ISSA-NOVA Past President Michael D. Smith Named 2026 ISSA International Fellow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ISSA-NOVA Past President Michael D. Smith Named 2026 ISSA International Fellow

Former ISSA-NOVA president recognized for leadership, professional excellence, volunteer service and contributions to the cybersecurity profession

RESTON VIRGINIA, 08/17/26: The Information Systems Security Association, Northern Virginia Chapter (ISSA-NOVA) congratulates Michael D. Smith, former chapter president and current president emeritus, on his selection as a 2026 ISSA International Fellow, one of the association’s most selective membership distinctions.  He will be formally recognized at the 2026 ISSA International Awards Gala on Sept. 10, 2026, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

ISSA International named Michael D. Smith among its 2026 class of 10 Fellows. The Fellow designation is reserved for the top 2% of ISSA membership and recognizes exceptional leadership, professional excellence, volunteer service, mentorship and meaningful contributions to the cybersecurity profession.

“Michael represents the kind of leadership and commitment to service that strengthens both ISSA-NOVA and the cybersecurity profession,” said Jim Wiggins, president of ISSA-NOVA. “His years of service to our chapter, his dedication to mentoring cybersecurity professionals and his distinguished career supporting critical national security missions make this recognition especially well deserved. We are proud to see Michael’s contributions recognized at the international level.”

Michael D. Smith served as president of ISSA-NOVA from 2022 through 2024 after holding several chapter leadership positions, including senior vice president and director of veterans affairs. He has served on the ISSA-NOVA board since 2019 and continues to support the chapter as president emeritus.

During his chapter leadership, Michael D. Smith helped expand professional development and member engagement activities, organized chapter meetings and mentorship programs, and strengthened relationships with government agencies, private-sector organizations and academic institutions. He also guided ISSA-NOVA through the COVID-19 period by establishing hybrid meetings and helping reestablish in-person meetings after two years of online-only programming. In addition, he led greater regional cooperation through the establishment of a quarterly Mid-Atlantic summit with the ISSA Washington, D.C., and Central Maryland chapters.

Michael D. Smith brings more than 38 years of information technology and cybersecurity experience spanning systems and security engineering, cybersecurity program management, computer network defense and federal information security. He currently serves as a Cyber Security Program Manager at Battelle, where his work has included cybersecurity architecture, engineering and program support for Department of Homeland Security initiatives and other federal programs.  Earlier in his career, he supported information security and risk-management activities involving the departments of Homeland Security, State, Treasury and Interior.

Smith also completed an extensive 31 year career as a U.S. Army Officer, retiring at the rank of colonel. From 2015 to 2017, he served as brigade commander of the Army Reserve Cyber Operations Group, which consisted of five Cyber Protection Centers and 10 Cyber Protection Teams located across the continental United States, with detachments in Hawaii, Germany and South Korea.  His military service also included assignments as a faculty instructor with the U.S. Army War College and in leadership positions involving cyber operations and computer network defense. He later helped establish an Army Cyber Institute Research Team at West Point.

Smith’s professional credentials include the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP) certifications. His honors include the Military Cyber Professionals Association Order of Thor Gold award in 2024, the Legion of Merit in 2019, the Bronze Star for service in Iraq in 2008, and multiple cybersecurity-related recognitions from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State.

Michael Smith holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, an MBA from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, a master’s of science degree in information technology from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and history from the University of Delaware.

About ISSA-NOVA

The Information Systems Security Association, Northern Virginia Chapter serves the cybersecurity professional community in Northern Virginia through programs focused on professional development, knowledge sharing, mentorship, networking and engagement with government, industry and academic stakeholders.

Media Contact

Jim Wiggins
President
ISSA-NOVA
president@issa-nova.org