Government Executive Media Group and the SANS Institute Launch the Government Executive Cybersecurity Insider Series

WASHINGTON, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Government Executive Media Group and the SANS Institute today announced a year-round program of educational forums and training seminars designed to advance cybersecurity efforts in the federal government.  The partnership joins the nation's leading cybersecurity experts with the media source most read by federal government decision makers.(1)

SANS and Government Executive will jointly produce the Government Executive Cybersecurity Insider Series, monthly expert briefings on pressing cybersecurity issues.  Moderated by Tim Clark, Editor at Large for Government Executive and Alan Paller, Director of Research for the SANS Institute, these hyper-current events will feature discussions with high-profile federal officials involved in crafting cybersecurity policy and implementation strategies.  

"Government Executive and SANS are uniquely qualified to deliver expert analysis not available anywhere else," commented Alan Paller, Director of Research for the SANS Institute.  "By pulling in the leading edge cybersecurity insiders who are shaping federal policy, we will equip attendees with the latest insights and best practices that they can use immediately to improve cybersecurity at their agencies."

The Government Executive Cybersecurity Insider Series will kick-off on June 15th with a briefing entitled "OMB Changes the Rules of Federal Cybersecurity."  It will focus on how agencies can harness the opportunities created by the 2010 FISMA reporting requirements and avoid likely missteps.  Confirmed panelists for the event include Matt Coose, Director Federal Network Security, Department of Homeland Security and John Streufert, Chief Information Security Office, U.S. Department of State.  More information on this event is available at www.govexec.com/cyber_insider.

"We are excited to join forces with the pre-eminent authority in cybersecurity," said Tim Hartman, General Manager of Government Executive Media Group.  "The war on cyber threats is only just beginning, and we look forward to working with SANS to ensure that federal cybersecurity officials are continuously equipped with the latest intelligence and best practices available to protect government data and systems."

The program will also include an annual 2-day summit event, the first of which will be held in September 2010.  The summit will feature comprehensive content and training sessions across the key cybersecurity issues facing federal agencies.

About the SANS Institute

The SANS Institute is the most respected and by far the largest provider of advanced cybersecurity education and certification.  SANS' 83,000 alumni operate and manage cybersecurity capabilities in more than 60 countries.  In addition to the Internet Storm Center, the open source early warning system for the Internet, it manages the Software Security Institute, which is setting standards for and developing certifications for measuring secure application development skills.  For more information, visit www.sans.org.

About Government Executive Media Group

Government Executive Media Group is the media source most read by federal decision makers and the premier marketing platform for federal contractors.(1)  The magazine and related online, events and research properties cover the entire spectrum of management challenges confronting federal executives across civilian and defense agencies.  For more information, visit www.GovernmentExecutive.com.

(1) Compete.com, 2010 & Market Connections, Inc. Federal Media Habits Study, 2009-2010.

Contact: Will Colston 202.266.7423

SOURCE Government Executive Media Group