The business "helps defence and government agencies protect their systems and data against the threats of the digital age", with its "central focus on helping government, to ensure the security of their mobile devices and the management of cyber deception".

Penten chief executive Matthew Wilson said that the firm identifies and applies emerging technologies to counter the world’s most sophisticated cyber threats.

Wilson added: “We focus on delivering disruptive cybersecurity capabilities to solve tomorrow's digital challenges. Our team can identify and solve the complex problems others haven’t".

Well, two, of course!

Penten also took home the "2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Medium & Making Waves Award."

Telstra tells us its Business Awards are an "exclusive platform to help businesses thrive in the future, by providing recognition, trusted advice and by opening their doors to a network of supportive Alumni".

We're reminded that they recognise the best in business across four categories:

• Emerging and Energised;
• Small and Succeeding;
• Medium and Making Waves; and
• Social Change Maker.

Telstra Enterprise group executive Brendon Riley said the winners of the 2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Business Awards demonstrate excellence across six key judging criteria underpinned by a commitment to innovation and technology.

Riley added: “The winners of the 2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Business Awards are shining examples of businesses doing great things in new and effective ways for their customers.

“They are genuine innovators, always on the lookout for ways to leverage technology to connect with customers, unlock new markets and take their business to the next level.

“Penten is a highly innovative company that is producing ground-breaking solutions in an area of national importance. They are creating solutions to cybersecurity problems that are unique to Australia but also marketable to other industries internationally."

The other category winners of the 2018 Telstra ACT Business Awards are:

• SponServe: 2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Emerging & Energised Award winner

A cloud-based digital rights-management platform for sponsorship professionals. It provides a way of tracking and measuring sponsorship relationships for brands and rights owners.

• Rapid Context: 2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Small & Succeeding Award winner

Provides research and analysis to organisations that help them develop and implement change, policies and programs, and make the most of its workforce.

• Think Place: 2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Social Change Maker Award winner

With design studios across Australia, Think Place applies design thinking and a process of co-design to solve complex problems within the public, private and humanitarian sectors.

All 2018 ACT winners will join other state and territory category winners at the national 2018 Telstra Australian Business Awards in Melbourne on Thursday, 20 September 2018.

Full descriptions of the 2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Business Awards winners:

• 2018 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Business of the Year and 2018 Emerging & Energised Award winner: Sponserve 

SponServe is a cloud-based rights-management platform for sponsorship professionals. It provides a way of tracking and measuring sponsorship relationships for brands and rights owners.

Clients can measure, track and report on sponsorship activity in a much deeper way than previously possible. It gives an opportunity to rights owners and sponsors to communicate better and with more transparency, allowing them to view and address trends as they come to light through the software.

Developed in Australia, SponServe now works across Australasia, Europe and the US, highlighted with 30% of the English Premier League, the English FA, Williams F1 and AS Roma in Italy. The success overseas proved that this idea had global application and that a small business from Canberra had the ability to disrupt and improve the sponsorship industry globally.

• 2018 Small & Succeeding Award winner: Rapid Context 

"Rapid Context was founded in 2015 to give people a sophisticated way to think about issues facing their organisations. By providing rapid delivery of in-depth research and analysis, the business helps organisations to develop and implement change, policies and programs.

"When starting out, sociologist Dr Samantha Crompvoets recognised that there was a segment of the workforce being underused: academic mums with young kids who were leaving what they loved – research.

"That’s why Rapid Context has created a truly flexible and empowering workplace that offers meaningful work for everyone within it. The result is a talented, motivated team of highly qualified researchers who are juggling careers and kids, and often study too.

"Samantha says they are “a tour de force” of subject-matter expertise in an historically male-dominated organisations and industries."

• 2018 Medium & Making Waves Award winner: Penten 

"Canberra-based cybersecurity firm Penten is helping defence and government agencies protect their systems and data against the most sophisticated threats of the digital age.

"Penten focuses on two core areas: enabling government users to access classified information on mobile devices (secure mobility), and tricking and trapping attackers with realistic decoys using machine learning (cyber deception). In both areas, Penten’s customers identified a growing need that was not being fulfilled.

"While it currently works with defence and government customers internationally, Penten’s technologies are also relevant to tomorrow’s commercial and industrial market. In fact, the business is now being pursued for early adoption in banking, finance and resources sectors by some of Australia’s largest companies."

• 2018 Social Change Makers Award winner: Think Place 

"ThinkPlace is a strategic design consultancy specialising in designing for public good within complex systems. With a unique methodology and collaborative approach our designers willingly wade into the type of complex problems that make others throw up their hands.

"It started in 2005 when former public service executive John Body saw the potential for a company that applied design thinking and a process of co-design to solve complex problems within the public, private and humanitarian sectors.

"Every project ThinkPlace takes on must advance the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which include abolishing poverty, ending global hunger and tackling climate change. In short, it needs to make the world a better place.

"With 60 designers across studios in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, and a global design network spanning New Zealand, Asia, Africa and the US, ThinkPlace works all over the world, making a wide impact every day."

Telstra reminds us that nominations are open year-round, with more information on the Telstra Business Awards here.