The nominations are open for The National Cyber Awards® as it welcomes the BBC’s Gordon Corera as this year’s host

The National Cyber Awards are thrilled to announce that this year’s Presenter and Host for the much anticipated awards evening is the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera.Corera is the author of several books on espionage and intelligence and is renowned for his expertise in national security issues and his ability to make complex topics accessible to a wide audience.

The National Cyber Awards is where many cyber professionals from across public and private sectors will be uniting to celebrate excellence and innovation in the UK’s cybersecurity industry. The awards, now in their fifth year, bring together leaders from government, academia, and the cyber industry to recognise outstanding contributions to the
country’s cybersecurity landscape.

Nominations are quickly building across the five categories of awards for individuals and teams, including new awards for this year: The Prime Minister’s Award for Cyber and The NHS Digital Award. The National Cyber Awards is expecting its biggest attendance to date with nominations closing 14th July 2023.

The National Cyber Awards 2023 will take place on Monday 25th September at the Novotel London West. The event is expected to attract a high-profile audience, including representatives from government agencies, industry leaders, and cybersecurity experts. With Corera at the helm, it promises to be an informative and inspiring evening, showcasing the best of the UK’s cybersecurity talent and innovation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP said: “The National Cyber Awards are a wonderful way to reward, celebrate and showcase the work of those who are committed to keeping us safe online. My warm congratulations as always to the finalists and winners who are an inspiration to everyone across the sector who wish to work to protect others in the same manner.”

Dave Armstrong, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence said:“It’s important that we recognise the hard work from across the industry that goes into understanding and tackling the ever changing threats that we face. Events like these, which we’re delighted to be a part of, help showcase the incredible skill and talent keeping us safe and inspire future generations.”

Commissioner Angela McLean – Commissioner of the City of London Police and
NPCC Lead on Cyber Crime, said: “The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) is delighted for a fourth year to be a headline sponsor for these awards that recognise not just the best talent and products but also the unsung cyber heroes and those seeking to help others in every sector.

Christine Maxwell, Director of Cyber Defence and Risk for the Ministry of Defence
said: “The National Cyber Awards recognise the outstanding contributions of many teams and individuals who protect us across numerous sectors. With cyber-related warfare becoming an increasingly important part of the United Kingdom’s Government and Defence Cyber Strategies, I am delighted that a special award for Ministry of Defence military and civilian staff will be presented at this year’s national awards.”

Graeme Biggar CBE, Director General of the National Crime Agency, said: “The NCA’s
National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU) leads the UK’s incident response to high-end cyber criminality, working closely with regional police forces, Government agencies and international law enforcement partners. This collaborative response is key to bringing cyber criminals to justice and protecting our national security. The National Cyber Awards® allow
us to recognise the exceptional work undertaken every day to tackle cybercrime and increase the UK’s resilience against this threat.”

Pete Cooper – Deputy Director Cyber Defence at Cabinet Office said: “The National Cyber Awards allow us all to recognise and celebrate outstanding individuals, teams and organisations. They demonstrate innovation, collaboration, individual effort, teamwork and leadership that not only makes a real-world difference in meeting our most critical challenges but also inspires current and future generations. The Cabinet Office is also delighted to be
overseeing The Prime Minister’s Award for Cyber 2023 reaffirming the government’s commitment to this vital sector and those that work within it.”

Professor Liz Bacon – Vice Chancellor Abertay University said: “(We are) proud to be
among only ten UK institutions to have achieved gold-level Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education recognition from the National Cyber Security Centre, reflecting the outstanding facilities and teaching on offer to our global student family, industry and partners. The new Abertay cyberQuarter centre for cybersecurity R&D on our campus in Dundee represents the next phase of growth for the university as we seek to provide research and innovation-led solutions to the most prominent challenges facing the sector. We are delighted to be sponsors of the very first Alan Turing Cyber Award 2023 at The National Cyber Awards 2023 which will be awarded for an outstanding contribution to the safety of vulnerable groups or individuals – an area that resonates closely with our mission here at Abertay.”

The Awards remain independent, free to enter and its sponsors ensure that every finalist receives a free ticket to the black-tie ceremony and dinner. This allows anyone to enter without any financial constraint or obligations and thanks to the headline sponsors, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, additional tickets for parents and carers can be provided where needed.

By popular demand, the organisers will again host the International Cyber Book Fair at the Novotel London West prior and during the awards. This is free for budding and established authors to promote and undertake book signings for their cyber related books.

The organisers are also grateful to The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park who will be presenting an interactive exhibition of historic wartime computers and decoders for guests.