Nominations are open for the 2026 Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards, celebrating the people working behind the scenes to make the UK safer and better protected from cyber threats. This year’s awards will take place on 20 October at Balfour St Barts in London, bringing together cybersecurity professionals, educators, researchers, journalists and industry leaders during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
A new Best Academic Entrepreneur category has also been introduced for 2026, recognising academics who have taken cybersecurity research beyond the university environment and turned their ideas into viable businesses. The new category is supported by CyberASAP, the UK Government-backed Cyber Security Academic Start-Up Accelerator Programme, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Over the past decade, CyberASAP alumni have raised £75 million in follow-on investment, resulting in 45 cybersecurity companies as well as multiple acquisitions and technology licences to industry.
Emma Fadlon and Robin Kennedy, Co-Directors of CyberASAP, said: “We’re really excited to be supporting this new award category, highlighting the vital role that academics can play in the cyber innovation ecosystem. Equipping them to commercialise their research and flourish in the market is what our programme is all about.”
European open-source threat management company Filigran has also joined the awards as a sponsor alongside CultureAI, OneAdvanced and The Zensory. Their support enables the awards to remain free both to enter and attend. Filigran develops an extended threat management (XTM) platform designed to help security teams understand relevant threats and continuously validate their defences.
“As a company built around open-source technology and community, Filigran is proud to support the Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards and celebrate the individuals whose work, collaboration and expertise make a real difference to cybersecurity every day,” said Cindy Valladeres, Head of Brand, Community, and Communications at Filigran.
Pulse Conferences is also supporting the awards as an event partner, with Director Clive Room joining Eskenzi PR Co-Founder and Director Yvonne Eskenzi to compère the ceremony.
Now in its latest edition, the Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards were created to recognise cybersecurity professionals whose contributions can often go unnoticed. Categories span technical security, education, leadership, journalism, diversity, wellbeing and security awareness.
“Cybersecurity is ultimately powered by people. Behind every new defence, disrupted attack and protected organisation are individuals working tirelessly to make the digital world safer,” said Yvonne Eskenzi who is also lead organiser on the event. “Yet, amid the constant focus on new threats and technological innovation, their contributions can too often go unrecognised. The Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards shine a much-deserved spotlight on these remarkable people and give us an opportunity to celebrate the passion, commitment and expertise that make the cybersecurity community so special.”
Categories for 2026 include CISO Supremo, Rising Star, Security Mentor, Best Ethical Hacker/Pentester, Data Guardian, Best Educator, Diversity Champion, Cybersecurity Wellbeing Advocate and Channel Champion. Awards will also recognise security teams, awareness campaigns, journalists, bloggers and podcasters.
The judging panel includes representatives from Computer Weekly, Infosecurity Magazine, CultureAI, CyberASAP, OneAdvanced, Pulse Conferences, HiddenText, Bora and Eskenzi PR.
Nominations close at 5pm on 23 September 2026, with nominees, nominators and their guests invited to attend the awards ceremony in London on 20 October.
