Ariana Stern

The NNSA Office of Information Management recently hosted their annual Chief Information Officer Achievement Awards, where two teams and one person from Sandia were recognized for their exceptional contributions to advancing information technology and cybersecurity within the nuclear security enterprise.

The Classified Cloud Initiative Team was acknowledged for developing and implementing a Microsoft Azure Secret Cloud and Office 365 solution on the national security network. This initiative has revolutionized classified collaboration across the NNSA complex by addressing the limitations of on-premises infrastructure. The new solution provides a unified, secure and collaborative cloud environment that enhances operational efficiency and facilitates data sharing for sensitive information within NNSA.

Additionally, the Mobile Classified Team was recognized for enhancing NNSA’s classified capabilities by implementing National Security Agency-approved commercial solutions for classified technology in January 2025. This initiative enables secure remote access to the national security network via unclassified transport, allowing personnel to perform classified work from various locations. The Mobile Classified Team’s efforts not only enhance workforce development but also reduce infrastructure costs by providing a single network delivery system for both classified and unclassified information.

Sandia cybersecurity researcher Irbis Gallegos received an individual award for his outstanding contributions to the NNSA Cyber Threat Intelligence Center of Excellence. Through the Cyber Situational Awareness Brief, a weekly meeting with key NNSA and Sandia personnel, Irbis has significantly enhanced threat landscape situational awareness. He provides programmatic updates, processes open-source intelligence and creates models to visualize threat actors, offering critical insights into emerging attack vectors and geopolitical cyber dynamics. His work has notably improved the defensive posture of Center of Excellence members.

Sandia Chief Information Officer John Zepper expressed his pride in the accomplishments, saying, “These awards reflect the unwavering dedication and innovative spirit of our teams and individuals at Sandia. I am immensely proud of the significant impact we are making. Our efforts not only enhance our capabilities for the complex but also strengthen our national security ecosystem and set a new standard for excellence in information technology and cybersecurity. We are committed to sustaining this momentum and further advancing our capabilities to safeguard our nation.”