SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of Black Hat USA 2016, Dark Reading today announces finalists for the Best of Black Hat Awards, a new program honoring the teams and individuals driving the information security industry forward. Dark Reading will name the winners of three Innovator Awards that give special recognition to new and emerging companies, as well as industry thought leaders. A winner in each category will be announced onAugust 3 at 6:00pm, in conjunction with Black Hat USA.

Best of Black Hat awards finalists were chosen by Dark Reading editors, who evaluated each submission based on its alignment with the guidelines of the following categories:

Most Innovative Startup

The Most Innovative Startup Award will be given to a Black Hat exhibiting company that was developed within the past three years, and whose charter and products are changing the way the industry thinks about security. The winner of the award will be a company that presents groundbreaking thoughts on IT security, and has product implementations and early deployments that demonstrate the potential to change the way enterprises approach security issues.Finalists: Deep Instinct LTD, Phantom Cyber Corp. and SafeBreach Inc.

Most Innovative Emerging Company

The Most Innovative Emerging Company Award will be presented to a Black Hat exhibitor that has been in business for three to six years and whose charter, products, and customer feedback indicate the potential to change the way enterprises approach information security problems. The winner of the award will be a company that presents innovative thinking about IT security, working products that have been proven to make an impact on enterprise customers, and strong evidence of leadership in the security industry.Finalists: SentinelOne, Vectra Inc. and ZeroFOX

Most Innovative Thought Leader

The Most Innovative Thought Leader Award will be given to an individual employed by a Black Hat exhibitor who has demonstrated compelling ideas and IT security industry thought leadership over the past 12 months. The winner of the award will be an individual whose ideas have led to cutting-edge security technology and/or research, and can demonstrate new ways of thinking that have had impact on other organizations and professionals within the security industry.Finalists: Krishna Narayanaswamy, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder, Netskope, Inc.; Dr. Paul Vixie, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder, Farsight Security Inc.; Jeff Williams, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Contrast SecurityFinalists of the Best of Black Hat Awards will be further evaluated by judges based on follow-up interviews conducted by Dark Reading editors.

Winners for each of the three categories will be announced from the Black Hat Business Hall on August 3 at 6:00pm.Register for Black Hat USA: blackhat.com/us-16/ Register for a Black Hat USA Media Pass: blackhat.com/us-16/media-registration.htmlConnect with Black Hat

Twitter: twitter.com/BlackHatEvents- #BlackHat #BHUSA
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Future Black Hat Dates and Events

Black Hat Europe 2016, Business Design Centre, London, England, November 1-4, 2016
Black Hat Asia 2017, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, March 28-31, 2017

About Black Hat

For more than 18 years, Black Hat has provided attendees with the very latest in information security research, development, and trends. These high-profile global events and trainings are driven by the needs of the security community, striving to bring together the best minds in the industry. Black Hat inspires professionals at all career levels, encouraging growth and collaboration among academia, world-class researchers, and leaders in the public and private sectors. Black Hat Briefings and Trainings are held annually in the United States, Europe and Asia. More information is available at: blackhat.com. Black Hat is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communications services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com.

About Dark Reading

Dark Reading is the cyber security industry's top destination for news and insight. The site gives cyber security professionals an editorially supported environment to connect with peers through moderated discussions, blogs and social media. Cyber security professionals visit Dark Reading to learn about cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and technology trends. It's where they discuss potential defenses against the latest attacks, and key technologies and practices that may help protect their most sensitive data in the future. It's where they come to engage with one another and with Dark Reading editors to embrace new (and big) ideas, find answers to their IT security questions and solve their most pressing problems. For more information, go to http://www.darkreading.com. Dark Reading is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communications services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com.

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