A cybersecurity challenge coin is a custom coin that recognizes a security team. Because the team’s best work leaves nothing to photograph, the design leans on a team or product mark, bold lettering and a considered finish to show who the team is.
Recognizing Work That Leaves No Trace
A good day for a security team is a day when nothing happens. There’s no vehicle to draw, no uniform and no scene to show. That makes a cybersecurity challenge coin a design question from the start. Four approaches tend to work well:
- The product or team mark. It belongs to one team only, so it names the team at a glance.
- A shield, lock or key. Designers use these often, so they need a fresh treatment to stand out.
- Network and circuit motifs. Abstract lines and nodes can suggest the work without depicting it.
- Typography. For a software brand, bold lettering can be the main design element.
We built this network security coin for Gigamon. The coin pairs the ThreatINSIGHT product mark with clean white lettering.
Electronic warfare crews face a similar problem, and we worked through it on an electronic attack squadron coin.
What Tech Teams Use Coins For
A tech company challenge coin tends to serve one of four purposes:
- Incident response. An incident response coin marks the team that worked through a serious event.
- On-call rotations. An IT team challenge coin can thank the people who held the pager.
- Conference and customer giveaways. People often keep a coin, which can make it outlast many other branded items.
- Internal recognition. Companies with no formal awards program can start with a coin. For a related project, see an employee recognition coin.
Some tech companies don’t have a lot of formal awards. A coin can mean something, especially when it’s handed over after a hard week.
Glossy Black and Its Alternatives
A glossy black challenge coin with two accent colors is a common request from technology clients. It reads as current, and the black gives a logo strong contrast. The Gigamon coin follows this direction.
Color on coins like this comes from enamel, a colored fill similar to paint. It sits in recessed areas between raised metal lines, and those lines can help keep color edges crisp.
Many technology coins look alike. A company that wants to stand apart can pick a different finish. Options include:
- Matte black. It reflects less light.
- Two-metal plating. Plating is a thin metal coating. This option gives two metal tones and no color fill.
- Brushed finish. Fine lines, like brushed steel, can make the coin look like hardware.
We can show you each option on a digital proof.
Logos Drawn for Screens Need Redrawing
A technology logo is usually built for a browser tab, an app icon or a presentation slide. A coin works differently, so the artwork needs adapting.
Metal can’t blend colors smoothly. A gradient becomes flat color or sculpted relief, meaning raised and lowered metal shapes. Very thin strokes get thicker. A wordmark, which is the company name in stylized lettering, needs a heavier weight if it’s set in a light one.
Send vector artwork, a file type that stays sharp at any size. We adapt your mark for metal and send a digital proof, so you approve the adapted version before production. More in Can a Company Put Its Logo on a Challenge Coin. For more on the process, see our guide to how challenge coins are made.
Using a company or product mark on a coin generally requires approval from its owner. Reproducing a trademark without permission can lead to legal trouble, whatever the intent. If you’re ordering for a team, check with your marketing or legal group before artwork starts. We work from artwork you’re authorized to supply. We can also build a design around your team’s identity with no brand mark at all.
About This Custom Challenge Coin
We made this coin for Gigamon, and the design stays minimal.
- Client. Gigamon, a network visibility and traffic monitoring vendor.
- Client’s request. A futuristic, technological look.
- Base. Clean-cut and uncluttered, painted glossy black, with only the ring of dots at the edge.
- Front. A blue outline ThreatINSIGHT logo sits at the center of the black field. White lettering curves around it, and thin white arcs frame the logo.
- Back. Simple lettering in a contemporary font.
- Colors. A glossy black base with two accent colors, blue for the logo and white for the lettering.
- Rim. Silver-toned, with a ring of small embossed dots.
Order Coins for Your Team
We’re a veteran-owned business, registered in SAM.gov as an SDVOSB (service-disabled veteran-owned small business). We make corporate challenge coins for companies and teams.
Professional artwork is free, and revisions are unlimited before production. You approve a digital proof first. Orders start at 50 coins, shipping within the continental US is free, and rush production is available.
Tell us whether the coins are for your own staff or for customers, since that shapes the finish and whether special packaging makes sense. If the design includes another company’s mark, we’ll need your authorization before artwork begins. Ask for a free quote and tell us about your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cybersecurity challenge coin?
A cybersecurity challenge coin is a custom coin that recognizes a security team or marks an event such as an incident response. The design usually relies on a team or product mark and lettering, because the work itself leaves nothing to picture.
What do technology companies use challenge coins for?
Technology companies use coins for incident response, on-call rotations, conference and customer giveaways, and internal recognition. Each use can call for different quantities and packaging. Tell us who will receive the coins and we can recommend a finish.
What can you put on a coin for a security team?
A security team coin can show the team’s own mark, a shield, lock or key, or an abstract network or circuit pattern. Bold lettering works too. A SOC team coin (SOC is short for security operations center) has the same options. Shields and locks are common, so they need a fresh treatment.
Can a coin mark an incident response?
Yes, a coin can recognize the team that worked through a serious event. It can show a date, the team name or a short line of text. Teams can hand them out when the response ends.
Will our logo work on a coin?
In most cases yes, once the logo is adapted for metal. Gradients become flat color or raised metal detail, thin strokes thicken and light lettering goes heavier. For a software company challenge coin, send vector artwork and approve the adapted version before production.
Why is glossy black so common on tech coins?
Glossy black reads as modern and gives a logo strong contrast. The enamel, a colored fill similar to paint, sits between raised metal lines, which can help keep edges neat. Teams that want a different look can choose matte black, two-metal plating or a brushed finish.
Do we need permission to use a product logo on a coin?
Yes, you generally need approval from the mark’s owner. That’s usually your marketing or legal team, or the vendor for a partner’s mark. Confirm before artwork begins. We work from artwork you’re authorized to supply.
Are coins a good conference giveaway?
Coins can work well as giveaways because people often keep them. Our 50-coin minimum may suit event quantities, and we can advise on packaging. Give us the event date so we can plan production around it.
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