Ohio Cyber25 Awards
Cyber25, from Ohio Tech News and OhioX, is the annual recognition of 25 top cybersecurity leaders making a real-world impact in Ohio. From CISOs to incident responders to public sector defenders, it spotlights those protecting what matters most. Nominate Ohio's best now.
Recognizing 25 leaders defending and strengthening Ohio's digital future.
Cyber25 is a new recognition celebrating 25 top cybersecurity leaders making a significant impact in Ohio. The initiative is powered by Ohio Tech News and OhioX, and presented by ATC.
From security researchers and startup founders to CISOs, public sector defenders, and enterprise leaders, Cyber25 spotlights the people protecting what matters and raising the bar for security across the state.
Why Cyber25?
Cybersecurity underpins every corner of Ohio's economy. As threats grow more sophisticated, the leaders defending our businesses, hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure have never mattered more. Whether building security tools, leading incident response, hardening systems, or shaping policy and workforce, the Cyber25 honorees represent the best of what security leadership can be — with real-world, built-in-Ohio impact.
Who Should Be Nominated?
Cyber25 recognizes individuals pushing the boundaries of cybersecurity in Ohio — the founders, researchers, engineers, CISOs, analysts, incident responders, educators, and public and private sector leaders setting the standard for security across the state. Nominees can lead security at a security company or inside any Ohio organization — the bank, the hospital, the agency, the school.
How We Choose
Honorees are selected on real-world impact, demonstrated leadership, a meaningful Ohio tie, and work done or significantly advanced in the past 24 months. Case studies and concrete results carry the most weight.
Eligibility
- Nominees must work in Ohio.
- Cybersecurity-focused work, not tangential.
- Any role, industry, or sector.
- Impact within the past 24 months.
- Anyone can nominate, including self-nominations.
What Honorees Receive
A feature on OhioTechNews.com, inclusion in the inaugural Cyber25 list, and recognition alongside Ohio's top security leaders.
Important Dates
- Nominations open now
- Deadline to Submit: Friday, August 21, 2026
- Winners Announced + Feature Launch on OhioTechNews.com: Week of September 28, 2026