Nominations are now open for the seventh annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards. Whether educating the public, fighting cybercrime on the frontlines or mentoring a newcomer, these awards supported by the IT Security Guru are an opportunity to acknowledge the people who make the industry great, and keep us safe online. Among other long-standing categories, the awards this year will also recognise the individuals who go above and beyond to promote greater diversity and inclusion (Diversity Champion sponsored by Beazley), as well as look after the well-being of colleagues/peers (Cybersecurity Wellbeing Advocate sponsored by The Zensory).
“Improving diversity and inclusion within the cyber industry is a key objective for us at Beazley. We are so pleased to be a part of the Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards, and to introduce and sponsor the newest category of Diversity Champion. We are excited to celebrate the incredibly passionate people working hard to ensure that their organisations and the cyber industry as a whole recruits, retains and develops talented individuals from all backgrounds, and ensures that those individuals are included, celebrated and respected in their organisations,” said Paul Bantick, Group Head of Cyber Risks at Beazley.
Javvad Malik, lead security awareness advocate at KnowBe4 said of the event: “A critical step in the fight against cybercrime is raising awareness around the threats that exist and how best to manage these. In a world where people are being thrown information from left, right and centre, it can be hard to ensure that security awareness messages stick. We look forward to hearing about all the creative campaigns that teams have come up with to educate employees and the wider public.”
The public is welcome to put forward themselves or a friend/colleague who has gone above the call of duty, detailing why they deserve the award in a simple submission of no more than 500 words. Nominations will remain open until 5pm on the 16th of September 2022, before closing for review by an esteemed panel of judges. This includes award-winning cybersecurity journalist, Oliver Pickup, world-renowned social engineer, Jenny Radcliffe, and Comparitech’s cybersecurity specialist, Brian Higgins. Nominees and their guests are then invited to a celebratory evening hosted on the 12th of October at St Barts Brewery to coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Sponsors include KPMG, Qualys, KnowBe4, Beazley and The Zensory, who all make the Unsung Heroes Awards free to enter and to attend, setting it apart from other industry awards.
“We’ve been a strong supporter of the Security Serious Unsung Heroes awards for a few years now. Most industry awards run on a pay-to-play basis or highlight the merits of a product/service. This award, on the other hand, celebrates the people who are at the heart of the industry. There is no better reason for an award!” said Paul Baird, CTSO EMEA at Qualys.
Categories this year include:
- Cyber Writer
- Godparent of Security
- Data Guardian
- CISO Supremo (sponsored by Qualys)
- Security Avengers
- Best Educator
- Best Ethical Hacker/Pentester
- Apprentice/Rising Star
- Security Leader/Mentor
- Best Security Awareness Campaign (sponsored by KnowBe4)
- *NEW* Diversity Champion (sponsored by Beazley)
- *NEW Cybersecurity Wellbeing Advocate (sponsored by The Zensory)
“At its foundation, cybersecurity is about the people. Fortunately for us, the industry is full of incredible individuals who work hard to protect organisations and the public more generally, from cyber threats; equally, there are those who are bettering the community from within by improving diversity, inclusion as well as the mental health and wellbeing of peers,” said Yvonne Eskenzi, co-founder and director at Eskenzi PR. “The Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards are very important to us as it is our way of giving back to the people who do so much for us!”
For more information, visit: https://www.securityserious.com/unsung-heroes/
To nominate, visit: https://forms.gle/wRdwyTdLQSTfKtZs5
