ISSA Nova Coin Minted

The ISSA Nova chapter has minted a chapter coin. The coin is presented for cyber excellence. Recipients include chapter meeting speakers, chapter members, and chapter advocates.

History
ISSA Nova Vice President of Technology Gail Schnell recommended the creation of a chapter coin to the Executive Board. Gail served in the elite U.S. Army’s National Capital Region Information Operations Center (NCRIOC) that has a tradition of awarding coins for outstanding performance. Vice President of Operations Ariel Huckabay presented a proposal for the coin to the board in December 2023, which was unanimously approved. The coin was designed by Vice President of Operations Ariel Huckabay and President Michael D. Smith.

The meaning of the coin
The colors of the coin. At the coin’s center is sky blue representing the unlimited opportunities provided by ISSA Nova. The royal blue band represents safety and security, which cybersecurity professionals through their career service strive to provide. The gold band represents the gold standard of ISSA Nova membership.

The front of the coin
The interconnected NV represents Northern Virginia. Northern Virginia is an interconnected region. It is interconnected with the District, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) metro area, the high tech hubs of the USA, and the world through its diverse International population. Above the intersection of the N and the V is an eternal flame representing the ISSA Nova chapter’s enduring commitment to professional cyber security development and education for the current and future generations. Connected to the N is a balanced scale of Justice representing the responsibility of all ISSA Nova members to leverage their skills for the greater good of the community. The left weighing pan holds the CIA Triad. The Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability of data protection, which must be balanced and risk based. The right weighing pan holds the illuminating lamp of knowledge, which ISSA Nova membership provides. At the base of the scale is the digital year of the chapter’s founding.

The back of the coin
“For Cyber Excellence” for which the coin is presented. In the center is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated chapter symbol representing the future challenges and opportunities for the ISSA Nova chapter. The 10 wires of the symbol’s integrated circuit represent the original 10 domains of the Cybersecurity Common Body of Knowledge. The symbol’s encryption lock is comprised of a binary switch and an arrow pointing towards the illuminated future of the cybersecurity career field. In Latin is written “Scientia Potentia”, Knowledge is Power. The bottom displays the original emblem of the ISSA Nova chapter.