Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama name Johnson a Woman of Distinction

Sharon Johnson will receive her award at the North Alabama One Smart Cookie Celebration dinner on Nov. 12 at the Jackson Center.

Michael Mercier | UAH

Sharon Johnson, deputy director of the Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education (CCRE) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, has been selected as one of six 2019 Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Women of Distinction.

Instrumental in UAH hosting approximately 300 girls for the pilot National Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) Cybersecurity Challenge recently, Johnson has also been involved in providing training to enable Girl Scouts to earn their Cyber Badges.

“I'm very honored to receive the award,” Johnson says. “It was a complete surprise.”

The National Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) Cybersecurity Challenge at UAH was one of only 10 such events nationwide. The event’s challenge was set in 2050 at a human colony on the moon and the girls had to work together as part of an incident response team to find out who used a ransomware attack to hack the colony’s water supply.

Johnson and the other honorees will be celebrated at the North Alabama One Smart Cookie Celebration dinner on Nov. 12 at the Jackson Center. Since 1993, Girl Scouts have been honoring Women of Distinction in Alabama. The award honors women who have made special contributions to their communities through civic, academic or professional efforts and who are exemplary role models for today’s girls.

The One Smart Cookie Celebration will fete 107 years of Girl Scouting.