of
Computer Science, University of Toronto
Charles Rackoff was born and raised in New York City. He attended MIT as both an undergraduate and graduate student, receiving a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1974. After spending a year as a post-doc at INRIA in France, he joined the University of Toronto Computer Science Department in 1974. His research interests are in computational complexity and he specializes in cryptography, security and security protocols. He was a co-originator of the important concepts of "interactive proofs" and "zero-knowledge proofs," for which he co-won the 1993 Godel Prize.
Excellence in the Field of Public Policy
William
J. Lynn, III, Deputy Secretary of Defense
William J. Lynn III is the 30th Deputy Secretary of Defense. Lynn’s career has included extensive public service at various levels within government. Lynn served as the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) from 1997 until 2001 and for four years prior to that he was the Director of Program Analysis and Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Before entering the Department of Defense in 1993, Lynn served for six years on the staff of Senator Edward Kennedy as liaison to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has been recognized for numerous professional and service contributions, including three DoD medals for distinguished public service, the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and awards from the Air Force, Army and Navy.
“The winners of this year’s RSA Conference Awards embody the spirit of the Conference,” said Sandra Toms LaPedis, Area Vice President and General Manager of RSA Conference. “Whether it be through the founding of modern cryptography, innovative security practices, developing new concepts to address changing threats or protecting a nation against cyber threats, these recipients have helped drive the information security agenda. And for that, we are thankful to this year’s winners.”
About RSA Conference
RSA Conference helps drive the global information security agenda with annual events in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Throughout its 20-year history, RSA Conference consistently attracts the best and brightest in the field, creating opportunities to learn about information security’s most important issues through face-to-face and online interactions with peers, luminaries and emerging and established companies. As information security professionals work to stay ahead of ever-changing security threats and trends, they turn to RSA Conference for a 360-degree view of the industry. RSA Conference seeks to arm participants with the knowledge they need to remain at the forefront of the information security business. More information on events, online programming and the most up-to-date news pertaining to the information security industry can be found at www.rsaconference.com.
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