McLean, Virginia – October 07, 2026 -- The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) named 50 companies and executives to its 2026 Cyber50 list, recognizing firms and leaders driving cybersecurity innovation across the National Capital Region.
NVTC splits honorees across three categories covering 27 companies and 23 individuals
The list includes 27 companies and government contractors such as GuidePoint Security, MANTECH, Virtru, Shift5 and Owl Cyber Defense, alongside 18 executives from organizations including Booz Allen, EY, Palo Alto Networks, Dominion Energy and FINRA. Five additional honorees were named Rising Stars, including representatives from Nokia, Fairfax County Public Schools and Dark Wolf.
Honorees will be recognized at a McLean summit featuring federal and corporate leaders
NVTC will formally present the awards on Oct. 28, 2026, at Appian's headquarters at Valo Park in McLean, Virginia, during the NVTC Cyber Summit & Cyber50 Awards. The event will bring together executives from Dominion Energy and Google Cloud alongside senior officials from the U.S. Department of War and the U.S. Department of the Air Force to discuss AI risk, critical infrastructure protection and emerging cyber threats.
NVTC leadership ties the awards to the region's role in national cybersecurity
"As AI rapidly transforms both cyber threats and our ability to defend against them, we need innovative companies and exceptional leaders who can help us stay ahead," said Jennifer Taylor, president and CEO of NVTC. John Zangardi, chair of the NVTC Cyber Summit, said the honorees are applying technology, expertise and leadership to some of the region's most consequential security challenges. Honorees were selected through an independent judging process.