Annual seek for UK’s unsung cyber heroes kicks off

Nominations have opened for the annual Safety Critical Unsung Heroes Awards, recognising the all-too-often unnoticed efforts of Britain’s most extraordinary cyber safety professionals.

Run by Eskenzi PR, which specialises in representing cyber firms, the awards – now of their tenth 12 months – are being sponsored by CultureAI, OneAdvanced and The Zensory, with help from others together with Laptop Weekly, which this 12 months shall be represented on the judging panel for the primary time.

The awards are designed to have a good time not solely the safety professionals and crime fighters holding issues down on the entrance strains, but in addition the educators who develop the following era of British safety expertise, the mentors who help others within the discipline, the activists working to make cyber safety a extra numerous and inclusive career, and the psychological well being consultants tackling burnout within the commerce.

This 12 months, the awards additionally introduce three new classes:

• Cyber Scribe – recognising the contribution of bloggers on platforms reminiscent of LinkedIn, Medium and Substack, and producers of impartial newsletters.
• Voice of Safety – recognising the work of cyber podcasters and YouTubers.
• Channel Champion – recognising cyber distributors, managed service suppliers and resellers going above and past within the enterprise of promoting cyber.

“As we have a good time the tenth 12 months of the Safety Critical Unsung Heroes Awards, I’m extremely happy with what these awards have come to characterize. Over the previous decade, we’ve had the privilege of recognising lots of of outstanding folks whose dedication, kindness and experience have helped make our business stronger, safer and extra inclusive,” stated Yvonne Eskenzi, co-founder and director of Eskenzi PR.

“I encourage everybody throughout the cyber safety neighborhood to take a second to appoint a colleague, mentor, teammate or pal who deserves to be recognised. Their contribution issues, and collectively we will be certain that their achievements are celebrated as a part of this very particular milestone 12 months.” 

CultureAI chief threat officer (CRO) Sam Soares added: “CultureAI is proud to help the tenth Safety Critical Unsung Heroes Awards, celebrating the cyber safety professionals who shield their organisations with out fanfare, even because the risk, expertise and governance landscapes shift.

“As AI adoption outpaces governance, these groups are absorbing a completely new class of threat alongside the whole lot they already carry. Recognising that work is lengthy overdue, and we’re happy to play an element in it,” stated Soares.

Nominations will stay open till 5.00pm on 16 September 2026, with the awards presentation to happen in October throughout Cybersecurity Consciousness Month. The awards stay free to enter – and to attend.

This 12 months’s classes are:

• Cyber Correspondent (for cyber journalists, broadcasters and writers)
• Godparent of Safety
• Information Guardian
• CISO Supremo
• Safety Avengers – Finest Staff
• Finest Educator
• Finest Moral Hacker/Pentester
• Rising Star
• Safety Mentor
• Finest Safety Consciousness Marketing campaign
• Variety Champion
• Cyber Safety Wellbeing Advocate
• Cyber Scribe
• Voice of Safety
• Channel Champion

Extra data on the awards and the nomination course of will be discovered right here.