The Information Security Awards NZ has announced the winners of its 2026 awards, recognising contributions to cybersecurity and cyber resilience across New Zealand.
Trade Me featured prominently, taking individual, team and project honours. Kate Pearce, Head of Security at Trade Me, won Chief Information Security Officer of the Year. The company’s HackLabs and agentic sandboxing project won Cyber Resilience Initiative of the Year, and its security team was named Security Team of the Year.
Judges cited Pearce’s work across technical security and board-level engagement. They also pointed to her role in the safe adoption of artificial intelligence at Trade Me and her contribution to New Zealand’s wider cybersecurity sector.
The winning cyber resilience project focused on building security into the use of new technology while supporting adoption across the business. Judges said it measured success through usage and embedded security into the platform rather than relying on staff coercion.
Trade Me’s security team was recognised for making the platform safer, improving incident response and keeping pace with regulatory requirements. Judges highlighted its work to meet an international payment card data security standard across two Trade Me businesses, its response to a self-spreading malware attack that affected software suppliers globally, and an automated tool that checks more than 800 pieces of new code each day for flaws.
Elsewhere, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa won Human Security Initiative of the Year for a security awareness programme titled Between the Rock and a Hard Place. Judges said it stood out for using an apparently ordinary presentation followed by a Dwayne Johnson impersonation to make the threat more memorable for staff and leaders.
Mindshift was named Security Company of the Year. Judges said it demonstrated its values through customer work, efforts to build client knowledge, and the recruitment and development of cyber professionals from non-traditional backgrounds.
They also pointed to the company’s work with Meridian and Health NZ. Judges said Mindshift has helped more than 180,000 New Zealanders learn how to stay safer online while building long-term customer relationships and mentoring staff.
Fenrir Security won Start-up or New Business of the Year. Judges recognised the company for what they described as a transparent, values-driven approach, including a focus on sovereign services, sustainable growth and local talent development.
Rocky Loyola of Whip Around was named Up-and-Coming Cyber Security Star. Judges said his proactive approach made an impression beyond the cybersecurity community and showed the value of building security awareness across different roles.
In the Hall of Fame category, Associate Professor Ian Welch of Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington was recognised for his contribution to research, education and capability development. His work has covered network security, malware, honeypots and artificial intelligence applications. Judges said it has improved technical understanding of cyber threats while supporting the next generation of cyber professionals.
Sector breadth
Now in their 12th year, the awards cover individuals, teams and organisations across the sector. This year’s winners reflected the breadth of work under way in New Zealand, from practical awareness training and software security to academic research and business development.
iSANZ Board Chair Kendra Ross said the winners showed the range of work being carried out across the country’s cybersecurity community.
“Congratulations to all our winners. What stands out is the tangible impact these people and organisations are having, both within their own organisations and across the wider sector. From developing new approaches to AI security to investing in people and strengthening the wider cyber community, they are finding practical ways to stay ahead of an evolving threat landscape,” Ross said.
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