Cybersecurity Woman of the Year’s Post

Some nights become part of your heart forever. This year's CSWY marked the beginning of a beautiful new chapter. For the first time in the history of the Cybersecurity Woman of the Year Awards, after eight incredible years at Black Hat in Las Vegas, we rolled out the red carpet in the beautiful Principality of Liechtenstein. The venue was breathtaking, but what made the evening truly unforgettable wasn't the history of the beautiful Gasthof Löwen or the elegance of the celebration. It was the feeling in the room. Hope. Empowerment. Joy. And above all, global sisterhood. There was an unmistakable spirit of, "I've got you." Women genuinely celebrating one another's success. That is the culture we have worked so hard to build over the past eight years, and seeing it come alive in Liechtenstein reminded me why these awards matter so much. My heartfelt thanks to His Excellency Minister Hubert Büchel for his inspiring keynote and for welcoming our global cybersecurity community to Liechtenstein. Thank you to the incredible Katherine Kuehn, whose words continue to inspire and empower women across the world. To our always energetic and unforgettable emcee, Christie Aeramelie, thank you for bringing your warmth, humor, and heart to the stage. A very special thank you to Bianca Lins for being such a gracious host in such a remarkable location. To Eva Benn, thank you for the many hours behind the scenes that made every detail come together so beautifully. Thank you to our sponsors for believing in our mission, to our judges for the thoughtful and difficult work of selecting this year's honorees from a record-breaking 4,980 nominations, and to every volunteer who helped make this celebration possible. And now, please join me in congratulating our extraordinary 2026 winners: 🏆 Cybersecurity FinTech Woman of the Year Shaima Al Hashmi 🏆 Cybersecurity Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Dara Gibson 🏆 Cybersecurity Woman Volunteer of the Year Nihel Ben Youssef 🏆 People's Choice Award Krupa Pratap Brahmkstri 🏆 Cybersecurity or Privacy Woman Law Professional of the Year Ashley Pusey, CIPP/US/EU, CIPM, FIP 🏆 Cybersecurity Women Hacker of the Year Yara AlHumaidan 🏆 Woman Cybersecurity Leader of the Year 🦄Heather Case-Hall, MSc. 🏆 Cybersecurity Women Supporter of the Year Eva Benn 🏆 Cybersecurity Women Influencer of the Year Prof. Iman Almomani 🏆 Cybersecurity Woman "Barrier Breaker" of the Year Ro'ya Hatamleh 🏆 Cybersecurity AI Ethics Woman of the Year @Maryam Shoraka To every nominee, finalist, judge, sponsor, volunteer, family member, and friend who joined us, thank you. You are proof that cybersecurity is more than technology. It is people. It is purpose. It is community. Here's to lifting one another even higher. ❤️ #CSWY2026 #WomenInCybersecurity #Cybersecurity #Leadership #Liechtenstein #UnitedCybersecurityAlliance #WomenInTech #Sisterhood #LiftAsWeRise