Orlando, FL, June 3, 2022 – The SANS Technology Institute (SANS.edu), the nation’s premiere college for cybersecurity, has announced this year’s recipients of the Assante Scholar Award. This award is given to outstanding students in the field of industrial control systems (ICS) and is named in honor of the late Mike Assante, a pioneer the ICS security field. The awards were presented by Tim Conway, the Technical Director the ICS and SCADA programs at SANS, in a ceremony during the SANS ICS Security Summit in Orlando.
The 2022 winners of the Assante Scholar Awards are Randy Baldwin from Pennsylvania and Anthony Karels from Minnesota, both of whom completed the SANS Technology Institute’s undergraduate certificate program in Applied Cybersecurity and displayed academic excellence in an industrial control system security course (ICS/SCADA Security Essentials) originally developed by Assante. “Mike Assante believed that the only realistic defense against hostile nations seeking to attack our power systems would be extraordinary practitioners who not only have a deep understanding of cybersecurity, but are completely knowledgeable of the overall technical environment – the Information Technology and Operational Technology networks, systems, and applications – they are defending,” said Ed Skoudis, SANS Technology Institute President. “Anthony and Randy exemplify the exceptional talent that we need to make our nation, and the wider world, a safer, more secure place.”
About Mike Assante
Mike Assante was the founder of the Industrial Control Systems Security (ICS) curriculum, ICS and SCADA Lead, and Director of Industrials and Infrastructure at the SANS Institute. A pioneer in the field of industrial control system cybersecurity, Mike made a long list of remarkable contributions to the advancement of critical infrastructure system design, threat intelligence, detection, mitigation, and incident response capabilities within the ICS community. Mr. Assante passed away in 2019, and in recognition of his legacy, the SANS Technology Institute established the Assante Scholar Award, which is eligible to undergraduate and graduate students.
About the SANS Technology Institute
The SANS Technology Institute (SANS.edu), America’s premier college for cybersecurity, offers career-focused undergraduate and graduate programs distinguished by:
- A world-class faculty of highly skilled information security practitioners
- Hands-on cybersecurity courses that are continually updated for real-world relevance
- Industry-recognized GIAC certifications earned in each of its programs
- Innovative online and in-person course delivery options, including 100% online options for all SANS.edu programs
- The proven success of its alumni
SANS.edu master’s degree students conduct leading-edge cybersecurity research that enhances the state of the art in the practice of information security. The college is also home to the Internet Storm Center, the world’s leading global cyber threat detection network, where students in the bachelor’s degree program gain hands-on experience as Apprentice Handlers.
In the field of industrial control systems security, the SANS Technology Institute offers a master’s degree with an optional Special Focus Area in Industrial Control System Security, a graduate certificate in ICSS, and elective options in industrial control systems security in its bachelor’s degree and undergraduate certificate programs.
The SANS Technology Institute is accredited by The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801 - 267.284.5000), an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Learn more at www.sans.edu.