The categories we recognise.
The 2026 programme honours ten kinds of contribution: five for the people who defend, and five for the organisations behind them. Each award is judged against published criteria by an independent panel, and a place is earned on the evidence.
Individual awards
Five awards for the people who carry the work, from those starting out to those who set the direction others follow.
Rising Star
For early-career defenders who already make a mark. The analyst, researcher or engineer whose first years point to a long contribution ahead.
Cyber Security Professional
For the practitioner doing the technical work that holds the line, from threat hunting and incident response to detection engineering and research.
Cyber Security Leader
For the person who sets direction and carries accountability, building security strategy and teams that hold up under real pressure.
Cyber Security Influencer
For the voice who shapes how the field thinks and acts, through research, speaking, writing or standards that others follow.
Cyber Security Advocate
For the educator and mentor who widens the door, training newcomers, raising awareness and helping close the skills gap.
Organisation awards
Five awards for the firms, tools, services, teams and communities that defenders rely on.
Cyber Security Company
For the firm whose work over the year improved how its clients defend themselves, judged on outcomes rather than reach.
Cyber Security Product
For the tool that solves a real defensive problem well, measured by what it lets defenders do, not by its marketing.
Cyber Security Service
For managed and professional services that carry the load for clients, from detection and response to testing and assurance.
Cyber Security Team
For the group whose combined effort, often unseen, kept an organisation standing through the year, including the SOC on the late shift.
Cyber Security Community
For the meetup, project or event that brings defenders together and helps the wider field learn and improve.
Entry is open to anyone in the field. You can nominate yourself or someone else, read how winners are chosen, or browse the Hall of Fame. Recognition here is judged on merit and never bought.
About the categories
How many categories are there in 2026?
Ten. The 2026 programme was restructured into five individual awards (Rising Star, Cyber Security Professional, Cyber Security Leader, Cyber Security Influencer and Cyber Security Advocate) and five organisation awards (Company, Product, Service, Team and Community).
Which category should I enter?
Choose the one that best fits the contribution you want recognised. Individuals enter the people categories; firms, tools, services, teams and communities enter the organisation categories. Each category page sets out the criteria the panel uses, so you can match your evidence to the right award.
Can I enter more than one category?
Yes. A person or organisation may be nominated in any category where the work genuinely fits. Each entry is judged on its own evidence against that category’s published criteria.
How is recognition decided?
Recognition is decided by an independent panel on merit against the published criteria, and a place can never be bought.