The distinction that recognizes the significant contribution of an ISO technical committee or subcommittee to the development of International Standards was presented during the 38th ISO General Assembly, which runs this week in Seoul, Korea.
According to ISO President Dr. Zhang Xiaogang, joint technical committee ISO/IEC JTC1, Information technology, subcommittee SC 27, IT security techniques, was chosen “for its world-leading experts, world-class standards and excellence in promotion and consultation”.
Standards against information security risks
The subcommittee develops standards that address the information security risks facing organizations today, including the well-known ISO/IEC 27001, the management system standard for information security.
“ISO/IEC 27001 has become a common language for organizations to protect their information and is now a leading standard for international certification in information security,” said ISO Acting Secretary-General Kevin McKinley during the awards ceremony.
Mr. McKinley commended the efforts the committee had made to ensure strong ties with industry stakeholders, conducting seminars for local businesses, at the same time as its working group meetings, to exchange and gain feedback on future needs for standardization.
He also celebrated the committee’s work in forming relationships with other industry and standards organizations, which ensures the presence of world-leading expertise within the committee and avoids reinventing the wheel.
This is the second time that a joint ISO/IEC committee or subcommittee has won the award and highlights the importance of working together to drive standards forward.
Increasing need for information security standards
Secretary for the subcommittee, Krystyna Passia from DIN, the ISO member for Germany, and Chair Walter Fumy accepted the award on behalf of the hundreds of experts all over the world who contribute to the technical work.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Fumy also thanked the more than 70 ISO members from all five continents that have supported the subcommittee’s work, many of whom have dedicated resources and nominated experts to take part in the development process.
This growing support reflects the ever increasing need for information security standards as “we migrate much of human activity from the physical world to cyberspace,” he said.
The Lawrence D. Eicher Leadership Award was developed in 2002 to acknowledge excellence and innovation in technical work as a tribute to ISO’s late Secretary-General, who served from 1986 to 2002.
