MS-ISAC names 2026 cybersecurity award winners

The Center for Internet Security and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center announced the 2026 MS-ISAC Awards during the ISAC Annual Summit on Aug. 7, 2026. The honorees span state and local government cybersecurity, with winners recognized for collaboration, leadership, innovation, knowledge-sharing and service.

Why it matters: - The awards spotlight people and teams strengthening cybersecurity for U.S. state, local, tribal and territorial governments. - The honorees represent work that can improve defenses, reduce vulnerabilities and spread practical security methods across the SLTT community. - CIS and MS-ISAC use the awards to recognize collaboration, innovation, leadership, knowledge-sharing and service in a sector that often has limited resources.

What happened: - The Center for Internet Security and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center announced the 2026 MS-ISAC Awards on Aug. 7, 2026. - The awards were presented during the 2026 ISAC Annual Summit. - The recipients were selected from across the SLTT cybersecurity community.

The details: - Kevin Galusha, cybersecurity architect at Clackamas County of Oregon, received the Community Impact Award for strengthening Oregon’s SLTT cybersecurity community through leadership in the Cyber Disruption Workgroup. - Galusha expanded collaboration and increased engagement by more than 100% while mentoring peers and supporting organizations with limited resources. - Stephen Brucker, Derek Beauchamp and Josh Haft, security operations specialists at the New York State Attorney General’s Office, received the Collaboration Excellence Award. - The New York team reduced its organization’s vulnerability footprint by more than 50% in less than a year while sharing tools, processes and best practices across the cybersecurity community. - Cristian Balan, a professor at SUNY Plattsburgh, received the Leadership & Mentorship Award for hands-on teaching that helps students connect academic theory with real-world cybersecurity practice. - Hsiawen Hull, CISO at the California Community College Security Center, received the Innovation & Best Practices Award for turning the center into a statewide resource and launching a student-run security operations center. - Dr. Domingo A. Castillo, chief information security officer at Miami Dade College, received the Outstanding Knowledge Exchange Award for delivering practical learning experiences that turn complex cybersecurity concepts into actionable strategies. - Donald Pogue, a network analyst at Westminster School District, received the Distinguished Service Award for community engagement and for sharing practical solutions that strengthen cybersecurity across the MS-ISAC community. - Carlos Kizzee, senior vice president for MS-ISAC Strategy and Plans, said the recipients exemplify innovation, service and partnership across the SLTT government community. - Kizzee said the recipients strengthened security and resilience in their jurisdictions and helped amplify challenges and successes to others nationwide.

Between the lines: - The award list reflects an emphasis on peer-to-peer knowledge transfer, not just technical output. - Several honorees were recognized for building systems that scale beyond one organization, including mentoring, tool-sharing and statewide collaboration. - The recognition also highlights the role of schools and colleges in the broader public-sector cybersecurity workforce pipeline.

What's next: - MS-ISAC is encouraging media inquiries through media@cisecurity.org. - The organization directs interested readers to its MS-ISAC information page for more details. - CIS says it will continue supporting SLTT governments through coordination, collaboration and information sharing.

The bottom line: - The 2026 MS-ISAC Awards center the cybersecurity work that often happens behind the scenes: reducing risk, sharing knowledge and helping under-resourced governments do more with less.