Recognition in cybersecurity isn’t just about accolades — it’s about credibility, visibility, and community. The SC Awards, now in their 29th year, remain the industry’s most trusted benchmark for excellence. Nominations for the 2026 SC Awards opened October 14, 2025, and winners will be celebrated on March 24, 2025, during RSAC Conference 2026.
Why Nominate — Even Before You Win
1. Benchmark your work against the best.
Submitting an entry gives you the opportunity to reflect on what sets your team apart. Clarifying your impact, surfacing metrics, and framing your story around measurable outcomes is not just an application exercise — it’s a leadership one.
2. Gain visibility across the cybersecurity community.
Finalists and winners are featured across SC Media’s editorial platforms and CRA’s extensive network, connecting your work with thousands of practitioners, executives, and peers who shape the industry conversation.
3. Earn independent validation.
An SC Award signals that your achievements have been vetted by seasoned experts — CISOs, security leaders, and technologists — who recognize meaningful innovation and impact. That independent credibility strengthens your standing with customers, investors, and partners.
4. Celebrate your team and strengthen culture.
Recognition boosts morale. When teams see their work recognized publicly, it reinforces purpose, pride, and the collective belief that what they’re building truly matters.
The Value of Winning — Beyond the Award Itself
1. Amplify your brand story.
Winners receive coverage across SC Media, social channels, newsletters, and event stages — extending your story far beyond your current reach. Each mention is a chance to connect your name with progress and innovation in cybersecurity.
2. Stand out in competitive markets.
Procurement teams and decision-makers often face endless vendor choices. “SC Award–winning” is a distinction that immediately signals reliability and excellence — a differentiator that can influence conversations and close deals.
3. Strengthen trust with stakeholders.
When investors, clients, or partners see your name attached to a program with nearly three decades of credibility, it reinforces confidence. That kind of validation isn’t fleeting — it builds long-term reputational equity.
4. Build a legacy of leadership.
Each winner becomes part of the SC Awards’ ongoing story — a lineage of people and organizations shaping cybersecurity’s future. Past honorees continue to leverage that recognition years later in case studies, recruitment, and brand storytelling.
What to Know for 2026
- 33 specialty categories recognize innovation across technologies, teams, and leadership disciplines. Choose the entry that best aligns with your impact.
- Judging is rigorous and impartial, led by industry veterans from across the CyberRisk Alliance community.
- Strong storytelling wins. Combine technical proof points with human outcomes — how you improved resilience, empowered users, or advanced industry collaboration.
- Nominations opened October 14, 2025, and close January 26, 2026. Finalists will be announced virtually on March 2, and in-person on March 24 at RSAC 2026.
Get Ready to Step Forward
Recognition from the SC Awards is more than a moment in the spotlight — it’s an affirmation that your work is moving the industry forward. Whether you’re a startup redefining a category or an enterprise security team driving measurable change, your impact deserves to be seen and celebrated.
Start preparing your nomination today and share the story of how your innovation is shaping cybersecurity’s next chapter.
Learn more and submit your nomination here: www.scmagazine.com/sc-awards
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