In a year which has seen a growing number of high profile attacks and increasing recognition of the importance of cyber security, the second annual Scottish Cyber Awards – hosted by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC).

The awards will recognise the innovators, pioneers and leaders in what is becoming a critical industry for Scotland’s economic development.

Mandy Haeburn-Little, Chief Executive of the SBRC, said: “Cyber-crime is an often overwhelming feature of modern life – with organisations of all sizes susceptible to criminal hackers.

“There is however incredible work happening on our doorstep and that deserves to be celebrated. Scotland could not achieve what it has without a deep talent pool and it is right that these awards will also celebrate the best of all business sizes and the world of academia.”

The categories for the 2017 awards are:

• International Contribution to Cyber Security
• Leading Light Innovation Award
• Outstanding Woman in Cyber
• Collaboration with Police Scotland Award
• Cyber SME Defender of the Year
• Best Cyber Start Up
• Best New Cyber Talent
• Cyber Resilient Community Impact Award
• Cyber Evangelist of the Year
• Cyber Security Teacher of the Year
• Outstanding Cyber Team
• Best Cyber Breakthrough
• Best Cyber Education Programme
• Leading Diversity in Cyber

Partners & Sponsors

The 2017 awards have partnered with several global leaders in the cyber security market, including PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), ZoneFox and Symantec. In addition, DIGIT is the official media partner for the awards and will be providing ongoing coverage of the awards, the categories, nominees and the ceremony itself.

Ray Bugg, the Founder and Director of Digit, said: “Cyber security is one of the most rapidly evolving sectors in the digital world. The recent high profile attacks on government services, public sector organisations and critical infrastructure were just the tip of the iceberg.

“Recognising the pioneers, innovators and leaders in such a vital part of the digital world is a major step in making sure cyber security gets the recognition it deserves as the threats multiply. We’re proud to be working with the Scottish Cyber Awards to help promote and showcase the huge range of talent we have here in Scotland.”

Mandy added: “We’re delighted to have the formidable backing of PwC, which was instrumental in the success of last year’s event, along with support from global leaders Symantec – and one of Scotland’s own cyber success stories in ZoneFox.

“After the enthusiastic welcome and response to the first awards, we have been delighted to see that interest continues from all quarters and have just a few remaining award categories open to new sponsors.”

John Whitehill, Cyber Security Director for PwC in Scotland, said: “As a founding partner of the Scottish Cyber Awards, we are proud to continue our support in recognising the best national organisations and talent in this important industry.

“The last year has shown a marked increase in the understanding and awareness of cyber security issues across all parts of our population. Sadly, some parts of the profession have reacted to these incidents with sensationalism and hysteria, so it’s important we recognise those who bring practical experience and solutions to this very real problem.

“The rise in award categories means not only will we see more examples of best practice, but increased recognition for those leading the way in teamwork and diversity.  I hope this will encourage others to follow.  Additionally, I hope to see increased commercialisation of ideas aimed at helping the Scottish cyber security industry grow and be successful.

“I am really looking forward to seeing this year’s entries – last year set the bar high.”

Jamie Graves, CEO at ZoneFox, winner of the coveted accolade of Champion of Champions at the 2016 awards, said: “The ZoneFox team is delighted to announce our sponsorship of this year’s Scottish Cyber Awards in collaboration with SBRC.

“Scotland has a strong history of innovation and forward-thinking, so the SBRC’s mission to become an international leader in cyber resilience and seize the opportunities afforded by that innovation is fully aligned with ZoneFox’s vision to become a global leader in cyber security solutions.”

Darren Thomson, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Symantec EMEA, said:  “Symantec is delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor the Scottish Cyber Awards working in conjunction with the SBRC.  We actively look for opportunities to support events that recognise excellence in cyber security.

“As the world’s leading cyber security company we have a local presence in Scotland and look forward to continue developing our relationship with the SBRC in the coming years.”

Entries, Tickets & Nominations

The official Scottish Cyber Awards 2017 website launches today. The site includes criteria for all categories, award entries, tickets for the award ceremony, sponsors and partners.

Entries for the awards are open until September 8th 2017.