Governor Carney and Delaware's Chief Information Security Officer Elayne Starkey Named Winners of the SANS Institute's 2017 Difference Makers Awards

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SANS Institute today announced Governor Carney and Delaware's Chief Information Security Officer Elayne Starkey have been named among the winners of the 2017 SANS Difference Makers Award. The Difference Maker Awards were created to honor the unsung heroes in cyber security whose innovation, skill, and hard work have resulted in real successes in information security.

"Delaware's Congressional delegation have been leaders in cybersecurity for more than a decade. Here we see Delaware once again being 'first in the nation.' And Elayne Starkey did a spectacular job at giving students in Delaware a chance to discover their talent ? in some cases their hidden talents. Kudos," said Alan Paller, National Program Manager, U.S. CyberStart and Director of Research, SANS Institute. 

Governor Carney was recognized for his leadership in finding new ways to develop the cyber-capable workforce by bringing CyberStart pilot program to students in Delaware. CyberStart is a forward-thinking skills program designed to inspire the next generation cyber security professionals while identifying talented young Americans. In addition to providing a unique learning opportunity and scholarships for students, the program can lead to job growth and improved cyber security in Delaware.

The CyberStart pilot program was managed by Ms. Starkey who in just two weeks, with the help of her communications team, signed up 359 Delaware students; 47 percent of whom qualified for the CyberStart Game. Of the nearly 3,300 students competing from seven states, four Delaware high school and college students were in the top 50 nationally. A total of 20 Delaware students won CyberStart scholarships for more advanced education in cyber security.

Participant Soohan Kim, a junior at Dover High School sent a note to Governor Carney saying, "Thank you so much for sponsoring CyberStart. This truly was an incredible experience that allowed me to learn so much. I am definitely considering a career in cyber security because of this program."

To learn more about the SANS Difference Makers Awards, visit: www.sans.org/cyber-innovation-awards

About SANS Institute
The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live cybersecurity training events as well as online. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates employee qualifications via 30 hands-on, technical certifications in information security. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's degrees in cyber security. SANS offers a myriad of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system--the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to help the entire information security community. (www.SANS.org)

SOURCE SANS Institute