Cyberscape 2026: More Than a Conference
On 17th October 2026, we held the first ever National Cyber Forensics Alliance (NCFA) conference, Cyberscape 2026, at Kingston University's Town House in London. Around 90 attendees joined us for a day of talks, discussion, a capture-the-flag (CTF) competition and, most importantly, an opportunity to connect.
I'm not sure I've fully processed what the day meant to me yet. As a founder of NCFA, watching this conference come together was about much more than delivering an event. It was about seeing an idea that started with conversations, ambition and a belief in what students could achieve together become something real.
Why We Wanted to Build Cyberscape
From the beginning, NCFA wanted to create a national event that brought students, industry professionals and academics together. But we wanted to approach it differently.
We didn't want students simply to attend an event organised for them. We wanted them to have a role in building the opportunities they take part in, developing their leadership, teamwork, collaboration and organisational skills along the way.
More importantly, we wanted to create a space where every student's voice mattered just as much as that of the most established industry professional or academic in the room. People should be able to express what they think, what they need and what they hope the future of cybersecurity will look like, without feeling that their perspective matters less because they're earlier in their journey.
That principle shaped the conference, particularly our Cyvolution: Shaping the Future Cyber Workforce Together panel.
Moderated by Tinesh Chhaya, the panel brought together Muhammad Yahya Patel, Jessica Williams, Ashton Prideaux, Ellis Harvey and Shahrzad Zargari for an honest discussion about the future of our industry. Bringing together perspectives from different stages of careers and experience was important to us. The future cyber workforce cannot be shaped by industry or academia alone. Students and recent graduates need to be part of that conversation, too.
We want NCFA to help make that possible, creating opportunities for people to learn from one another and contribute to the industry they're entering.
The People Who Made the Day
Cyberscape featured a diverse programme of speakers, each bringing a different perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing cybersecurity.
Our keynote speakers were Muhammad Yahya Patel from Huntress and Sophie Powell from Cyberwomens Group. Alongside them, Shannon Clerkin explored whether cybersecurity technology is political, Mohammed Ashraf Shaikh spoke about hacking in the age of AI, Azaan Khuraishi addressed disability and accessibility in relation to AI, Lata Nautiyal discussed the CyBOK Knowledge Profile, and Yash Gorasiya explored what it takes to get a cybersecurity job in 2026 beyond simply having a CV.
Having such a range of subjects and perspectives was a major part of what made the programme valuable. Cybersecurity is a broad discipline, and developing the next generation of practitioners means looking beyond technical skills alone.
We were also delighted to welcome Kingston University, which hosted the conference at its Town House venue, and Kingston Tech Society, whose support before and throughout the event helped us bring everything together. We're incredibly grateful for the time and effort they put into supporting the conference.
An Afternoon of Practical Challenges
The afternoon CTF was delivered by Jessica Williams and Tom Mayo, the owners of Biterra, who provided challenges, prizes and merchandise for attendees.
Biterra is NCFA's exclusive long-term CTF partner, and its continued support helps us create practical opportunities for students to test their skills, learn by doing and enjoy the collaborative side of cybersecurity.
The prizes and merchandise were brilliant. I may even have had to sneak a hat for myself because it was genuinely the coolest merch I'd seen!
Jokes aside, partnerships like this matter because they turn support for students into tangible opportunities to learn, compete and connect.
The Little Moments That Meant the Most
Some of my favourite moments from Cyberscape happened away from the stage.
Before the first talk had even started, students who had never met before were sitting together playing cards and board games at the stations outside the hall. People were getting comfortable, meeting new faces and finding common ground before the formal programme had even begun.
It might seem like a small detail, but to me, it captures exactly what we're trying to achieve with NCFA.
Students can spend so much of their time focused on their own university, their own course or their own career path. It can be difficult to find people who share their interests, understand their ambitions or can help them discover opportunities beyond their immediate environment.
Seeing people arrive as strangers and begin connecting so naturally was genuinely special. It was a reminder that community doesn't always begin with a talk, a formal introduction or a networking session. Sometimes it begins with a game of cards and a conversation.
Another particularly meaningful part of the day was our wellbeing stall, led by Maria Manowska, Maks Manowski and Maciej Manowski.
These are three people incredibly dear to me. They aren't part of the cybersecurity industry themselves, but they understand the value of what we're trying to build and chose to give up their time to support our students. They helped make sure attendees felt comfortable and welcome, with access to support and some brilliant freebies throughout the day.
Their contribution meant a great deal to me personally. Building the future cyber workforce isn't just about technical skills, certifications or careers. It's about the people themselves, their wellbeing and making sure they feel that they belong.
I was proud to see that consideration reflected in the conference.
The People Behind NCFA
An event like Cyberscape doesn't happen in isolation. It builds on the work, trust and encouragement of people who have helped NCFA grow from its earliest days.
Our Global Directional Committee has been an important source of advice and support since NCFA began. I'm grateful to Steph Aldridge, Shahrzad Zargari, Jon White, Jessica Williams, Mario Perez and Alfred T for the guidance and encouragement they've given us as we've continued to develop the alliance.
I also want to recognise Fernando Teixeira, Selwan Balal, Grace Clowrey, Edward Baxter, Brett Smith and everyone else who helped build NCFA in its early days. When we started, there was so much ahead of us and plenty we still had to figure out. Having people believe in what we were trying to create and contribute their time and energy helped us get to where we are today.
Our Student Regional Ambassadors also play an important role in supporting the wider network. It was great to have Aidan Hammond, Raul Perreira, Tanisha and Joe Waters with us on the day, representing our SRAs in attendance and continuing to support their ambassadors and the alliance.
A Personal Thank You to Ansh and Mat
I want to give particular recognition to Ansh Padam and Mat Madrzynski, my two NCFA co-directors.
You both saw the vision I had for NCFA and have worked relentlessly alongside me to turn it into something real. Building an organisation takes far more than having an idea. It takes people who believe in that idea, are prepared to put in the work and keep moving forward even when there's still so much to figure out.
I'm genuinely grateful to have you both alongside me on this journey. Cyberscape is one milestone in what we're building, and the work you've put into NCFA has been a significant part of getting us here.
Where NCFA Began
I also want to recognise CSE Connect, whose support and encouragement have been part of our story from the beginning.
NCFA grew out of two important things: a conversation I had with Steph Aldridge, and a CSE Connect event at Sheffield Hallam University where I met brilliant students and academics.
Those experiences helped shape the thinking behind NCFA and the possibilities I could see in connecting people beyond their immediate university communities. Looking back at those beginnings and seeing what we've been able to build since is something I genuinely value.
There are undoubtedly people whose contributions I haven't captured individually here. Every conversation, introduction, idea and bit of work has helped shape NCFA in some way. I hope everyone who has played a part knows that their time and support are appreciated.
What Cyberscape Means for the Future
For me, Cyberscape was about much more than bringing around 90 people into a room.
It was a reminder of why we started NCFA in the first place: to connect people, create opportunities, enable collaboration and help reduce the isolation and barriers that can make finding your place in cybersecurity difficult.
We believe students should have opportunities to learn from one another across institutional boundaries, discover new pathways and contribute to a wider community. NCFA exists to facilitate those connections, not to replace the societies, universities or organisations that make up the network. The value comes from what we can achieve when independent people and groups have more opportunities to work together.
That vision also means challenging how we think about being a student.
We don't believe someone's ability to learn, contribute or develop should be defined solely by whether they attend university or complete an apprenticeship. Anyone with the passion and determination to study a discipline should have the opportunity to find their community, access opportunities and grow.
That's one of the reasons we're putting so much work into our Non-Academic Members initiative. We want NCFA to be accessible to people whose journeys don't follow the traditional routes, while continuing to connect students and societies across the network.
Cyberscape has given us something to build on. We have plenty to learn, improve and develop as NCFA grows, and we want future events to create even more opportunities for people to take part and benefit from the community.
This Is Only the Beginning
Seeing Cyberscape come together, watching people collaborate and witnessing students find connections they might not otherwise have made gave me a genuine sense of joy and satisfaction.
It made all the late nights, paperwork and effort worthwhile. More importantly, it reminded me that we're working towards something that matters.
I'm incredibly proud of everyone who contributed to Cyberscape 2026, from our speakers and partners to our volunteers, supporters and the people who have helped build NCFA from the beginning.
Thank you for being part of it.
Cyberscape 2026 was our first conference, but it won't be the last. We're excited to keep growing, creating opportunities and bringing people together across the cybersecurity community.
This is only the beginning.
Written by Pedro Coelho, NCFA Founder.