Tony Krzyzewski
Four-decade cyber security industry veteran Tony Krzyzewski joined the iSANZ Hall of Fame at the organisation's annual awards last night.
Krzyzewski made first-class contributions to the information security landscape encompassing operations, network design, and technology innovation, the judges found.
As a Global Cyber Alliance Ambassador and New Zealand's Convenor for the International Standards Organisation SC27 Committee, his international contributions were described as "outstanding".
The ninth annual awards ceremony held last night in Wellington celebrated individuals, teams, and organisations that have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and leadership in cyber security.
The winners were:
Philip Whitmore, partner, cybersecurity at KPMG – senior cyber security professional of the year
Whitmore established successful consultancy practices and fostered the next generation of professionals, the judges said. His commitment to community outreach and thought leadership significantly enhanced the local cyber security landscape, benefiting both businesses and practitioners.
BNZ cyber governance team – security team of the year
The judges were impressed with BNZ's enhancement of their security programme encompassing people, processes, and technology – along with its commitment to research and technology projects and a metrics-driven approach to diversity.
Credit: Supplied Ministry of Education – project/awareness initiative of the year
The ministry consolidated security efforts across the sector, bringing together a range of activities to have clear oversight of threats and vulnerabilities. The judges were impressed with the planned and coordinated way that thousands of staff, students, educational systems and data are being protected from digital threats.
BNZ Pixie Mob – NZ secure development team of the Year
The judges' were impressed with BNZ's technical DevSecOps pipeline, extending its positive impact beyond the organisation and partners through automated security enhancements; noting the team's technical proficiency and emphasis on developer onboarding, which demonstrated their role as security advocates.
Outfox – start-up or new business of the year
Serving the often overlooked small to medium business sector, the judges noted Outfox's strong commitment to workplace diversity encompassing both gender and neurodiversity.
Megan Young – up and coming cyber security star of the year
In just three years at Spark, Young had demonstrated exceptional proficiency across multiple domains along with her work to foster a positive team environment.
Kendra Ross, chair of the iSANZ board, highlighted the significance of the awards in showcasing the remarkable efforts and accomplishments of New Zealand's world-class information and cyber security sector.
"We continue to be impressed by the achievements of all the entrants, finalists, and winners, who represent some of the most skilled and dedicated professionals in the information security field," she said.
Last year, RedShield and Aura Information Security founder Andy Prow was inducted into the iSANZ Hall of Fame.
