Institute for Security and Technology Announces Winners of Third Annual Cyber Policy Awards

Seven individuals and organizations have been awarded the Atlas trophy for outstanding contributions to cyber policy at the Third Annual Cyber Policy Awards™ gala. These prestigious awards honor those in the cyber policy community whose work has defined the cybersecurity landscape in 2025 through public policy, diplomacy, research, and journalism.

Hosted by the Institute for Security and Technology (IST) at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, the annual event brought together over 250 leaders from across the public sector, industry, academia, and civil society. Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges, following an open nomination period.

Congratulations to the following individuals and organizations:

U.S. Domestic Policy Impact: Michael Geraghty for the transformation of New Jersey’s cybersecurity posture, delivering measurable economic and security impact.

International Policy Impact: Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery for cyber leadership in practice, from Ukraine’s frontlines to the Indo-Pacific.

International Partnership: The Cyber Defense Assistance Collaborative for creative scaling of private sector assistance to Ukraine.

Research Impact: Cheri Caddy, Ginger Wright, Benjamin R. Lampe, Andrew Ginter, and Andrew Ohrt for advancing cybersecurity for physical systems through Cyber-Informed Engineering.

Excellence in Journalism: Brian Krebs (Krebs on Security) for significant contributions to the strategic and tactical understanding of cyber criminality.

Ecosystem Champion: Homeland Security Today author and Former Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) CEO Philip Reitinger for championing the cybersecurity nonprofits ecosystem.

Lifetime Achievement: David Koh of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore for championing honest and productive dialogue in the international cybersecurity community; leading the charge to uphold a rules-based international order and responsible state behavior in cyberspace; and fundamentally advancing the global conversation on cyber policy over the course of his career.

Senator Gary Peters, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, delivered a keynote address reflecting on his time in Congress and urging members of the community gathered in the audience to provide guidance and support for legislative and policy solutions to address cyber challenges. He was honored with the Congressional Cyber Leadership Award for his service to the nation and leadership on cyber issues.

During the event, Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy and Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of War Katherine Sutton joined Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Amy Hogan-Burney for a fireside chat. Speaking to the NextGen balconies–filled with young professionals and students from across the cyber policy community–the two reflected on lessons learned and looked to the next generation of cyber policy leadership.

“We are grateful for this opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate our successes, while looking forward to how we might work together in the future,” said organizing committee chairman and IST Chief Trust Officer Steve Kelly. “The seven award recipients and their work have helped us build towards a more secure future for all of us.”