Most Important Companies from the Last 30 Years
These are the industry’s leading players that have proven their staying power. These are the vendors and service providers that have evolved with the needs of private businesses, government entities and non-profits, elevating their various product and/or service offerings (or perhaps having the savvy to acquire other solutions to further enhance their own) to address an ever-advancing threat landscape and the rise of myriad regulatory mandates to which most organizations must now comply.

Most Important Industry Organizations (Non-Profits) of the Last 30 Years
In all aspects of industry, non-profit groups and initiatives have a role to play as well. For the cybersecurity market, such activities could play out in educational initiatives for professionals and laymen, volunteer efforts undertaken in underserved populations here or abroad, cybersecurity services-support for groups that otherwise would not undertake them, and so much more.

Most Important Researchers of the Last 30 Years
Industry research has educated, progressed and enlivened this industry over these many years. Without the curiosity, tenacity and business/technical acumen to suss out how threats, vulnerabilities, operational risks or other issues plague our world, many of the security offerings on which we currently rely would not exist. Those promoting their research findings for the greater good therefore are crucial to our continual development and security.

Visionaries of the Last 30 Years
True visionaries introduce a concept or an idea that can impact the future. For this category, these original ideas can lead the development of new products/services, new approaches or standards to areas of cybersecurity that are widely adopted, new organizations that might be doing things a bit differently and so much more.

Executive Leaders of the Last 30 Years (Vendor)
It takes a strength of character, a hefty dose of humility, a strong commitment to ethics, sound skills in mentoring (not to mention listening), the ability to embrace both successes and failures, an attitude that embraces some risk, and more action than talk to be a strong leader of a product or service provider competing in the information security industry over these last 30 years.

Information Security Executives of the Last 30 Years (End-user companies)
This section mirrors the above category, but there’s the added twist that infosec has often been viewed by executive boards and C-level executives as a cost center, an impediment to business initiatives, unnecessary and more. While many of these negative opinions have changed, there still are challenges to overcome. Even now, there are times when CISOs might be made the scapegoat when bad things happen; they might still get short shrift when it comes to budget, staff and resources; they may work terribly long hours but see unequal compensation and positive feedback. CISOs – whether we’re talking 30 years ago or today -- have to be one tough group of pros with the vision to see the business’ mission, and how the security divisions they lead will bolster, advance and safeguard that as it evolves. Of course, humility, a code of ethics, and other traits mentioned in the above category play key roles here as well. 

Most Important Cybersecurity Discoveries by a Company Research Team
Under the hood of every good cybersecurity company is a team of dedicated researchers and analysts. These people toil away looking for the odd bits and pieces of information and data scattered around the web, and Dark Web, that might help them uncover a zero day, new malware variant or cybergang. So, here is your chance to list the most amazing and important discoveries that have been made.

Most Critical Products/Services Developed in the Last 30 Years
Having been created and patented by an individual or a company, these products/services have made a huge contribution to the cybersecurity industry and have served countless organizations and/or consumers in their missions to safeguard their critical assets. These are memorable and impactful products/services because of their wider influence in the further development of the technical areas in which they sit or because of their effects in shaping still more technological tools or services.

Most Critical Cybersecurity-Related Laws or Regulations in the Last 30 Years
Regulations of all kinds can prove quite controversial. However, in some industries the need for them becomes quite palpable with the passage of time. How the information security industry has evolved over these many years is a prime example. While at one point it was hoped and expected that organizations would implement appropriate security controls to protect critical data, intellectual property and their customers’/clients personally identifiable information, this concept only seemed to resonate after an avalanche of various types of breaches prompted the creation of industry and government mandates. While they may not have been the clearest, most prescriptive or even the most understood when their initial versions were released, they have advanced along with the industry to encompass the cybersecurity and privacy needs and expectations of both industry players and laymen.