Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Computing's Security Excellence Awards celebrate the achievements of the IT industry's leading security companies, solutions, products and personalities - the ones who are keeping every other part of the industry operating.

This year more than any other, security - in the form of backup, disaster recovery and business continuity, as well the more common methods of protection - has been key to keeping organisations operating.

Even though we can't celebrate as we normally would, that work deserves recognition. We're pleased to have you join us here on Computing as we honour the people, organisations, projects and products that have made it possible to keep going through a year that none of us will ever forget.

Welcome Video

The judging process

How do we choose the winners?

INNOVATION: The entry describes something totally new, or has a new approach to an existing challenge

RELEVANCE: The entry demonstrates an outstanding understanding of their chosen field.

SUCCESS: The entry shows clear evidence of success, leadership and adoption

The judging panel

The Security Excellence Awards uses a panel of independent judges from a range of backgrounds. Every one of them is a security expert and end-user, with real experience in the field of defence and protection.

Follow the links below to go directly to an award, or click 'Next page' to cycle through each one.

Table of Contents

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Meet the judges

Stu Hirst - Just Eat

Stuart is the Principal Cloud Security Engineer leading the Cloud Security function for Just Eat, a FTSE 100 company & leading online food ordering service. He was instrumental in building Skyscanner's Security team from 2015-2017, having led them to the final of SC Magazine's Security Team Of The Year 2017. He has previously worked in security at The Trainline, was part of the Cyber Leadership Team at Capital One UK and was Head Of Cloud Security at the Photobox Group. He has twice been nominated as a finalist for Cyber Evangelist Of The Year at the Scottish Cyber Awards and is one half of Cyber Scotland Connect. Stuart has appeared at numerous leading Security events such as InfoSec Europe, Cloud Expo Europe, BSides (various) and Future Of Cyber Security.

Natalie Cramp - Profusion

Natalie is a digital marketing and startup operations expert. She has more than a decade of experience leading private, public and third sector organisations through significant periods of innovation and change, including creating and scaling tech solutions for government organisations and developing the digital capability of third sector organisations.

Today, Natalie is the CEO of data science consultancy Profusion. At Profusion she leads a team of 60 consultants, data scientists, data architects, developers and digital marketing experts. Natalie is responsible for Profusion's strategic direction, expansion of its product offering and the growth of its blue-chip client base.

Paul Edney - Howdens

Paul has over twenty years' experience in Information Security & Risk, with proven experience in establishing risk-based information security management systems within greenfield sites, as well as experience in managing cyber security risk within the finance sector.

Juan Vitantonio - HSBC

Passionate, cross-functional, creative and results-driven, Juan Vitantonio has a reputation for building high profile engineering teams that focus on improving data analytics to drive business intelligence solutions for top-notch companies. With a strong analytical, project management and leadership background, he`s been helping organizations develop effective strategies to take advantage of the unique opportunities of this era.

Published author of "Mastering Qlik Sense", Juan is often seen on different media channels and events, participating as a speaker and consultant, creating winning situations for attendees globally. Having had a ton of international exposure, Juan has developed a unique worldview that has turned him into an advocate for diversity and inclusion, a quality that can be sensed in every interaction with him.

Diane Hames - Redde Northgate Plc

Diane is the CIO at integrated mobility solutions platform Redde Northgate Plc, providing mobility solutions and automotive services to a wide range of businesses and customers spanning the vehicle life cycle.

With an IT career spanning more than 30 years, Diane is skilled in project, risk and stakeholder management, as well as applying interpersonal, organisational and strategic management skills. She has successfully delivered change and managed IT operations across multiple industries, demonstrating flexibility and universal skills in fiscal, technological, and continuous improvement strategies.

Chris Balmbro - Currie & Brown

As group IT director at international asset management and construction consultancy Currie & Brown, Chris has overall global responsibility for IT and business systems for over 2,000 employees across Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, UK & Europe and the Americas.

During his time at Currie & Brown, Chris has worked on large-scale change projects, including the implementation of the company's ERP platform and the move towards increased digitalisation and cloud adoption. He has implemented various security measures with a focus on employee education.

Currie & Brown has completed a series of acquisitions since 2015 and Chris has been a core member of the due diligence and integration teams for these projects.

He is also CTO for Currie & Brown Aero, the company's UAV surveying company, and has been instrumental in establishing this business.

In his personal life, Chris enjoys time spent with his family, racing sailing dinghies on the River Thames, watching Surrey County Cricket Club play and attending art exhibitions and concerts.

Matt Miller - Dentsu Aegis

Passionate about technology, leadership, social and family life, Matt has 25 years of technology experience, 10 in advertising and 8 years with dentsu international. He currently runs Business Platforms for EMEA and co-leads technology in the region. Throughout his career, he has implemented large scale transformation programmes from traditional waterfall to agile product delivery.

Simply put: Technology + Team + Society + Family = Matt

Ian Woosey - Clarion

Ian has over 25 years executive experience, having held several CIO, Digital and Operations Director positions in the past, primarily in the retail sector. He has also acted as a senior adviser to numerous large retailers and Private Equity firms across Europe. He specialises in turnaround and transformation programmes and helping large businesses achieve maximum returns from e-commerce, digital and technology investments.

Ian is currently the Group CIO and an Executive Director at Clarion Housing Group, the largest Housing Association in the UK, with over 125,000 homes and £1 billion turnover. He is responsible for all Technology, Digital and Business Change activities. He recently turned around and successfully delivered one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics implementations in EMEA to transform ways of working and enable the operational merger of two large Housing Associations.

Prior to his work at Clarion, Ian has held senior executive/management positions at Brakes, Alvarez and Marsal, Sainsbury's and Carpetright.

Glen Hymers - Save the Children

Glen has spent his working life involved in policing and security, he fell into policing after joining the RAF Police in 1998, when he discovered university was expensive.

During his RAFP career he was employed in all aspects of policing, finally settling into the role of counter intelligence, carrying out counter espionage and counter terrorism duties both at home and abroad. Parting ways with the Regular RAF in 2012 he began his journey into the private sector, stopping at Fujitsu Defence and National Security as Head of Operational Security & Risk Management and Sopra Steria as Head of Operational Security for Government accounts.

Glen moved to the Third Sector in 2016, as Chief Security and Risk Officer and DPO for The Prince's Trust. He moved to Save The Children International in 2018, where he is the Global Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Data Protection.

Tom Allen - Computing

Tom is the Site Editor for Delta, Computing's market intelligence service, and regularly writes news and analysis pieces for Computing. He joined Incisive Media in 2017 from the display industry, trading LCDs and quantum dots for cyber-security and machine learning. As well as tech market analysis, Tom's role consists of interviewing C-level IT leaders, organising events and complaining about improper use of the Oxford comma.

Tom has worked in B2B journalism since 2008, covering industries including displays, jewellery and funerals. Yes, you read that right.

Stuart Sumner - Computing

Stuart Sumner is editorial director of Computing and Delta.

During his time at Incisive Media he has overseen the transition of Computing from a print-first publication, to a truly multi-channel media brand encompassing events, website and apps, whilst ensuring it retains the same depth and authority of content on which its reputation is founded.

Previously he spent 10 years in the IT industry as a programme manager, where he was responsible for the delivery of corporate WAN rollouts for global blue-chip companies.

Stuart has also written for Time Out and IPC Media, and in his spare time writes scripted comedy for TV and radio.

John Leonard - Computing

John Leonard is responsible for the setting up and running qualitative and quantitative surveys for Computing Research's clients in order to assess the opinions and experiences of IT professionals on issues important to the industry, such as cloud computing, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and the IT decision making process as a whole.

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Cloud Security Award

About this award

Businesses are increasingly turning to the cloud for its flexibility and scalability - but many still cite security concerns as the main barrier to cloud adoption. We wanted to see a solution that could address these fears, with a simple rollout and great protection.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Cloud Security Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

DLP Award

About this award

Monitoring, detecting and blocking breaches is key to preventing data loss. DLP systems can vary in their focus and approach, but what is most important are the comprehensive and proven effectiveness of their protection and prevention.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Excellence Dlp Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

DevSecOps Award

About this award

Security can be forgotten in the drive to bring together Dev and Ops; but that is a mistake. All the agility in the world won't help if an organisation lacks necessary protections, and so making security part of the DevOps process is key.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Devsecopsaward

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Edge Computing Security Award

About this award

Data processing is increasingly performed at the edge of the network - with many benefits, but also many risks. Edge computing devices traditionally lack the same protections as centralised systems, and compromised devices can serve a multitude of nefarious purposes. This award honours the vendor who can best protect the valuable data at the edge of modern computing networks, while retaining the speed and reliability that are its USP.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Edge Security Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Email Security Award

About this award

Email is now a common attack vector for cyber criminals, with social engineering threats common in firms of all sizes. The pandemic has seen a drop in malware payloads distributed via email, and a massive rise in targeted phishing attacks - the winning entry must handle all types equally.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Email Security Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Enterprise Threat Detection Award

About this award

All businesses are under almost constant cyber-attack, from low-level scattergun types to more targeted, sophisticated strategies. Enterprise Threat Detection tools help organisations identify attacks as they occur, and analyse the threats quickly enough to respond and mitigate them.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Enterprise Threat Detection Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

IAM Award

About this award

The shift away from centralised office locations this year has made managing identity and access more important than ever - but, as with all security solutions, its importance doesn't mean it will be accepted if it blocks users from working efficiently. The winning solution should not only streamline access management, but do so in a way that supports, rather than stands in the way of, the way employees want to work.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Iam Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Managed Security Award

About this award

Outsourcing IT is common for firms that want to focus on their core business, without worrying about security. We were looking for a firm that could handle all aspects of security for their clients, from spam prevention to staff training - and, crucially, could show evidence of fostering good relationships.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Managed Security Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Mobile Security Award

About this award

The growth in business mobility has made these devices a key target for cyber-criminals: whether it is in hacking, physical compromise or simply theft. We wanted to see a solution that could address security concerns without compromising user privacy.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Benefit Vantage

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Network Security Award

About this award

Cyber criminals are using ever more sophisticated methods to attack corporate networks. In the game of cat and mouse between security firms and hackers, only the most cutting-edge products can offer the protection demanded by today's customers. Innovation and usability are key to winning this prize.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Network Security Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Remote Security Award

About this award

Remote working is the hot topic of 2020, but brings with it a host of new security challenges - from public WiFi to personal devices. This award is for an organisation that can show how they rose to and met the challenge of mass home working, without comprising either safety or performance.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Remote Security Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Risk Management Award

About this award

Risk management solutions help organisations to recognise, quantify and ultimately manage and mitigate their security risks. To win this category, an organisation had to demonstrate that they not only understood the risks their client(s) was facing, but could prioritise and address them, as well as preventing future threats.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Excellence Risk Management Award Nep

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Training Programme of the Year

About this award

With the majority of staff now working outside the safety of the corporate network, training them to recognise threats has never been more important. This award is for a company - not necessarily a specialist training provider - that is working to bring new people into the world of security through a dedicated training programme.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Training Programme Of The Year

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Training Provider of the Year

About this award

Security is about the staff knowledge as much as it is about the technology employed; and rather than building their own training programmes, many firms lean on specialist providers. This award is for the dedicated security provider that has shown real excellence in equipping its customers with the ability to operate safely in today's threat environment.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Training Provider

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Solution Awards

Enterprise Security Solution Award

About this award

Enterprise-scale firms face uncountable attacks, every day; and no IT team can hope to catch them all manually. This award is for the best enterprise-grade security solution on the market; one that is innovative, comprehensive and widely adopted.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Enterprise Security Solution Award

SME Security Solution Award

About this award

SMEs are prime targets to malicious agents, with small teams and often similar budgets. The cost of large and expensive security offerings can make SMEs feel priced out of the market, so in this category we're looking at affordable services that still offer the range and scope of security coverage any larger organisation typically enjoys.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Sme Security Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Automation Award

About this award

Automation brings many benefits to IT teams, massively reducing their workload and enabling them to focus on complex tasks, rather than constantly fighting fires. This award is for the most compelling and innovative security solution using artificial intelligence, machine learning or other types of automation.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Automation Award

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Innovation Awards

Security Innovation of the Year

About this award

The security industry and its products are continually evolving to keep pace with the new tactics hackers develop to attack corporate networks. This award will be given to the product or service that brings something truly new and original to the arena.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Innovation Of The Yeat

Security Innovation of the Year - AI and Automation

About this award

AI is the latest transformational technology to see widescale adoption in the security space. Its use can range from simple automation to reduce false positives, to full network scanning and anomaly detection - as well as much more. This award is for the company or product that is doing something new, innovative and impactful in their approach to using artificial intelligence in security.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Innovation Of The Year Tom

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Professional Under 30

About this award

New IT professionals have grown up in a world of technology and are familiar with the dangers. In this award, we were looking for the UK's most trendsetting young security executive. As well as being involved in key projects, they work closely with more experienced staff members - up to and including the CISO - on agenda-driving developments. Having informed views on key security industry trends; knowing how to handle threats; and having the support of peers are important.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Professional Under 30 Natalie

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Team of the Year

About this award

Whether they are a full-time IT security, or a special task force set up for a specific project, the winning team blazes a trail of success as an example to others in the industry. They are a well-oiled unit with provable results, showing everyone else how it's done.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Team Of The Year

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Woman of the Year

About this award

This award is dedicated to recognising the talent, leadership and contribution of women in IT. Whether working at the top level of security in an organisation, or as a key member of a team endeavour, this prize highlights exceptional women in the UK security industry.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Woman Of The Year

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Security Vendor of the Year Awards

Security Vendor of the Year - Large Organisations

About this award

Large firms have very specific and specialised security environments. As well as a massive attack surface, they have the budget to defend it; but their digital landscape can be complex and difficult to navigate. Here we were looking for security vendors who are uniquely suited to protecting the world's largest companies.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Excellence Large Vendors

Security Vendor of the Year - SME

About this award

SMEs are often forced to make do with ageing infrastructure and legacy systems, and may be unable to defend themselves against new threats. This prize will go to the company who can best aid SMEs in their constant battle to avoid becoming the ‘low-hanging fruit' of cybersecurity.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Security Vendor Of The Year -Sme

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Special Award: Pandemic Resilience

About this award

This one-time award is presented to the team or company that has risen to the security challenge of COVID-19. Judging was based on the issues entrants faced, exactly how they overcame them, and what the outcome of their work will be on the future of the company.

Shortlist

And the winner is...

Pandemic Resilience Award Natalie

Announcing the winners of the 2020 Security Excellence Awards

Entries had to demonstrate high levels of innovation, relevance and adoption just to make the shortlist

Special Award: Security Educator of the Year

About this award

Sometimes an entry is so strong it deserves individual recognition - hence the creation of our Special Awards.

Keeping employees engaged and involved in security practices is a challenging task. Rather than forcing them to sit through dull Powerpoint presentations, the winning educator has pioneered new ways to turn business staff into security stakeholders. They have gone beyond their own organisation, doing great work to democratise cybersecurity.

And the winner is...

Special Award- Security Educator Of The Year