Keleigh Berenger: How working at a start-up led to an award-winning journey in cyber security
Following a career change to prioritise a safer digital future, Surrey student Keleigh Berenger has been named Student of the Year award at the 2026 National Cyber Security awards, an annual celebration of excellence and innovation for those committed to cyber security.
Keleigh accepting her award at the 2026 National Cyber Security awards.
Based on an assessment of technical aptitude, practical applications and community spirit, this award reflects the work and commitment Keleigh has shown through her studies and society activity, alongside leading engineering initiatives and enterprise spaces.
“I feel incredibly blessed and honoured to have been named Student of the Year. For me, this recognition is ultimately a reminder of the power of supporting one another. As we progress and climb higher, I believe it is important to reach back and help others rise with us and I will strive to do this throughout my own career.”Keleigh Berenger, Student of the Year National Cyber Security Awards 2026; MSc Cyber Security student
After graduating with a BSc in Computer Science, Keleigh started her career as a software engineer at a start-up. Working within this fast-paced environment where sales were prioritised, Keleigh recognised the need for implementing safer cyber security practices to protect the company and its customers, rather than treating it as an afterthought. Upon this realisation, Keleigh pivoted her career and chose to return to education to purse the Cyber Security MSc course at the University of Surrey.
By deploying anonymous posters across campus falsely promising prizes and rewards, Keleigh led a university-wide QR phishing (“quishing”) awareness campaign. The QR code on the posters led users to a webpage with guidance on how to stay safe when scanning QR codes and promotion for cyber awareness month. Generating 500+ interactions, this campaign demonstrated phishing susceptibility and helped users avoid future risk.
At the heart of Keleigh’s journey into cyber security is a drive to ensure an accessible and equitable future for everyone in the field. Since starting her masters at Surrey, Keleigh was a founding member of the seventh Women in Cyber Security chapter in the UK, an organisation aimed at empowering members and addressing the gender gap in cyber security, and was elected President of this group twice. She also volunteers for the the UK Cyber Security Council where she runs advanced webinars, mentors young career-starters and coordinates national engagement events.