1) What made you want to start a career in journalism and specifically in technology and cybersecurity?
I’d been interested in a career in journalism for most of my life: I did a journalism qualification and a media studies degree, and got my first job on a B2B publication in 2001.
The opportunity to cover cybersecurity came along in 2008 when I was between jobs and a recruiter offered me a role on SC Magazine UK. I knew some cybersecurity content, such as the LoveBug and what worms did, so that was enough to get me started. I took a real interest in cybersecurity issues and its history and people, so it’s been a real vocation for me.
2) Given the dynamic nature of the industry you work in and write about, how do you stay up-to-date with the latest developments in cybersecurity?
Generally, there are two ways: by following other media, and also social media. I keep an eye on other cybersecurity publications and see what they are covering, and also follow a number of accounts on social media who share announcements and research that are worth following.
I also subscribe to a few cybersecurity podcasts, which are a great way of learning who the influencers are, and which stories others are covering – and those stories I missed!
3) The cybersecurity events season has finally kicked off, with Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo, UK Cyber Week and RSA taking place in the last month and many more conferences to come in the next few weeks including Infosecurity Europe or BlackHat. What are you looking forward to the most at these conferences?
I’ve had the pleasure of attending conferences around the world and they all have their different lures. When planning to attend a conference I would usually consider when and where it is, and then look at who is speaking and what about. If there is a speaker I’m familiar with that would be a draw, but I’d also look for interesting subjects, and any practitioner/CISO presentations.
Also, if there is a presentation on something that catches my eye that is another consideration. It sounds like quite an operation but it’s actually quite easy! The challenge usually comes with the bigger conferences where there may be up to 10 talks going on at any one time – the smaller conferences can be easier to navigate.
4) Do you use these conferences as an opportunity to meet cybersecurity experts when you’re there? If so, what’s the best way and time for comms people to get in touch with you and let you know about one of our clients being available at the show for an interview?
Generally, if it’s more of a meet and greet, and a ‘drop by the booth and say hello’ then that’s something I’d be more interested in. Conferences aren’t really good environments for interviews in my opinion. There is rarely enough free space or time to really get some good time with someone, and too many distractions and background noises.
My preference would be to use it as a chance to meet someone, as mentioned before, and get some proper time afterwards. Also, when you consider how many directions the press is being pulled in such a short space of time, giving up a decent period of time really isn’t practical.
5) Finally, I’d love to ask you about AI. Some say that GenAI tools are threatening journalism when others are embracing it. What are your thoughts on the matter? Are you using AI tools yourself?
In the work I do, AI doesn’t feature heavily. I do use ChatGPT as a proof-reading tool, but otherwise it’s not really a major part of my daily work.
I can see where it is a threat to traditional publishing companies, but for me the difference between human-generated and AI-generated can be easy to spot. The real fear would be for small publishing companies who feel the financial squeeze and need to produce lots of content and fast. I’d like to think that most media are safe for now though.
