Tag: cyber security PR

Cybersecurity Pubs Every PR Pro Should Be Reading

Posted on by Colleen O'Connor

Most of us who work at tech PR agencies stay glued to various media to track breaking news and inform reactive pitching to promote visibility for our clients. Yet our main goal is not always to secure top-tier media coverage, although that’s always a win. We may also work to earn media coverage that will be read by a rarefied audience that ranges from senior executives to CEOs. Often we work with trade journalists who cover highly technical categories and need commentary and background from specialized experts. 

Cybersecurity is one of those categories. From data hacks to new ransomware, PR pros who work in the cybersec space need to stay connected to developments and track trends in the business. Trade publications can be just as important as top outlets like The New York Times or Wall Street Journal. They often break news before anyone else. In fact, if you work in cybersecurity PR you should be reading these top publications on a daily basis.   

Dark Reading

Dark Reading is perfect for enterprise IT and network security professionals, providing the most up-to-date information about products, management strategies, architectures and security policy. It acts as a security dashboard for IT professionals who don’t have the time or the luxury of combing wirefeeds, multiple bug feeds or vendor sites to find out what’s new or how well it works. 

Wired: Threat Level

Threat Level, a subsection of Wired, offers insight into the latest news and happenings related to hacking, cyber crimes and new methods to protect personal data online. PR pros will also enjoy the in-depth stories with an insider’s view on cyber attacks.

ZDNet: Zero Day

Looking for new research on tech and IT, while reporting on the latest threats and vulnerabilities in the cybersec space? ZDNet’s Zero Day covers that while providing technical in-depth pieces which professionals will appreciate. 

CSO

Aimed for high-level security professionals, CSO offers content on security-related products and services to assist CSOs in the decision-making process. Their goal is to underscore the need for security personnel while building a high level of trust among chief security officers and tracking the tools and techniques they need to make smart decisions.

InfoWorld

InfoWorld is published for IT leaders who hope to bring their companies a competitive edge through understanding emerging technologies and advances. It focuses on personal computing in enterprise and offers reliable product information to corporate volume buyers who are purchasing for client-server environments. 

ThreatPost

Threatpost covers Internet and computer security news on virus alerts, new hacker threats and attacks, and advances in security research, webcasts and white papers. It’s also a great source for breaking news with expert commentary. 

SC Magazine

SC Media gives info security professionals the in-depth business and technical information they need to tackle the countless security challenges they face and establish risk management and compliance postures that underpin business strategies. It’s also a great place for in-depth op-eds by industry leaders on current trends and topics.

Krebs on Security

Founded by investigative reporter Brian Krebs, Krebs on Security provides content on day-to-day software and information technology, executing daily internet tasks and also good security practices. He also offers articles for not-so-savvy cyber pros by breaking down the latest cyber attacks and helping explain their impact.

CyberSecurity Dive

Under the Industry Dive umbrella is Cybersecurity Dive. It provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most important news and trends shaping cybersecurity, like breaches, vulnerability, threats, and more.

InfoSecurity Mag

Infosecurity Magazine has given readers over ten years of insight into the information security industry. It focuses on hot topics and trends, in-depth news analysis and opinion columns from industry experts. It’s also a great place for webinars and other free educational content!

Bleeping Computer

Bleeping Computer aims to serve as a helpful resource for novice computer users to learn the basics of computer tech. It’s also a good forum for discussion of trends, tools, and hot topics.

TechRepublic

TechRepublic serves as the ultimate professional resource and community for members of the IT sector, from CEOs, to IT professionals  and everyone whose job requires making decisions about technology. It includes a family of virtual communities called republics, which organize editorial by job function, providing expert niche content, as well as peer-to-peer advice. 

infoRisk Today

infoRisk Today covers topics in risk management, compliance, fraud, and information security. It provides credible, timely information that security leaders can use as they craft comprehensive information security strategies so critical in the industry.

6 Things Cybersecurity PR Pros Should Do To Stand Out

Posted on by Michael Stolyar

Global spending on cybersecurity products and services will exceed $1 trillion by 2021. The sector’s accelerated growth, however, makes it hard for companies to stand out. That means cybersecurity PR pros must be savvy, creative and tactical to ensure their companies are noticed by target audiences. 

In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month here are six ways to help providers stand out in the cybersecurity space.

Understand how you fit into the big picture

Like ad tech, cybersecurity is a crowded and highly segmented market full of vendors, services and enough acronyms to make your head spin. Knowing where a company fits into the ecosystem is essential to differentiation. Beyond the umbrella of cybersecurity, PR pros need to adopt a granular understanding of their focus and expertise. Are the company’s offerings geared toward consumers through products like antivirus and firewall solutions, or toward business and enterprise via security information and event management (SIEM) software suites? Does it excel in enterprise data security for the private sector or are government contracts the goal? The answers to these questions will dictate strategy and help PR specialists discern what storylines can achieve the visibility they need.

React to breaking news

PR teams must be tuned into what’s happening in the cybersecurity space every day. Sometimes there’s only a four-hour window to jump on a breaking story, so we need to be ready. From massive breaches and ransomware attacks, to election security issues and data privacy concerns, the sheer volume of stories makes news monitoring essential. Cybersecurity PR professionals should be following key contacts on social media, as well as subscribing to major newsletters like Politico’s Morning Cybersecurity or the Washington Post’s Cybersecurity 202. 

But, pick your battles

It’s self-defeating to hurl yourself at every story, however. PR teams should recognize that it’s impossible to be included in every type of news and should keep a fairly tight focus when offering subject-matter experts for comment. When it comes to reactive commentary, we base outreach on company specialty and the nature of the news. For example, a company specializing in enterprise IT security probably has no place commenting on data privacy surrounding government contact tracing. The pool of cybersecurity reporters is relatively finite, so PR pros should pick and choose the most relevant trending story and offer their source only to the most appropriate reporters to maximize return-on-effort. 

Know your media targets

Cybersecurity PR pros must be savvy enough to understand the nuances of media targets’ disciplines within the cybersecurity space. For example, there are multiple contacts at The Wall Street Journal that cover cybersecurity. Approaching any one of them without understanding what they cover will ensure your pitch is ignored. Study up. Follow key reporters on social media, read the trades and learn the differences between contacts that cover breaking data breaches or ransomware attacks and those that cover IT security management policies or white hacks and research reports. PRs who are aware of these differences will be more precise in their outreach efforts and maximize the potential for media visibility.

Diversify vertically

In an industry as crowded as cybersecurity, we are often competing against hundreds, if not thousands, of other brands and executives for thought leadership space. At times it’ll be more difficult to garner coverage depending on the story being told. But thanks to how many industries are affected by general cybersecurity issues, PR teams may gain advantage by diversifying their coverage options based on vertical sectors. These sectors may range from education, government and energy to financial services, healthcare and insurance. If an industry depends on the Internet to operate, it will undoubtedly face cybersecurity challenges. Attacking industry trade publications creates more coverage opportunities and allows PR pros to position their company in an outlet that can yield visibility among a new audience segment and even create a customer lead-gen opportunity down the line.

Use research and data to cut through the noise

Data and research can be highly effective for creating visibility for a cybersecurity brand, especially in a crowded category like antivirus and encryption software. Since there are hundreds of vendors in this segment vying for market share, the odds can be stacked against us from a media perspective. By either leveraging a company’s own research team or commissioning and white-labeling research from a third-party vendor, PR teams can gain an edge over competing brands in the battle for media mindshare. Cybersecurity reporting is inherently data-centric, which makes media in the space comparatively more primed to cover emerging industry research. Successful promotion of a report on a trending industry topic can result in high-impact coverage at scale and a big boost in brand visibility for the cybersecurity companies.

PR Tips For Cybersecurity Companies

Posted on by Zef Vataj

It’s not just the U.S. government that’s feeling the brunt (and the public relations cost) of digital warfare. Cyber attacks are on the rise across the globe. There’s never been a greater demand for security services than today – and those services have to market themselves in a digital world.

From major corporations, to airlines and hospitals, data protection is paramount. In March, the health-care-related debt collector American Medical Collection Agency discovered it had been breached for over a year!

Data for millions of customers across multiple AMCA contractors like LabCorp had their information compromised. We’ve seen companies like British Airways and T-Mobile fall victim to extreme ransomware and cyber breaches in the past year, and the worst thing about it is that most companies are woefully unprepared to deal with the threat.

The prevalence of such attacks places a premium on cyber security, and those who provide critical security services can take advantage of the market’s growing demand. Building better public relations will impact that bottom line. When properly designed and executed a PR program can not only build awareness, but develop a lead flow. Everyone from KPMG to startup firms need to invest in digital advertising and smart public relations. 

PR tips for cybersecurity companies

Have a media rapid-response bureau

CEOs and industry leaders can position themselves as experts through a proactive response team. Having a protocol to respond quickly to breaking news and industry trends is key to gaining traction in a digital world. Executives can easily get their names and insights in the news by simply commenting on data breaches or other major stories. Soon they will start speaking at conferences, and opining on cyber sec topics in major publications. Having a team ready to scan the news and look for reactive opportunities is vital. Yet the window for responding to news opportunities is short — possibly as little as four hours — so, nimble companies will benefit most from a rapid-response program. 

Create marketable quarterly/weekly reports

Creating a deck of accomplishments, attacks prevented and other easily marketable wins is a great way to build awareness. Trade reports and other wonky publications are eager to showcase specific case studies. Highlighting tangible benefits of your service will prove your customers are happy. The media benefit of such studies is invaluable to a tech-specific business, but do not get lost in the weeds. Focus on the bottom line and the result of your product. Most security companies know to be ultra-cautious when it comes to mentioning clients; unfortunately, most of the case histories in this category are “blind,” which limits their usefulness.

Focus on the benefit, not the tech

Technical media and category analysts may be interested in drilling down into all aspects of your offering, but beware getting lost in the technology features. For most audiences it’s best to present your product in a “big picture” way that focuses on benefits rather than merely a collection of features. Scare tactics aren’t welcome, but it’s powerful to tell a story of why you’ve been successful, and what you can do to safeguard critical assets. 

Place a price tag on the risk

Security risks exist on many levels. The investment will be seen in context, and the benefits made more meaningful to those who sign the contracts when they understand how cyberrisk impacts the bottom line. It’s not just a matter of the disruption of operations, of course; there’s often a reputational impact that can linger for years.

Invest in user customization

Not all users are the same, so why should a cyber sec package be tailored to a one-size fits all approach? It’s important that companies offer multiple packages for customers to choose from – whether its for an individual, small business looking to scale or an already large company. Our client SecureAge has done this, offering three different versions of its APEX software. It also helps to adopt a more consultative relationship, because the risk of a breach or intrusion is always changing.