2022 ISANZ Awards Finalists Revealed

From large-scale firewall deployments to scam simulators and information security professionals and businesses from across the country, a full slate of finalists have been announced in the 2022 iSANZ Awards.

The annual iSANZ Awards were established eight years ago to recognise the achievements of New Zealand people and organisations in the cybersecurity and information security (InfoSec) field. iSANZ Chair Kendra Ross says the awards attracted many high quality entries this year, including in two new categories - Best Senior Security Practitioner, and Best Security Team.

From an incredible number of amazing entries the independent judges of the awards have recognised the following finalists in each category:

Best Security Project or Security Awareness Initiative • Sharesies for firewall deployment across its New Zealand and

Australian networks by Fastcom. • Education Arcade for its NFT scam simulator. • Mindshift for its small business cybersecurity training.

Best Senior Security Practitioner • Alastair Miller - Principal Advisory

Consultant at Aura Information

Security. • Todd Skilton - Chief Information

Security Officer at Toka Tū Ake

EQC. • Nyuk Loong Kiw - Chapter Area

Lead at Spark Cyber Defence Tribe.

Best Start-Up or New Business • DataMasque • Blacklock Security • Mindshift Up-and-Coming Cyber Security Star • Amina Aggarwal from Spark. • Saptarshi Karmakar (Rik) from the

Ministry of Justice. • Katherine Lennox-Steele from

Unisphere, and Cyber Tribe.

Best Security Team • Kordia’s Vulnerability Management

Team. • Toka Tū Ake EQC’s Information

Security Team. • Spark’s Cyber Defence Tribe.

Best New Zealand Security Service or Product • National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for its malware free networks initiative. • Blacklock Security for its selfservice penetration testing platform. • Mindshift for its tailored programmes of cybersecurity training.

Kendra says over the past year, the iSANZ Board has continued to see how individuals and businesses from across the country are positively addressing the most pressing cybersecurity challenges, with a focus on excellence, innovation, and leadership. This was well and truly reflected in this year’s entries.

Being selected as a national finalist is a significant achievement, she says - one that highlights each of the finalists’ dedication to information security.

“We want to thank everyone for taking the time to enter the 2022 awards. It’s encouraging to see the range of work being done to help protect networks, our people and our country from cybercrime and malicious online activity.”

Winners will be announced at a gala awards evening on 01 November in Wellington, where a person, event or organisation will also be crowned in a special nominated Hall of Fame category.

The 2022 iSANZ Awards are proudly sponsored by Datacom, Quantum Security, Duo a division of Sektor, Spark NZ, Kordia, SailPoint, Check Point, Palo Alto Networks / NEXTGEN Group, CyberCX, NTT and NCSC. Supporting partners are NZITF, SiteHost and 1st Tuesday.

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