I seem to receive several emails about the 4:cast awards. As a result I’ve given them some thought and have created this FAQ page.
Q – How do I get nominated for a Forensic 4:cast Award?
A – Drop a clearly marked brown paper bag with $20,000 in cash under the bench… Kidding! Everything in the Forensic 4:cast awards is community driven. I open the nominations and encourage people to post their favorites in various categories. Once the nominations close they are tallied and the top 3 are moved on to voting. If you, your company, or your product do not make it to voting then there’s nothing I can really do. The list is final.
Q – Can you please add me/my company/my product to the voting?
A – No. Once the count for the nominations is in, the list is final.
Q – Do you allow exceptions?
A – No.
Q – When do the nominations usually begin for the 4:cast awards?
A – January 1 or as close to that date as I can manage.
Q – When do the nominations close?
A – The nomination typically close on March 31.
Q – When does the voting close on the 4:cast awards?
A – This varies as the SANS Forensic Summit hosts the awards and the date of this event moves between June and July each year.
Q – Why aren’t I/we in contention for a 4:cast award?
A – This, unfortunately isn’t a question I can really answer. You typically have access to your clients and customers. The only answer that I can give is that you didn’t receive enough nominations to progress to the voting round.
Q – What can I do to ensure that I/we are nominated next year?
A – Some organizations really make a big deal out of the awards. They send out emails to clients, they post details on their website, some even have dedicated computers set up in their offices so that visitors can post nominations/votes. Doing this, and more, will likely lead to more nominations and votes.