Honoring Innovators and Leaders Who Shape the Future of Cybersecurity and National Security
McLean, Virginia, USA, October 7th / PRNewswire / -- The Northern Virginia Technology Council ( NVTC ) announced today the winners of the 2026 NVTC Cyber50 awards, recognizing 50 companies and executives whose innovation, leadership, and influence are driving the development of cybersecurity in the Greater Washington area.
Northern Virginia is home to one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the United States, as well as a gathering place for federal agencies and technology leaders, and is at the intersection of technology, national security, and critical infrastructure. The Cyber50 award is intended to recognize organizations and individuals who lead this work by developing new technologies, protecting critical systems, and helping agencies to cope with an increasingly complex threat environment.
NVTC, President and CEO, Jennifer Taylor stated: "As artificial intelligence rapidly changes cyber threats and our ability to defend against them, we need innovative companies and outstanding leaders who can help us stay ahead. Cybersecurity is more important than ever for our national security and for the technologies that will shape the future."
She stated, "In 2026, the winners of Cyber50 demonstrated the extraordinary depth of talent and innovation in our region's digital community. We are proud to recognize their influence."
This year's Cyber50 was selected through an independent review process and covers three categories: Cyber Companies / Government Contractors, Cyber Executives, and Rising Stars. The winners collectively demonstrate the breadth of the region's cybersecurity ecosystem, as well as the important role played by their companies and leaders in protecting organizations, critical infrastructure, and national security.
The winners will be officially recognized on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the NVTC Cyber Summit & Cyber50 Awards event held at the Appian headquarters in McLean, Virginia. This year’s summit will bring together leaders from industry and government, including executives from Dominion Energy and Google Cloud, as well as senior officials from the U.S. Department of War and the U.S. Air Force, to discuss artificial intelligence risks, critical infrastructure, emerging threats, and the future of cybersecurity.
Chairman John Zangardi stated: "Cybersecurity is constantly evolving, and this year's Cyber50 award winners are helping our organization and country stay at the forefront. They are applying technology, expertise, and leadership to our most impactful security challenges, and we are proud to recognize their contributions to the cybersecurity community."
2026 NVTC Cyber50 Winners
Cyber50 Company or GovCon
- Andesite AI
- ArmorText
- ASSYST
- ATX Defense
- Corsha
- Customer Value Partners （ CVP ）
- CyberSheath Services International
- DTS
- Easy Dynamics
- GuidePoint Security
- Gunnison
- JCS Solutions
- Knox Systems
- MANTECH
- NowSecure
- Owl Cyber Defense
- Pueo Business Solutions
- Quantum Leap
- Revolutional
- Rilian
- RunSafe Security
- SecureG
- Seekr
- Shift5
- ShorePoint
- Veilant
- Virtru
Cyber50 Executive
- Hemant Baidwan, Knox Systems
- Rob Brougham, EY
- Chris Camacho, Abstract
- Vishal Chawla, BluOcean Cyber
- Grant Demaree, Onebrief
- Jothi Dugar, National Institutes of Health Information Technology Center
- Tim Fahl, Owl Cyber Defense
- Sarbari Gupta, Electrosoft Services
- Ty Hughes, United States Department of State
- David Lackey, CISOnow
- Luke McFadden, Gunnison
- Sean Papso, Invictus, a Red River Company
- Eric Pickersgill, FINRA
- Kelly Rozumalski, Booz Allen
- Alex Rudnev, ArmorText
- Sean Stalzer, Dominion Energy
- Harsh Verma, Palo Alto Networks
- Dave Wajsgras, Everfox
Cyber50 Rising Star
- Anmol Agarwal, Nokia
- Charles Britt, Fairfax County Public Schools
- Danielle Dredge, Gunnison
- Natasha MacDonald, Dark Wolf
- Andrew Schoka, Hardshell
The Cyber50 award is part of the broader commitments of NVTC, aimed at bringing together regional tech communities and strengthening North Virginia's status as a global center for cybersecurity innovation.
For more information about the winners of Cyber50 in 2026, as well as NVTC Cyber Summit and Cyber50 Awards, please visit nvtc.org / cyber.
About Northern Virginia Technology Council
Northern Virginia Technology Council ( NVTC ) is a platform that brings together the tech community in this region. NVTC represents over 500 companies and organizations – ranging from global tech giants to innovative startups and leading universities – which come together through projects, events, advocacy, and industry communities to support the regional tech community, promote innovation, build a talent pool for the future, and create economic and social impact. NVTC connects leaders, enhances the voice of the tech industry, and strengthens North Virginia's position as one of the world's leading tech centers. For more information, please visit nvtc.org.
