'An incredible honour and a proud moment for everyone': Northern Ireland team wins national cyber security award in London
The 27-strong Global Security team at Aflac Northern Ireland were recognised at the National Cyber Awards after impressing judges with its technical expertise, shared leadership and data-driven approach
A Belfast-based cyber security team has been named Security Team of the Year at the National Cyber Awards 2026.
The 27-strong Global Security team at Aflac Northern Ireland received the award at a ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London last month, beating competition from more than 100 entries.
The awards recognise excellence and innovation among professionals, organisations and educators working to advance cyber security across the UK.
Spanning nine specialist areas, including application security, cloud engineering, penetration testing and identity and access management, the Belfast team plays a key role in Aflac’s global security programme.
Judges praised the team’s technical excellence, leadership and community impact, commending its exceptional data-driven focus and compelling results. They also highlighted the team’s responsible disclosure practices. Overall, the judges applauded the team for setting “a gold standard in enterprise security delivery.”
Tom Trainor, vice president, head of Cyber Security, Aflac Northern Ireland said: “Being named Security Team of the Year is an incredible honour and a proud moment for everyone across Aflac Northern Ireland. To stand out among more than 100 entries reflects the exceptional expertise, commitment and impact of our team.
“This team combines deep technical knowledge with a genuine determination to keep learning, innovating and making a difference. Leadership is shared, collaboration crosses every discipline and every person has an important part to play in helping protect Aflac and support our customers when they need us most.
“For the judges to describe our team as setting a gold standard in enterprise security delivery is a tremendous endorsement of what our people are accomplishing from Northern Ireland. This award belongs to the entire team, and I could not be prouder of everything we continue to achieve together.”
The recognition shines a light on the strength of cyber security talent in Northern Ireland and the important contribution the Belfast-based team continues to make to Aflac’s global security programme.