Rising Cyber Defenders: Nominations Open for 2025 A100 Awards

By Dan Evert, CCNP   Published: 04/30/25   Updated: 10/27/26   2 min read

Rising Cyber Defenders: Nominations Open for 2025 A100 Awards

Summary

Spotlight on Newer Security Chiefs

Demand for strong security leaders keeps climbing. CISOs Connect has opened nominations for the 2025 A100 Awards, which honor emerging leaders shaping how companies defend themselves. The program looks for people bringing fresh ideas and leadership to the job.

About the A100 Awards and CISOs Connect

The A100 Awards are run by CISOs Connect, a community that connects Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and helps them share insight. The awards serve as peer recognition for people early in the top security role. To qualify, candidates must have held a CISO or equivalent role at an end-user organization for less than five years.

What Winning Can Mean

For honorees, the award works as an endorsement. It can open doors to career moves and a bigger voice in industry debates. It also signals to other newcomers that strong work gets noticed.

Nomination Process and Criteria

Judges consider professional leadership. They also weigh security volunteering or activism, along with mentoring and training others. Self-nominations and third-party nominations are both accepted, and there is no fee to enter.

Inspirations from Past Awardees

Past A100 winners have built new security programs and frameworks, and many have raised security awareness inside their own companies. Their careers give younger practitioners a model to follow.

How to Put a Name Forward

With the 2025 A100 nominations open, CISOs Connect is asking the industry to nominate worthy candidates. Spotting and backing new leaders matters more as security challenges grow.

The nomination phase ends with a recognition event. The goal is simple: honor the people doing the work and show that the next generation of security leaders is ready.

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Dan Evert, CCNP

Dan Evert is a self proclaimed Router Jockey. Dan got heavily involved in networking right out of high school and has never looked back! Dan is giving back by working with high school students to get them involved and interested in Networking and Security.