ATLANTA, Ga., July 27, 2004 – Executive Alliance, Inc. today announced that the Institute for Applied Network Security (IANS), the premier membership organization for practicing network security professionals, will serve as the Governing Body for the Distinguished Panel of Judges for the first annual Information Security Executive of the Year (ISE) National Award ™ 2004.

This Award, which recognizes information security excellence nationally, will be presented at a gala dinner in conjunction with the CSI 31st Annual Computer Security Conference and Exhibition at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C. on November 8, 2004.

The distinguished panel of judges includes nine notable industry experts and analysts:

Fred Avolio * BAE Systems Advanced Technologies, Inc	Rebecca Bace, President and Founder * Infidel, Inc.
Rich Baich, CISO, Winner of the 2004 Information Security Executive of the Year in Georgia Award Choicepoint	Eric Cole, Author and Consultant *
Mike Fratto, Editor Secure Enterprise magazine	Chris Grillo, Director of IT Security Medica
Marcus Ranum, Author and Consultant *	Robert Richardson, Editorial Director CSI
Greg Shipley, Founder and CTO Neohapsis

     *indicates faculty member, IANS

“As a pioneering organization in the information security industry, IANS is proud to take on the role as Governing Body for the Distinguished Panel of Judges and honor the nation’s leading, most innovative information security pioneers,” said Jack Phillips, Manager Partner of IANS. “By aligning with Executive Alliance, we are helping to spotlight the significant achievements of these information security executives who quietly and continually protect both private and public critical infrastructures to keep our state and nation safe from security risks.”

Fritz Nelson, vice president of the Group Publisher Network for CMP Media, will serve as master of ceremonies for the Award Ceremony. Joining him will be special presenters Richard H.L. Marshall, former principal deputy director of the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO); Chris Keating, director of CSI; and Peter Kuper, VP, Institutional Research with Morgan Stanley and IANS faculty member.

Nominations for the ISE National Award will be accepted until August 13, 2004. Visit www.infosecaward.com for the nomination form and to learn more about this prestigious award.

About THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED NETWORK SECURITY

THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED NETWORK SECURITY is the premier membership organization for practicing network security professionals across the Fortune 1000, critical government agencies and prestigious academic institutions. The Institute’s mission is to provide key technical and business insights to help members solve their most pressing professional challenges. It accomplishes this directive through its confidential, interactive and unbiased events, publications and research, as well as through unique networking opportunities. Based in Boston, the Institute hosts Network Security Forums in Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas. For more information, please contact the Institute at 617.399.8100.

About Information Security Executive of the Year Award

Based upon the success of regional ISE Award Galas, the ISE National Award recognizes outstanding leadership in the field of information security and honors exemplary achievement and excellence in managing enterprise-wide Internet and network security systems. Nominees are information security pioneers from private, public, government and academic institutions who have made contributions to the business community and economy. This award is brought to the national business and technology communities by the following sponsors: Lancope, Courion and CMP Media, which includes Network Computing, Network Magazine and Secure Enterprise. For more information about this prestigious award, visit www.infosecaward.com.

About Executive Alliance

Executive Alliance is the premier organization for creating leadership-recognition forums to facilitate relationship development within a network of peers and to strengthen executive relationships within an industry. Through an extensive platform of collaborative events, which include Industry Award Events, Summits, Roundtables and Private Receptions, Executive Alliance provides an interactive community forum, filling a vital void for today’s executive. For more information about the Executive Alliance and its upcoming events, please call (404) 982-8562, email info@executivealliance.org or visit www.executivealliance.org.