[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]ISC)2® (“ISC)-squared”), the not-for-profit global leader in educating and certifying information security professionals throughout their careers with more than 86,000 certified members worldwide, today announced the honorees for its sixth annual Asia-Pacific Information Security Leadership Achievements (ISLA) Program.

Chella Namasivayam, Chief Information Officer, iGATE was recognized as Honoree for the Category of Managerial Professional for an Information Security Project. (ISC)2 recognized 27 honorees and announced three distinguished workforce initiatives and a community service star special recognition led by the most outstanding honorees at the Gala Dinner and Ceremony today, in Tokyo, Japan.

Accepting the award, Mr. Chella Namasivayam said, "I am pleased to be honored with this prestigious award. It is a great accomplishment for me and the team that successfully completed a complex project, ‘Information Security Integration in a Business Acquisition Environment’.

During the course of this project, we were successful in overcoming challenges with respect to diversified security work culture and decentralized ISMS framework. I am glad to have an agile team whose hard work has been well recognized through this award."

“I am deeply impressed by the quality of nominations we received this year and grateful to the Japanese government for their support in recognizing some of Asia-Pacific's top talent in information security,” said W. Hord Tipton, CISSP-ISSEP, CAP, CISA, executive director of (ISC)2. “At a time when the global information security workforce is in crisis, the Asia-Pacific ISLA program serves as a platform to honor true leaders who are protecting digital assets and critical infrastructures and building the workforce of the future in this region.”

The Asia-Pacific ISLA Gala Dinner is supported by Japanese government entities, including the: Ministry of Defense; National Police Agency; National Information Security Center; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Guests of honor Mr. Ikuo Misumi, counselor for government information security standards, National Information Security Center, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan; Mr. Toru Nakayama, deputy director-general, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and Mr. Yasuo Sakamoto, deputy director-general, Information and Communication Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, joined (ISC)2 executives to celebrate the talents and achievements of top information security professionals from around Asia-Pacific.

Through ISLA, (ISC)2 recognizes the ongoing commitment by information security leaders throughout Asia-Pacific to build a highly qualified and ethical workforce. Part of (ISC)2's global Awards Program, ISLA aims to recognize the achievements of outstanding information security professionals who have significantly enhanced the workforce by demonstrating a leadership role in an information security workforce improvement initiative, program or project.