Distinguished Board of CISO Judges Select Vendors That Exemplify Creative Entrepreneurship
CISOs Connect™ today announced the winners of the 2023 CISO Choice Awards, a recognition of the leading security vendors by a distinguished board of prominent CISOs.
Technology vendors are stepping up to the plate with new solutions as security challenges multiply in a dynamic environment. But with so much on offer and so many demands on a CISO’s time, it is impossible to keep up with all of the new solutions out there.
The CISO Choice Awards program is designed to help security and business leaders cut through the maze of offerings, and point them to the solutions that really stand out.
“A truly great solution is one that can anticipate, rather than react to, the next challenges threat actors will present,” said Board member Jake Martens, SVP and CISO of Aristocrat. “It is our mission to showcase top-tier innovation so it is front and center when CISOs are choosing solutions to keep our organizations and governments safe.”
The judges on the transparent board secure major organizations across industries and have unmatched knowledge and insights from years of designing and maintaining their own programs. The selection process was uniquely transparent and based on clear-cut criteria.
“Our decades of combined experience at some of the country’s biggest corporations put us in an excellent position to distinguish the great from the very good,” said Bradley Schaufenbuel, VP and CISO of Paychex. “Because the award is so highly regarded in the industry, we attracted some amazing candidates, and we are delighted to put them before you now.”
The 2023 winners are:
VISIONARY COMPANY: Black Kite
PREMIER SECURITY COMPANY: Proofpoint
START-UP SECURITY COMPANY: CyberConvoy
PARTNER IN SUCCESS: TruOps
BEST USE OF AI: Rescana
API SECURITY: Salt
APPLICATION SECURITY: Seal Security
BREACH & ATTACK SIMULATION: SafeBreach
CLOUD SECURITY SOLUTION: Astrix Security
CLOUD WORKLOAD PROTECTION PLATFORM: Aqua Security
DATA SECURITY: Next DLP
EMAIL SECURITY: SlashNext
ENDPOINT SECURITY: Tanium
IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT: Grip Security
IOT SECURITY: Phosphorus Cybersecurity
MSSP: CyberConvoy
NETWORK SECURITY: Zero Networks
RISK MANAGEMENT: TruOps
SECURITY ANALYTICS: Forescout Technologies
SECURITY OPERATIONS: Swimlane
SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING: Proofpoint
SIEM: CyberConvoy
THIRD PARTY RISK MANAGEMENT: Black Kite
THREAT INTELLIGENCE: Cybersixgill
VULNERABILITY MANAGEMENT: RapidFort
“My peers, the esteemed Board of CISO Judges, were astonished by the level of creative entrepreneurship the awards attracted,” said David Cass, GSR CISO and CISOs Connect President. “Having our judges validate these solutions lends them even greater cachet, because of the judges’ renown in the industry. I’d like to congratulate the winners and thank our distinguished judges for giving so much of their time to our awards program and its contribution to our industry’s success.”
The following CISOs served on the CISO Choice Awards 2023 Board of Judges:
Aaron Hughes, Albertsons Companies
Angela Williams, UL Solutions
Bradley Schaufenbuel, Paychex
Jake Martens, Aristocrat
James Blair, Todd Corporation
Kevin McKenzie, CISOs Connect
Michael Calderin, YAGEO Group
Neda Pitt, Belk
Ran Tenenbaum, Aroundtown SA
Sai Iyer, Ziff Davis
Shlomi Avivi, First Digital Bank
Esteemed author and industry analyst Richard Stiennon also served on the board. His Security Yearbook 2023 includes a directory of some 3,269 companies and an interactive vendor dashboard that has proved an invaluable tool for CISOs.
“Working with leading CISOs is such an honor, all the more so as part of the CISO Choice Awards,” Stiennon said. “Solution providers form the core of my research, and by participating in these awards, I gain crucial insights into what makes an industry trendsetter, and why the top solutions leave others in the dust.”
“Security is not a job, but a mission, so the vendors chosen for the CISO Choice Awards needed to display a devotion to partnership as well as technological distinction,” said Angela Williams, SVP and CISO of UL Solutions.
“The importance of finding a trusted partner cannot be overestimated,” said Neda Pitt, VP of Information Security and CISO of Belk. “We are in this fight against malicious actors together. So it is critical to identify that rare mix of exceptional technology and a willingness to work closely with customers to customize solutions to their needs.”
“Staying ahead of the curve is what it’s all about,” added Kevin McKenzie, the CISO in Residence at CISOs Connect
“We need to ensure proactive defense if we don’t want to play catch-up all the time,” said Sai Iyer, CISO of Ziff Davis. “In an environment that is constantly changing, we want to recognize those vendors who exemplify innovation and a forward-thinking mindset. Congratulations to the 2023 winners.”
Mayfield, a global venture capital firm, has partnered with CISOs Connect to make the CISO Choice Awards possible, as a fundamental part of its mission to support CISOs and the cybersecurity solution ecosystem safeguarding enterprises and organizations worldwide.
About CISOs Connect
CISOs Connect is an exclusive membership-only interactive community of trusted cyber peers and subject matter experts. Connected by common interests, this community allows cyber experts to share knowledge and expertise through proprietary content, research and analysis, while exchanging ideas and collaborating with trusted colleagues to make informed business and technology decisions.
CISOs Connect™ is part of Security Current™, known for its Security Shark Tank® and lauded for its CISO-driven content, knowledge sharing and community. It is purpose-built and led by the top CISOs in North America.