This article is a feature by Netzwoche, published on 27.11.2024, written by Coen Kaat. You can find the original article here (in German).
The second Swiss CISO Awards are over. Four cybersecurity specialists received one of the prizes. Zurich Cantonal Councillor Carmen Walker Späh also presented two other cybersecurity awards at the event.
The Swiss CISO Awards entered their second round on 26 November. And the event took on a different guise for the second edition: in 2024, the event was once again held as part of the Global Cyber Conference, but now at Zurich’s Club Aura. The Swiss Cyber Institute, the organiser of the awards, invited Zurich Cantonal Councillor Carmen Walker Späh to the gala dinner.
“Cybersecurity is a top priority for the government of the Canton of Zurich”, said Walker Späh. “That’s why the government of the Canton of Zurich has set up the Cyber Defence Center (CDC)”. This is the central security organisation that looks after the protection of the city of Zurich’s data and IT infrastructure, as the CDC describes itself. “The aim of the CDC is to improve cybersecurity in the canton of Zurich”, explained Walker Späh. “And as a reliable partner, it should help to build trust in a networked world”.
“Citizens must have confidence in their state and its services”, said the government councillor. Without trust, neither an administration nor a business can function today. “This trust is gained slowly and lost very easily. It is therefore a very precious resource that is worth protecting”.
Excellence in Cybersecurity Education and Cybersecurity Research Awards
“As far as I know, the canton of Zurich is not receiving an award today”, joked Walker Späh during her speech. So there still seems to be room for improvement. “On the other hand, no one has hacked my personal account yet! So we’re obviously doing something right”.
Although Walker Späh did not actually accept an award, she was at the Swiss CISO Awards to present two prizes. The Excellence in Cybersecurity Education Award, the first prize of the evening, went to Khalid Mohammed Al Hashimi, Director of National Cyber Empowerment and Excellence Affairs at the National Cyber Security Agency of Qatar. Afterwards, the Centre for Security Studies at ETH Zurich received the Excellence in Cybersecurity Research Award.
Future Leader Award
The actual Swiss CISO Awards began with the honouring of the Future Leader. This award recognises a person who should be on the radar because the jury believes they will make a significant contribution in the near future. It is the only CISO award that does not necessarily have to go to a CISO.
This year, the Future Leader Award went to Daniel Seiler, Head of Platform Services at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Seiler, who started out as a lawyer before moving into cybersecurity, thanked his team and emphasised the importance of collaboration in this industry. ‘Together, we can transform cybersecurity from an area of fear to an area of opportunity,’ said Seiler.
The jury’s statement in the organisers’ press release: “Daniel Seiler is driving innovation in the field of cybersecurity through projects such as the Cyber Security Hub, which aims to protect critical infrastructure. With a unique blend of technical, legal and operational expertise, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision. Daniel’s collaborative approach and proactive risk management have significantly advanced digital security practices and made him a rising star in the cyber security field”.
CISO for Digitalization Award
The second CISO Award went to Michael Ruppe, CISO of Adcubum. With the CISO for Digitisation, he was recognised for his contribution to the digitisation strategy and mindset of his company.
The jury’s statement in the press release: “Michael Ruppe has seamlessly integrated cybersecurity into Adcubum’s digital transformation. He led the secure deployment of an internal GenAI chatbot and implemented AI-driven security automation. He has improved cloud security through targeted training, bootcamps and advanced frameworks while fostering cross-team collaboration to align cybersecurity with business goals. His initiatives, including a Cybersecurity Escape Room, emphasise his innovative approach to promoting awareness and resilience in a digital environment.”
There was no CISO for Diversity this year either. “Unfortunately, we did not receive any applications for this category again this year”, explained Anastasiia Vollmar, Head of Marketing at the Swiss Cyber Institute, during the event. “However, we are still committed to this category. Because we believe it is very important.” The award is intended to honour CISOs who are committed to diversity in their teams.
Cybersecurity Excellence Award
This year, there was a close neck-and-neck race between two people for the Swiss CISO of the Year award. “So we decided to present a Cybersecurity Excellence Award in addition to the Swiss CISO of the Year Award”, said Tom Schmidt, Partner and Head of Cybersecurity at EY Switzerland.
The Cybersecurity Excellence Award went to Mostafa Hassanin, Group CISO at the Swiss Marketplace Group (SMG). “Don’t worry, I’m not going to give a long speech, after all I’m still hungry,” joked Hassanin, who received his award between the starter and the main course of the gala dinner. However, he wanted to pass on two pieces of wisdom to the audience. The first: “No network, no password – no problem.” And the second: “Enjoy what you do. After all, you spend a third of your life working, so it should also be enjoyable. The second third is spent sleeping and the third is for the family.”
The jury’s statement in the press release: “Mostafa Hassanin has redefined SMG’s security with a passwordless zero-trust architecture and innovative solutions such as Adaptive Push MFA to reduce fraud and increase user trust. His risk-based approach and focus on fostering a culture of security have set new benchmarks for resilience and excellence in the e-commerce sector.”
Swiss CISO of the Year Award
The winner of the CISO of the Year Award had already received a Cybersecurity Excellence Award in the previous year; this year she took the top prize. The award went to Tana Dubel, CISO at Logitech. In the three years in which she has held this position, she has increased the proportion of women in the cybersecurity team from 12 to 28 per cent, said Schmidt. She also supports refugees in their training to become cybersecurity experts and is involved as a mentor at Women in Cyber. “It sounds like we’re presenting the Diversity Award, doesn’t it?” said Schmidt.
Dubel was the only woman among the finalists for the award. “I hope that next year we won’t have to say that someone is ‘the only finalist’,” she said. She also gave a keynote speech on the topic of diversity and inclusion at the Global Cyber Conference. “Because there are a lot of small and large measures that each of us can take every day”, said the newly crowned Swiss CISO of the Year. “And hopefully this will change the cybersecurity landscape in the coming year.”
The jury’s statement in the press release: “Tana Dubel has reshaped Logitech’s cybersecurity landscape by introducing a Zero Trust strategy that enhances security while supporting the company’s digital innovation goals. Under her leadership, cybersecurity initiatives are aligned with Logitech’s overarching goal of promoting a secure and sustainable digital workplace. Tana’s commitment to developing talent and diversity has significantly increased the number of women on her team, with women now making up 28 per cent of the workforce and 43 per cent of leadership positions. Their robust risk management, which has been recognised with ISO 27001 certification and an “A” security rating from Riskrecon, is an example of their commitment to cyber security excellence and resilience.”
The prizes were awarded by the Swiss Cyber Institute together with EY as presenting partner. This year’s jury consisted of:
- Clara-Ann Gordon, Board Member and Partner at Niederer Kraft Frey
- Öykü Isık, Professor of Digital Strategy and Cybersecurity at IMD
- Alina Matyukhina, CSO and Global Head of Cybersecurity at Siemens SI BP
- Tom Schmidt, Cybersecurity Leader in the financial sector at EY Switzerland
- Steve Ramsden, CISO and Digital Innovation/Architect at Global Fund
- Marcel Zumbühl, CISO at Swiss Post and Swiss CISO of the Year 2023
