APPLICATIONS are now open for the first awards to recognise Scotland’s ever-growing reputation as a world leader in the cyber industry.
The Scottish Cyber Awards will seek to showcase Scotland’s commitment towards cyber innovation and excellence and acknowledge the place Scotland has within this industry.
With cyber crime continuing to be massive concern in Scotland and costing an estimated £5bn every year, individuals, start-ups, local authority organisations and leading businesses in the burgeoning cyber industries sector are being urged to have their achievements to improve cyber resilience and the wider cyber industry honoured.
The categories in the awards, which is the first ever of this type of ceremony, have been organised by Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Business Resilience Centre – and include; Best Cyber Start-Up, Best New Cyber Talent, Cyber SME Defender of the Year, Outstanding Woman in Cyber & Leading Light Innovation Award.
Martin Beaton, Scotland’s Cyber Integrator, welcomes the opportunity the awards bring to showcase Scotland “the Scottish Cyber Awards are a way of recognising the fantastic work that goes on throughout the year, mostly below the radar, in our Universities, businesses and Education.
The awards are a brilliant way of raising awareness of the real threat that the online world can pose and how Scotland is at the forefront of the defence.
Cyber security is also an opportunity and the awards will reveal the world beating new technologies being created right here in Scotland: for example blockchain and threat detection.
Scotland could not achieve its aims without a deep talent pool and it is right that these awards will also celebrate the best in High School, University and Education cyber expertise.
Mandy Haeburn-Little, Director of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, said the awards will celebrate innovative new technologies, the good practice of both small and established companies and progress within the education sector.
Mandy said: “Scotland has a proud history of innovation and we are making great strides to continue this tradition by becoming an international leader in cyber resilience – and to seize the opportunities that being at the forefront of cyber security can bring to our nation.
“The awards have been designed to be accessible to every size of business including individuals and those who are just starting out in the industry.
“In fact the awards have been so warmly welcomed that we managed to fill all the sponsorship slots within the first week of advertising. That shows the level of support the sector has from leading businesses around Scotland.
“We’d now encourage everyone in the cyber sector to be proud of their work and achievements and to enter the awards.”
The award ceremony will take place at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Edinburgh, on November 16.
The winners will be decided by a panel of judges from across a number of different sectors. Each winner will receive one of the first specially designed trophies, which are destined to grow in stature over the years.
The awards have been timed around the anniversary of the launch of the Scottish Government’s national Cyber Resilience Strategy, which enshrined the ambition that Scotland should become a lead nation for the cyber industry in Scotland and for cyber resilience. The ceremony will also become a core part of an ongoing cyclical programme of cyber activity including an annual cyber conference and the well-established Christmas lectures for schools.
SBRC is taking forward the scoping of the concept of a cyber hub for business in Scotland which would act as one trusted source of advice and cyber security services at an affordable cost.
Also read: 5 Countries Where You Can Easily Find Bitcoin ATMs – DC Forecasts – Leading Digital Currencies.
