Meet CAMI’s 2023 cybersecurity award finalists

An organization that acts as a chamber of commerce for Maryland’s cyber firms is set to recognize excellence in the cybersecurity industry during its seventh annual award ceremony on Oct. 26.

Launched in 2015, the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI) will hold its annual Cybersecurity Awards in Columbia, Maryland, where it’s HQed. The convening is meant to celebrate the best in Maryland’s cybersecurity industry. The recognition for cyber companies and individuals alike ranges from outstanding products and services to individuals who are making significant contributions to the nation’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

Tasha Cornish, CAMI’s executive director, highlighted in a phone interview how these awards’ finalists were selected.

“Each category has specific criteria. For instance, innovation must address a unique industry need effectively,” she told Technical.ly, adding that finalists must possess “a commitment to shaping the future of the cybersecurity field and a strong dedication to training the next generation of industry leaders.”

Cornish noted that the judging panel, consisting of CAMI’s board members, industry experts and city leaders, independently chose the finalists.

“Our judging panel is entirely independent — no pay-to-play involved here,” she said.

Kyle Waggoner, director of information security at Perdue Farms and an advisory board member, is one of the finalists this year.

While a very small percentage of CAMI’s 700 members come from higher education institutions such as Towson University, that school and the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) appear among the finalists.

Cornish said that CAMI has “added” and “augmented” categories this year. Categories such as “Cybersecurity Resource of the Year” and “Best of Anne Arundel County” did not make a return this year. However, the “Cybersecurity Company to Watch” award, which CyDeploy and founder Tina Williams-Koroma (who now serves on CAMI’s Board of Directors) won last year, has made a comeback with new finalists. Koroma more recently received a vote of confidence from Google.

In 2022, CAMI announced that it would expand its membership by establishing what they refer to as “centers of excellence” in areas such as business growth and innovation, cybersecurity talent and cyber resilience. Cornish elaborated on the plans for the upcoming year, stating: “So in 2024, you can expect to see a lot more activity out of this center. That’s really going to be the engine for how we are leading the advancement. of cybersecurity.”

Find the list of finalists for this year’s awards below: