The Security is You(th) Competition is an ASIS UK NextGen initiative designed to give students and emerging professionals practical experience working through realistic security and resilience challenges in a collaborative, team-based environment.
Following the success of our 2025 pilot event at The May Fair Hotel, London, the competition returns in 2026 as a larger full-day event hosted at Goodenough College, bringing together participants from universities, organisations, and industry partners across the UK.
About the programme
Participants will work in teams to respond to a realistic security scenario designed to test:
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Teamwork and communication
Decision-making under pressure
Presentation and briefing skills
Teams will present their solutions to a judging panel made up of experienced industry professionals and security leaders.
What Participants Gain
The competition is designed to provide participants with:
Practical exposure to real-world security and resilience challenges
Experience working collaboratively in a professional environment
Opportunities to engage directly with industry mentors and judges
Greater confidence presenting ideas and solutions
Professional networking opportunities with organisations across the sector
Recognised industry participation to support future career development
Who Can Participate?
The competition is open to:
Students studying security-related disciplines
Recent graduates
Apprentices and early-career professionals
Individuals interested in careers across security, resilience, intelligence, cybersecurity, policing, and related sectors
Participation is currently focused on UK-based participants and institutions.
Competition Environment
Security is You(th) is designed to be collaborative, supportive, and professionally focused. While teams compete against one another, the wider goal of the initiative is to encourage learning, industry engagement, and professional development.
Participants will have opportunities throughout the day to network with mentors, judges, sponsors, and other attendees from across the security profession.
Whether you are looking to challenge yourself, gain practical experience, expand your professional network, or explore opportunities within the security sector, Security is You(th) provides a unique opportunity to engage directly with the industry in a realistic and supportive environment.
Get Involved
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Support the Future of the Profession
Security is You(th) is supported through sponsorship from organisations committed to developing the next generation of security professionals.
Sponsorship supports:
Student travel and accessibility funding
Competition delivery costs
Mentoring and networking initiatives
Industry engagement opportunities
Long-term participant development
Sponsors also gain valuable opportunities to engage directly with emerging talent while supporting professional development across the sector.
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Join Security is You(th)
Take part in a real-world security competition designed to challenge your thinking, develop practical skills, and work through realistic security and resilience scenarios alongside other students and emerging professionals.
Participants will also have opportunities to:
Connect with industry professionals and mentors
Develop confidence, teamwork, and communication skills
Build professional networks within the security sector
Strengthen CVs through recognised industry participation
Gain exposure to different career pathways across the industry
Join a growing community of students and young professionals shaping the future of the security sector.
With special thanks to
Our 2025 sponsors
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Professor Alison Wakefield, Dr David Rubens, Lee Oughton, and Tim Wenzel for generously donating copies of their books as prizes for the Security is You(th) Hackathon participants.
Their support helps us inspire and reward the next generation of security professionals!
