KAM (Kevin A. McGrail) has earned the  Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group ( M3AAWG ) Mary Litynski Lifetime Achievement Award for a selfless career devoted to safeguarding millions of people worldwide. The award ceremony took place during M3AAWG’s 63rd General Meeting, happening this week in Lisbon, Portugal.

Presented annually, the Mary Litynski Award honors those whose tireless work over decades has led to a safer environment for online messaging. The award seeks to recognize people who operate out of the public’s limelight in their pursuit of a world free of online abuse.

Affectionately known as KAM, McGrail’s selfless work ethic is underpinned by his service-oriented and collaborative nature, reflecting the spirit of Mary Litynski herself, whose behind-the-scenes work helped build M3AAWG into the cybercrime-fighting force it is today.

“KAM’s dedication has created a safer online environment for everyone, and it is essential to recognize and honor people like him. His work makes us all safer and helps our global economy stave off phishing attacks, malware, and the consequences of relentless spam. We are proud to bring attention to KAM’s body of work with this award,” said Sara Roper, Chairperson of the M3AAWG Board of Directors.

The KAM Ruleset and Apache SpamAssassin Project

While McGrail’s contributions to the online ecosystem are vast, he has built a household name for himself in the cybersecurity world by leading the KAM ruleset as the principal author. It serves as a crucial support pillar of the Apache SpamAssassin Project protecting millions of users through its robust framework for filtering email.

• The KAM ruleset has been active since 2004 and continues to enhance online security on a global scale.
• The ruleset brings substantial enhancements to the stock application of Apache SpamAssassin by covering threats not addressed by default and it is free of charge.  
• The ruleset can be integrated and customized within the broader Apache SpamAssassin infrastructure, enabling users to tailor it to their specific needs
• KAM’s ruleset is open source. As spammers and bad actors evolve their tactics, this defense system is designed for industry-wide collaboration and is well-suited to keep pace.

Championing the Open-Source Spirit

The backbone of KAM’s work is its collaborative nature, built on open-source software platforms that are freely available to all.     

“Over the decades, I have found that Open Source Software is very important to me because it gives you control. If you see a bug, you can fix it. If you want a feature, you can add it. There is no such thing as end-of-life products. Open Source Software has changed how we use computers over the past quarter century. I'm proud of my contributions to it, including serving as treasurer and VP of fundraising for the Apache Software Foundation (ASF),” McGrail said.

Furthering the impact of his work is his commitment to both the McGrail Foundation and the Apache Software Foundation. These entities serve others by working to ensure the longevity and efficacy of applications that make us safer, reflecting an ethos that is in lockstep with the work of Mary Litynski and her namesake award.

Mary Litynski and The Ongoing Contributions of KAM

In 2010, the cybersecurity community lost a titan of our industry with the passing of Mary Litynski. We created this lifetime achievement award to continuously remind us of her selfless ways and behind-the-scenes work that formed the building blocks of M3AAWG. This year, McGrail emerged as a prototypical example of whom the awards committee wanted to honor, given this laundry list of contributions:

• Since the mid-1990s, McGrail and the SpamAssassin Project have worked closely together, he has held positions as a developer, administrator, project chair, and release manager.
• Beyond the technical realm, McGrail is a community builder. He has continuously brought together some of the brightest minds around the globe to reduce spam by combining unique skill sets and talents.
•  McGrail serves as a principal evangelist for Dito, a Google Premier Partner where he is also a Google Innovator Champion for Workspace & AI/ML, and a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary.
• He has mentored countless cybersecurity professionals while championing secure cloud solutions throughout his illustrious career.
• The McGrail Foundation also supports the development of MIMEDefang milter software and provides outreach and education to underserved communities around the globe.

“People like KAM and Mary Litynski are driven by substance, not laurels. They would rather see the online world become a safer place than to make anything about themselves. It gives me great satisfaction that this award exists to honor people like KAM, whose work has benefited literally millions of people around the globe,” said Amy Cadagin, M3AAWG Executive Director.