2025 Finalists

CONVERGED SECURITY RESILIENCE CHAMPION proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Rhiana Cooke, OT Cybersecurity Architect from Secolve
• Maryam Shoraka, Head Of OT Cybersecurity Operations from Sydney Trains
• Saba Bagheri, Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager from Bupa
• Anna Poole, Partner, Tech Risk & Cyber from KPMG Australia
• Claire Elevato, Senior Manager Security Governance, Security Group from nbn

BEST INDUSTRY INITIATIVE THAT SUPPORTS DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND EQUALITY proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Girls’ Programming Network by Tech Inclusion
• ISACA SheLeadsTech Melbourne
• AWSN Women in Security Mentoring Program in partnership with ASD & OK RDY
• Telstra Internship Program

BEST SECURITY MENTOR proudly sponsored by Fujitsu

• Juliana Bachtold, Security Director Avanade
• Natasha Passley, Senior Managing Director FTI Consulting
• Giuliana De Bellis, GPN Security Industry Rep / Security Testing Engineer from Girls Programming Network / Atlassian

• Sanja Petrovic, General Manager, Cyber Security and Governance from HUB24

• Pattigrace Lupari, Group Head of Marketing from Spirit Technologies
• Dr Ana Forsyth, Director from KPMG Australia

MOST INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR IN CYBERSECURITY proudly sponsored by Fujitsu

• Laura Christie, Senior Security Culture and Trust Manager from Bupa
• Girls Talk Cyber by Emily Pendlebury and Julia Wulf-Rhodes

• Tech Inclusion’s Girls’ Programming Network (GPN) 

• Adara Campbell, Cyber Experience and Culture Senior Analyst from TAL Australia
• Mikaela Green, Teaching Fellow – Applied Technologies, University College; PhD Candidate – School of ICT, College of Science and Engineering at University of Tasmania
• Nicola O’Brien, Cybersecurity Engagement and Awareness Manager from University Of Technology Sydney

AUSTRALIA’S MOST OUTSTANDING IN PROTECTIVE SECURITY proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Hayley van Loon, Deputy CEO Crime Stoppers International / Managing Partner Harod Asia Pacific

  Niamh Cunnigham, Head of Protective Security, Canva

  BridieThomas, Chief Operating Officer, Certis Security Australia

  Jodee Pollard, Security Director, Macquarie’s Global Security team

  Radha Ramadev, Manager, Cyber Threat Management, TAL

  Marina Azar Toailoa, Business Risk and Compliance Manager / Director, IKEA & Mummy Safety Security Project

   

AUSTRALIA’S MOST OUTSTANDING IN IT SECURITY proudly sponsored by NSW Government

• Farina Riaz, Researcher Scientist from CSIRO
• Daniela Fernandez, Division Director, Technology and Cyber Security Risk from Macquarie Group
• Maryam Shoraka, Head of OT Cyber Security Operations from Sydney Trains

• Shannon Lorimer, Chief Information Security Officer – Australia, Fiji, PNG from KPMG 

• Reshma Devi, Data & AI Risk, and Information Management from Transurban
• Jasmin Krapf, Head of Security Culture and Trust from Bupa
• Virginia Calegare, CEO/Founding Director from RightSec
• Jessica Jones, Head of Cyber Security from Grant Thornton Australia

BEST PROGRAM FOR YOUNG INDIVIDUALS IN SECURITY proudly sponsored by Australian Signals Directorate

• ySafe by Qoria
• La Trobe Cybersecurity Program
• Kids SecuriDay
• The Summer of Cyber Program by AWSN
• Girls Programming Network Junior, by Tech Inclusion
• CyberFit Nation Program, by Palo Alto Networks

PROTECTIVE SECURITY CHAMPION proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Hayley van Loon, Managing Partner Harod Asia Pacific

• Adrienne Maxted, Cyber Partner from Deloitte

• Angela Kamaru, Principal Cybersecurity Operations from BHP

THE ONE TO WATCH IN PROTECTIVE SECURITY proudly sponsored by Sekuro

CYBERSECURITY CHAMPION proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Carla Anita Tulloch, from Domino’s Pizza Enterprises

• Jyoti Sharma, from Monash University

• Nikki Saunders, from Schneider Electric

• Sara Lelliott, from bupa

• Caity Randall, from Sustainabil.IT

• Belinda Noel, from Secolve

• Keryn McMartin, from IdentityXP

BEST PLACE TO WORK IN SECURITY proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Solis Security
• Phronesis Security
• Grant Thornton Australia
• ANZ Cyber Security Team
• FTI Consulting
• Avanade Australia
• KPMG Australia
• Mitchell Personnel Solutions
• Trend Micro

CHAMPION OF CHANGE proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Wayne Rodrigues, Security Architecture Practice Lead from Insignia Financial
• Alex Hogue, Volunteer from Tech Inclusion
• Rahul Anand, Acting CISO from Nova Systems
• Stuart Jones, Director Technology Risk and Cyber from KPMG Australia
• Marty Simon, Director from Fujitsu

• Jakub Zverina, Program Manager from Cyber CX

• Phil Boadi, Information Security Manager from Hub24
• Rhys Shobbrook, Associate Dean Education from Swinburne University

BEST VOLUNTEER proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Paula Sillars, Security Operations Manager from Cyber Audit Team

• Renee noble, CEO from Girls’ Programming Network

• Sarah Barnbrook, Founder from Away from Keyboard Inc.

• Jeanine French, Security Change and Adoption Lead from Bupa

BEST SECURITY STUDENT proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Isabella Burton, OSINT Specialist/Junior Cyber Security Specialist from Cyburton
• Carla Vieira, Cybersecurity Ambassador from The University of the Sunshine Coast
• Dominique Piccolo, Cyber Security Consultant from Phronesis Security
• Mila Fisher, Cybersecruity intern at Orro
• Belinda Zhou, Associate, Information Security Governance, Risk and Compliance from Queensland University Of Technology

• Georgia Forster, Cyber Security Advisor from Australian Taxation Office

UNSUNG HERO proudly sponsored by TAL

• Kim Chandler McDonald, CEO/Co-Founder from 3 Steps Data
• Tracey Edwards, General Manager GRC and Advisory Services from nbn
• Steph Burr, SecTalks HBA organiser | Senior Security Researcher from Microsoft
• Sheavy Kaur, Information Security Specialist from Air Force Association (Western Australian Division) Incorporated trading as RAAFA
• Alex Penna, COO from Girls Programming Network
• Michelle Ribeiro, Cyber Security Awareness & Organizational Engagement Lead from UNSW
• Roma Singh, GRC Specialist from Risk Management Consulting
• Melanie Truscott, Executive Director Engagement & Communication from CyberCX

BEST SECURE CODER proudly sponsored by CyberCX

• Tatyana Stojnic, Cloud Architect
• Neelkamal Gaharwar, Security Architect from IBM
• Gurmeen Kaur, Software Engineer from Telstra

• Anita Regi, Cyber Security Intern for Cyber Audit Team

NEURODIVERGENT CHAMPION proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Sam McGillian, Consultant, Governance, Risk & Compliance from Cyber CX

• Tracey Edwards, General Manager, GRC and Advisory Services from nbn

• Mina Zaki, Director Cyber in Deals Lead from KPMG Australia
• Tas Ahmed, Cyber Security Specialist

BEST IN QUANTUM IN CYBERSECRUITY CHAMPION proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Rita Gatt
• Muria Roberts, Director from QTM-X

• Sushmita Ruj, Faculty of Engineering Lead, IFCyber  from UNSW

• Yasaman Samadi, PhD Candidate from RMIT University

BEST USE OF AI IN CYBERSECRUITY CHAMPION proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Yasaman Samadi, PhD Candidate from RMIT University
• Asou Aminnezhad, Industry Lead/Security Architect from Microsoft
• Farina Riaz, Researcher Scientist from CSIRO
• Mandy Ho, Senior Consultant from Fujitsu

AI IN CYBERSECRUITY CHAMPION proudly sponsored by Source2Create

• Ganna Pogrebna – Executive Director at the AI and Cyber Futures Institute
• Harriet Farlow, CEO of Mileva Security Labs
• Jennifer Valderrama, Co Founder /Director of Small Robot
• Asou Aminnezhad, Industry Lead/Security Architect at Microsoft