The US Department of Defense Security Service (DSS) has named Wiley|Wilson a 2016 James S. Cogswell Award winner, an achievement that recognizes the firm’s commitment to industrial security excellence and maintaining a robust security program. The Cogswell award is the most prestigious honor the DSS can bestow to a member of the cleared industry. Less than one percent of the more than 13,500 cleared firms are selected annually to receive the award.

“Being named a Cogswell Award winner is a tremendous honor for the entire firm and all employee-owners,” said Fred Armstrong, PE, Chairman and CEO. “We consider it a privilege to work on projects for the federal government, and protecting our access to sensitive information is a responsibility we take very seriously, at all levels of the organization. This accomplishment reaffirms that our approach to security is exemplary and our efforts to safeguard our client information exceeds the highest standards.”

This is the first Cogswell Award that the firm has received. The award was presented at the annual NCMS conference on June 8, 2016, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville.

About the James S. Cogswell Award
The Cogswell Award was established in 1966 and is named in honor of the late Air Force Col. James S. Cogswell, who was the first chief of the unified office of Industrial Security. Col. Cogswell is responsible for the underlying principle of the Industrial Security Program. That principle is the need for a true partnership between industry and government to ensure the protection of classified information, materials, and programs.

The criteria for the award focuses on the principles of industrial security excellence, which includes establishing and maintaining a security program that goes well beyond the minimum National Industrial Security Program requirements and providing leadership to other cleared facilities to set high standards for security.

To receive consideration for the Cogswell Award, a facility must be nominated by their assigned Industrial Security Representative and have two consecutive superior industrial security review ratings. They also must show a sustained degree of excellence and innovation in their overall security program management, implementation and oversight. Beginning in 2007, a facility also must have responded to the annual Personnel Security Investigation (PSI) survey as a prerequisite for further consideration.

Read more about this year’s Cogswell Award winners in the DSS news announcement.