Information Security Specialist Paul Thomas Yoder Named 2017 Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Award Winner in Education

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Yoder (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-yoder-b753575/), Information Security Specialist at El Camino Community College District, has been recognized for his trailblazing work with the 2017 Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Award in the category of education. Sponsored by McAfee and the Center for Digital Government, the Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Awards honor leading contributors to information security knowledge and best practices across several industries. 

Information security has steadily evolved from an esoteric, niche domain to something that fully occupies the public consciousness. Most recently, the Equifax breach has exposed how the security of personally identifiable information is everyone's concern. Regarding Equifax, Yoder describes the disaster there as "[t]he Mt. Everest of hacks."

"The state of information security and the proliferation of threats around the world should concern everyone," Yoder says. "Fortunately, security best practices are something we all can learn — you don't need rigorous technical education to be proactive about your own valuable data."

At El Camino Community College District, Yoder serves as the head of the information systems security department and is a member of the technology committee. He joined the staff in April 2016 and has since led a thorough transformation of the college's security posture. Yoder's work at El Camino has involved developing a comprehensive InfoSec program from the ground up; specific tasks included creating a cybersecurity education program, deploying next-generation firewalls, creating appropriate policies and ensuring compliance at all levels.

Before joining El Camino, Yoder worked for 15 years at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles after that. He was a member of JPL's Network Computer Security Group, which created an automated system to discover, track and remediate computer vulnerabilities. That system has since been deployed throughout NASA. Yoder also contributed to the recently concluded Cassini/Huygens project and the space Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) project.

Currently, Yoder is putting together a book on cybersecurity and cyber-hygiene best practices for non-experts who want to protect their digital data. He believes ordinary citizens around the world have the power to thwart cyber criminals and stem the tide of data breaches.

"People are always the weak link in any cybersecurity system, no matter how well designed," adds Yoder. "The overwhelming majority of breaches happen because of human error, whether a misguided policy, consistent failure to follow procedures or a simple, one-time mistake. Knowledge, awareness and follow-through are key to preventing future incidents."

This year marks the seventh annual installment of the Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Awards. Underwritten by Intel, the awards honor leading contributors to cybersecurity innovation in healthcare, education and government. Winners are selected based on evaluations of leadership prowess, creative problem solving, leveraging of technology and overall impact on their respective organizations.

Contact:

Paul Thomas Yoder
747-215-1527
[email protected]

SOURCE Paul Thomas Yoder

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