ZDI Vanguard Awards '24: Cyber Envergan Alumnus among Top Researchers

Mark Vincent Yason, an alumnus of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) from batch 2002 of the College of Computing and Multimedia Studies, was recently recognized as one of the top researchers in Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) Vanguard Awards 2024.

Yason, an independent security researcher specializing in software reverse engineering and vulnerability research, earned the award for his submissions of software vulnerabilities likely to be exploited by malicious threat actors.

The Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) was created to encourage the reporting of 0-day vulnerabilities privately to the affected vendors by financially rewarding researchers. Yason was recognized in this year's ZDI Vanguard Awards because his vulnerability research submissions to ZDI are for software vulnerabilities that are likely to be exploited by malicious threat actors.

The award ceremony took place at Black Hat USA in Las Vegas on August 8, with Yason accepting the award remotely from the Philippines via a recorded message.

Assoc. Prof. Rodrigo C. Belleza Jr., Dean of the College of Computing and Multimedia Studies, expressed his pride in Yason's achievement.

"Mark’s recognition in the ZDI Vanguard Awards is a testament to the world-class talent we cultivate at our college. His contributions to cybersecurity not only bring honor to our institution but also reinforce the critical role of research in protecting global digital infrastructures." Dean Belleza stated.

Reference: ZDI Vanguard Awards 2024 

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• SDG 4: Quality Education - Yason’s achievement highlights the importance of quality education in producing skilled professionals who can make significant contributions to global challenges like cybersecurity.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure - Yason’s work in vulnerability research supports innovation in technology and strengthens digital infrastructure by identifying and addressing software vulnerabilities.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - His contributions to cybersecurity help maintain peace and security by protecting systems from potential exploitation, contributing to stronger institutions and safer societies.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - The recognition through the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) underscores the importance of global partnerships between independent researchers, industry leaders like Trend Micro, and other stakeholders to address cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities.