Hsiawen Hull, executive director of infrastructure and information security at College of the Canyons, has been awarded the Innovation & Best Practices Award by the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), a division of the Center for Internet Security (CIS). Hull received the national honor at the 19th ISAC Annual Summit.
The Innovation & Best Practices Award recognizes individuals or organizations whose innovative approaches and best practices have strengthened cybersecurity outcomes across the broader community.
Hull was selected for his leadership in transforming cybersecurity efforts across the California Community Colleges (CCC) system. In less than one year, he has helped establish the CCC Security Center as a vital, systemwide resource supporting California’s 116 community colleges, accelerating the maturity of cybersecurity programs and strengthening defenses across all 73 districts.
“I’m honored to have been nominated alongside some of the largest agencies in the country for this award,” said Hull. “The work the California Community Colleges Security Center is doing is making a real impact, and I believe it’s because we’ve stayed focused on building a genuine community of practice.”
That community-centered approach has connected IT and security professionals throughout the state, enabling real-time collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and coordinated responses to emerging threats. Through the CCC Security Center, Hull has also expanded statewide threat intelligence sharing, ensuring districts receive timely alerts, actionable threat indicators, and guidance to mitigate risks as quickly as possible.
Hull has led efforts to proactively identify and address vulnerabilities across district systems by implementing comprehensive risk and security assessments, as well as developing shared policy templates and compliance guidance to help colleges meet evolving state and federal requirements.
Recognizing that many colleges face resource limitations, Hull has worked to make advanced cybersecurity capabilities more accessible. He has helped deliver shared services such as virtual CISO support, security monitoring resources, and funding for critical tools like security information and event management (SIEM) systems—giving smaller districts access to protections that may otherwise be out of reach.
With a focus on workforce development, Hull established a student-run Security Operations Center that provides hands-on experience tackling real cybersecurity threats affecting active institutions. The program not only strengthens monitoring and response capabilities across the system but also prepares students for careers in cybersecurity through immersive, real-world training.
“We’re bringing together the technical and security knowledge of professionals across all 73 CCC districts, creating real opportunities for students to develop security skills in real-world environments, and building partnerships throughout the industry to make sure our community has access to information and resources that simply haven’t existed at this level before,” added Hull.
In addition, Hull has expanded professional development opportunities by organizing monthly trainings, regional events, and conference sessions, while also launching mentorship initiatives that connect students directly with industry professionals. His internship model is intentionally designed to provide meaningful, time-limited experience, allowing participants to quickly transition into full-time roles while creating opportunities for new students each year.
MS-ISAC, a division of the Center for Internet Security, is the nation’s trusted cybersecurity partner for U.S. state, local, tribal, and territorial government organizations. MS-ISAC supports members through 24/7 threat monitoring, actionable threat intelligence, and collaborative defense strategies designed to help public sector organizations — including education, healthcare, law enforcement, and critical infrastructure — strengthen cybersecurity resilience and reduce risk.
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