Nominations are now open for the 2026 Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards! The deadline for entry is the 9th January 2026. We’re proud to be media supporters once again. 

The 2026 event is hosted by Eskenzi PR and sponsored by Fidelity International, BT, Bridewell and Plexal – organisations that are leading the way in making the cybersecurity industry more inclusive. The 6th annual event, held at the iconic BT Tower on the 26th February 2026, aims to celebrate trailblazers at all stages of their careers from across the cybersecurity industry who are doing exceptional things. 

Additionally, Eskenzi PR has partnered with some of the most influential women in cyber groups to help shape the awards, ensuring they are more inclusive and intersectional than ever before. By partnering with WiCyS UK & Ireland Affiliate and Women in Tech and Cybersecurity Hub (WiTCH), it is hoped that the 2026 event will reach an even wider range of inspirational women from across all corners of the globe.

Aiding in this mission, cybersecurity consultancy Bridewell has committed to sponsoring a bursary that will allow the UK based winners of the Ones to Watch category to attend the awards with paid travel and accommodation. A new addition for the 2026 awards, sparked by industry feedback, this move is hoped to remove the financial barriers of attending industry events for people starting out in their careers.

Cybersecurity continues to face challenges with diversity and representation. According to research by ISC2, women now make up about 22% of the global cybersecurity workforce. Despite the industry’s growing demand for skilled professionals – driven by escalating talent shortages and increasingly sophisticated threats – representation remains limited. Building a more inclusive cybersecurity community requires visible role models, mentorship, and active encouragement. After all, we cannot become what we cannot see.

The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards aims to bring together and empower incredible women (both established and those starting out their careers) and make long lasting connections.

Nominations can be submitted via this link and will remain open until 5pm on Friday 9th January 2026. An esteemed panel of judges (yet to be confirmed) will then review the submissions and narrow the list down to the Top 20, each of whom will be profiled on the IT Security Guru. There will also be five women crowned ‘ones to watch’.

On the 26th February 2026, a physical awards ceremony will be held in London at the iconic BT Tower. The event will include a welcome address and an informal panel discussion with a Q&A featuring industry leaders. Then, the finalists will be awarded their certificates and trophies. The event will conclude with networking over food and drinks at the top of the tower. Finalists, judges, and guests are welcome to attend in person and the public can tune in to the ceremony via a live stream. More information to be provided soon.

The award’s founder, Yvonne Eskenzi, said: “We’re delighted to once again host the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards, supported by industry leaders including Fidelity International, Bridewell and Plexel. With BT’s continued partnership, it’s a pleasure and a privilege to return to the iconic BT Tower once again for this special occasion. At Eskenzi, we remain deeply committed to championing diversity in cybersecurity through meaningful action. Together with leading women’s networks and forward-thinking organisations, the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards aims to celebrate, elevate and empower women across the sector while helping to forge lasting connections among all who attend.”

‘Women in Cyber’ group, at Fidelity International, said: “At Fidelity International, supporting the 2026 Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards reflects our belief that empowering women strengthens cybersecurity. As cyber threats intensify, diverse perspectives are key to safeguarding our digital future. By championing talent and creating opportunities, we aim to inspire the next generation of women leaders in cybersecurity.”

Laura Price, Cyber Skills Partnerships Manager at BT Business, said: “At BT Business, we’re committed to helping organisations stay connected, secure, and future ready. Supporting the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards reflects our belief that diversity and innovation go hand in hand. By celebrating role models and amplifying voices, we aim to inspire the next generation of cyber leaders and strengthen the resilience of businesses in an increasingly digital world.”

Diane Gilbert, Senior Lead Programmes at Plexal, said: “Plexal supports women in cyber to build careers and grow their businesses. Wonderful moments like the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate the increased inclusion and diversification of the industry to date. And reinforces the important role we all play in keeping the momentum going on female representation in the sector. Plexal is excited to be a returning sponsor of the 2026 awards.” 

For more information and to nominate visit: https://www.itsecurityguru.org/most-inspiring-women-cyber-2026/

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Amelia Hewitt, Co-Founder (Director of Cyber Consulting) at Principle Defence and Founder of CybAid, and Rebecca Taylor, Threat Intelligence Knowledge Manager and Researcher at Sophos, are proud to announce the launch of the second series of The Cyber Agony Aunt Podcast (formerly Securely Yours Podcast). The new season is now available to stream on all major platforms.

The Cyber Agony Aunt Podcast is an empowering series hosted by Hewitt and Taylor, two accomplished cybersecurity professionals, recorded at Matinee Studios in Reading, UK. Drawing on their extensive experience in the field and their roles as mentors, they use an “agony aunt” format to address the real-life questions and challenges faced by professionals.

Inspired by classic magazine advice columns, the podcast offers practical guidance for those building and thriving in cybersecurity and related careers. Through candid conversations and questions from mentees and peers, Hewitt and Taylor explore pressing topics such as active allyship, burnout, sexual harassment, threat intelligence, and overcoming adversity. Their confessional tone ensures that no issue is considered off-limits.

To further enrich the series, Season 2 features a selection of seasoned professionals who share their perspectives, lived experiences, and expert insights in specially curated episodes. Amelia Hewitt and Rebecca Taylor have had the privilege of speaking with:

• Callum Stott(Sales Director at Matinée Multilingual),
• Karl Lankford(Senior Director, Solutions Engineering at Rapid7),
• Phoebe Farrelly(Deals – Lead Advisory & Restructuring at PWC, and Branch Coordinator for CyberWomen Groups C.I.C),
• Nikki Webb(Global Channel Manager at Custodian360, Founder of The Cyber House Party, and Volunteer Marketing Coordinator at The Cyber Helpline),
• Will Lyne(Head of Economic & Cybercrime at the Metropolitan Police Service),
• Pauline Campbell (Principal Lawyer at London Borough of Waltham Forest & Social Justice Author),
• Jake Moore(Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET)
• Zak Layton-Elliott(Director of Partnerships at CybAid ,and Cyber Security Analyst at Principle Defence).

The Cyber Agony Aunt Podcast offers practical guidance for anyone seeking to advance their career in cybersecurity. Driven by the belief that everyone should thrive, not merely survive, the series aims to make professional growth attainable through accessible, actionable advice. Hewitt and Taylor approach even the most complex and uncomfortable topics with honesty and empathy, ensuring no conversation is left unspoken and no listener feels alone.

Co-host Amelia Hewitt said: ‘It’s been an incredible journey. We have been very fortunate to have lots of guests on the series, all happy and willing to share their opinions and thought leadership. This series is a real eye opener, myth buster and level setter for anyone wanting to understand the nitty gritty of a career in the cyber industry.’

Co-host Rebecca Taylor added: ‘This podcast is about showing that no-one in cyber is alone. By bringing together voices from across the industry, we’re breaking down barriers, sharing real experiences, and proving that a career in cyber is possible for anyone – even with all its challenges. We’re not shying away from the tough conversations; we’re having them, so others don’t have to face them in silence.’

The Cyber Agony Aunt Podcast, hosted by Amelia Hewitt and Rebecca Taylor, is now available to stream on all major platforms. Their first book, Securely Yours, is also available for purchase on Amazon (you can read the IT Security Guru’s Q&A with the hosts here). The duo are currently working on their highly anticipated second book, ‘Resilient You: An Agony Aunts’ Guide to Keeping It Together’, scheduled for release in April 2026.

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AI-Powered Cyber Crime Raises Worldwide Alarm Bells.

A new report from Anthropic, an AI startup backed by Amazon and Google, revealed a major shift in the cybercrime landscape. Through the use of Anthropic’s own AI model (Claude) and coding agent (Claude Code), an unnamed hacker was able to carry out an “unprecedented” cybercrime spree. This event signals the beginning of a new era of AI-enabled cybercrime that has the potential to become more sophisticated and accessible.

Satish Swargam, Principal Security Consultant at Black Duck, noted that “Hackers are known to use sophisticated tools to launch cyber attacks, and Anthropic’s recent report shows how hackers are now using AI chatbots to discover, prepare, and formulate attacks to make them even more effective with less time and effort. Nowadays, even novices can utilise AI chatbots to launch cyberattacks, highlighting how easily this can be done.”

The Discovery

Anthropic’s own AI model and coding agent was exploited by the attacker to automate nearly the entire ransomware attack cycle. This process usually requires extensive human input, but through convincing Claude Code, a chatbot specialising in “vibe coding”, the hacker was able to identify companies vulnerable to an attack. A few more inputs later, Claude created malicious software with the ability of stealing sensitive information from the companies first identified by the AI model.

After some swift financial analysis of the hacked documents, Claude was able to determine realistic amounts of bitcoin needed to demand for the documents to not being released to the public eye. Oh, and the emails used to extort the victims were also neatly provided by Claude.

Nivedita Murthy, Senior Security Consultant at Black Duck mentions that “attackers using AI to improve their attack methods or increase automation is not surprising. However, in this case, it is interesting to note that Claude Code had a wealth of information on which organisations were vulnerable and where. It also freely gave away this information in the form of an attack vector. What organisations need to really look into is how much the AI tools they use know about their company and where that information goes.”

Can this be avoided in the future?

What this report really brings to light is the ease at which an individual was able to use an AI model to carry out widespread attacks. In the end, the attacker targeted at least 17 organizations spanning healthcare providers, emergency services, government offices, and religious institutions. What isn’t clear is how many of the companies ended up paying the price of the extortion but the demands spanned from $75,000 to more than $500,000.

So, in the words of Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point Software: “The AI buzz has reached the bad guys”. But with that comes the question of how this can be avoided in the future. To answer this, Graeme states, “The only defence right now is AI in security, robust processes that organisations actually stick to, and people spotting the weird requests that are often the giveaway. But it can’t just be left to industry. The government has to step up. First, launch a major national campaign on the dangers of ransomware and force the media to join the conversation. Second, stop relying on unstructured pro-bono work from companies like ours and build a proper, coordinated programme for schools, Chambers, and local business groups. Third, give the NCSC statutory powers to compel organisations, including Government departments, to fix their processes before the next £400m mistake happens.”

In response, Anthropic banned the malicious accounts, introduced new detection systems, and collaborated with government agencies by sharing threat intelligence. The company stressed that as AI technology advances, defences must evolve at “machine speed” to counter machine-driven attacks.

Overall, the Anthropic case marks a significant turning point: AI, once a productivity enhancer, is now in threat of being exploited by criminals on a global scale. If AI systems can be repurposed for extortion, espionage, and large-scale data theft, then every innovation carries a double edge. The responsibility now lies with developers, regulators, and businesses to anticipate these dual-use risks and act before they spiral out of control. Without appropriate action, this case study can become a cyber epidemic, costing millions.

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