Cybersecurity Awards Spotlight AI Governance and Community Choice Winners

CISOs Connect announced the opening of nominations for its DC100 Awards, which will recognize 100 deputy CISOs and other second‑in‑command cybersecurity executives for leadership in areas such as AI governance, data protection and enterprise risk. Frank Aiello, senior vice‑president and CISO at Maximus, said deputy CISOs are now “force multipliers” shaping strategy and transformation, while Aimee Rhodes, CEO of CISOs Connect, highlighted the impact of AI on security decision‑making.

During the same week, the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards revealed the winners of its 2026 Community Choice Award, selected by 79,455 votes from the global security community. Holger Schulze, founder and CEO of Cybersecurity Insiders, noted that AI security was among the highest‑voted categories, reflecting its growing relevance across ten award sub‑categories. The results were announced at Black Hat USA, where AI risk featured prominently on the conference agenda. Survey data from Cybersecurity Insiders identified expanding operational capacity, risk reduction before attacks, and AI‑driven controls as top priorities for organizations.

Both announcements underscore the increasing prominence of AI in cybersecurity leadership and the broader industry’s recognition of professionals driving these changes.