Rising stars in cyber security, 2026.
Plenty of lists promise the next generation and quietly sell the slots. This one names the people the independent panel actually recognised: the Rising Star and Newcomer winners of the Cyber Security Awards, edition by edition, with the most recent first.
The rising stars, edition by edition
Listed newest first. Every name is a real Rising Star or Newcomer winner of the Cyber Security Awards. Organisations without a logo are shown by their initials.
- 1
Jubilian Ho Hong Yi · Rising Star in Cyber Security 2026
Penetration tester at Ensign InfoSecurity in Singapore. He presented research on malicious NFTs at Black Hat Europe Arsenal early in his career and continues to mentor newer defenders.
- 2
Rosie Anderson · Cyber Newcomer of the Year 2025
Head of Strategic Solutions at th4ts3cur1ty.company. She founded BSides Lancashire, helped restart the Manchester 2600 community and mentors people moving into security.
- 3
Sama Carlos Samame · Cyber Newcomer of the Year 2023
Recognised by the independent panel for early-career work that stood out against a strong field of new entrants to the profession.
- 4
Bethan Jenkins · Cyber Newcomer of the Year 2022
Named the standout newcomer of her edition, then returned the following year as a finalist for Personality of the Year.
- 5
Dave Preece · Cyber Newcomer of the Year 2021
Recognised for his early contribution to security at Kensington Mortgages, chosen ahead of a highly commended international field.
- 6
Leah Claireaux · Newcomer of the Year 2020
Recognised for her early-career work at BT, judged the strongest newcomer of the 2020 programme.
- 7
Joshua Seymour · Newcomer of the Year 2019
Named the leading newcomer for his work with the KierBAM joint venture, judged against published criteria.
- 8
Chelsea Cadd · Newcomer of the Year 2018
Recognised for early-career security work at Invotra, selected by the independent panel.
How this list is built: it contains only real Rising Star and Newcomer winners of the Cyber Security Awards, a programme judged by an independent panel. We do not sell placement, and the list is not influenced by sponsorship. The 2026 edition renamed the early-career category from Newcomer to Rising Star. See how winners are chosen.
About this list
Who is the 2026 Rising Star in cyber security?
Jubilian Ho Hong Yi, a penetration tester at Ensign InfoSecurity in Singapore. He was named Rising Star in Cyber Security at the 2026 Cyber Security Awards.
How were these rising stars selected?
Each is a Rising Star or Newcomer winner chosen by an independent panel that scored nominations against published criteria. See the methodology page for the full process.
Can someone pay to appear on this list?
No. The list contains only judged winners. Placement cannot be bought, and sponsorship has no bearing on who appears or in what order.
Why is the category called Rising Star and not Newcomer?
The award recognised the best newcomer for most of its history. The 2026 edition restructured the individual categories and renamed it Rising Star in Cyber Security. The intent is the same: to honour outstanding early-career defenders.