15 Cybersecurity Influencers to Follow This Year
With new cyber threats emerging almost daily, staying up to date on the latest cybersecurity trends, industry news, and best practices can be challenging.
Browsing social media is certainly an effective way to view valuable insights in aggregate. But one of the downsides of this approach is that because anyone can declare themselves a “cybersecurity expert”, identifying consistent sources of reliable and accurate information can be difficult.
To help make things easier, we’ve curated a list of some of the most innovative cybersecurity thought leaders. Each security influencer on this list offers a unique perspective on a broad range of topics and regularly shares helpful content on various social networks, including Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Mastodon.
1. Brian Krebs
For more than two decades, Brian Krebs has channeled his self-described obsession with cybersecurity into hundreds of Washington Post articles, more than 1,000 blog posts, and a New York Times bestseller. Now an independent investigative journalist, Brian regularly publishes cybersecurity insights on his website, Krebs on Security, as well as his social media accounts.
What He Shares: Industry updates, content from fellow security experts, and stories about recent cyberattacks
2. Chris Krebs
As Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) from 2018 to 2020, Krebs led the national effort to keep the United States safe from cyberattacks in all forms. Following his departure from CISA, Krebs co-founded Krebs Stamos Group, a cybersecurity consultancy, with Alex Stamos, formerly the CISO at Facebook. In November 2023, Krebs Stamos Group was acquired by SentinelOne, and Krebs became Chief Intelligence and Public Policy Officer.
What He Shares: Commentary on the latest cybersecurity news and recommendations for industry podcasts and publications
3. Graham Cluley
No list of security influencers would be complete without Graham Cluley, an award-winning cybersecurity expert, writer, and researcher who was inducted into the Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame. He has held senior roles at Sophos and McAfee and is now an independent blogger and analyst, world-renowned public speaker, and host of the Smashing Security podcast.
What He Shares: Candid commentary about recent security incidents, cyberattacks, and online privacy
4. Dave Kennedy
After serving five years in the US Marine Corps focusing on cyber warfare and forensics analysis activities, Dave Kennedy entered the private sector and has been on a 15+ year mission to make the world more secure. He’s founded two large-scale cybersecurity firms, co-founded the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (the industry standard for penetration tests), and created several open-source security tools.
What He Shares: Coding advice, attack insights, and upcoming cybersecurity events
5. Eugene Kaspersky
Eugene Kaspersky began creating his first antivirus programs in the early 1990s. In 1997, he founded Kaspersky Lab, heading up the company's research efforts and helping identify instances of government-sponsored cyberwarfare. Kaspersky Lab is now one of the largest consumer IT security software companies in the world, with more than 400 million users.
What He Shares: News on recent security vulnerabilities and interesting takes on cybersecurity in fictional universes
6. FC (Freaky Clown)
FC (Freaky Clown) is an experienced ethical hacker and social engineer with over 20 years of experience in the information security field. His work has helped organizations improve their security by demonstrating weaknesses in physical, personnel, and digital controls. As Co-Founder and Head of Ethical Hacking at Cygenta, he continues to perform valuable research into vulnerabilities for major high-street banks.
What He Shares: Industry analyses, cybersecurity best practices, and commentary on the latest developments in AI
7. Jen Easterly
Jen Easterly is the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where she leads CISA’s efforts to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the cyber and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every day. Her impressive career includes serving as the Head of Firm Resilience at Morgan Stanley, Special Assistant to President Obama, Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council, and Deputy Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Agency.
What She Shares: Advice for public and private sector organizations on ways to reduce their vulnerability to cyber threats
8. Jessica Barker
Dr. Jessica Barker MBE is an internationally recognized leader in the human side of cybersecurity, having delivered face-to-face awareness sessions to over 50,000 individuals and given more than 80 keynotes at prestigious events, including NATO and the World Government Summit. As the co-founder of cybersecurity company Cygenta, Dr. Barker advances cybersecurity awareness, behavior, and culture in organizations around the world. She is the author of the best-selling book Confident Cyber Security: How to Get Started in Cyber Security and Futureproof Your Career and Hacked: The Secrets Behind Cyber Attacks.
What She Shares: Reflections on the role of humans in cybersecurity and AI in cyberattacks
9. Keren Elazari
An internationally renowned security analyst, researcher, and speaker, Keren Elazari has dedicated her career to understanding emerging security technologies and trends. As a senior researcher at Tel Aviv University's Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, she delves into hacktivism, cyber conflicts in global politics, and crowd-sourcing security mechanisms. Keren has also written articles on emerging cyber threats for Scientific American, Financial Times, and WIRED magazine.
What She Shares: Insights into the evolution of AI and the impact of ethical hacking
10. Michael Coates
Michael Coates has been at the forefront of InfoSec for more than two decades, protecting hundreds of millions of users while leading security at global organizations like Mozilla and Twitter. Earlier in his career, he evaluated and fortified networks for some of the largest banks in the world and is now CISO at CoinList, a digital asset and cryptocurrency exchange.
What He Shares: Thoughts about innovative technologies like AI and ML and tips for both security leaders and consumers
11. Mikko Hypponen
One of the most recognized cybersecurity experts worldwide, Mikko Hypponen has written for the New York Times, Wired, and Scientific American and lectured at the universities of Oxford, Stanford, and Cambridge. He is a bestselling author and has delivered talks in more than 40 countries—including a TED Talk that has been seen by 2 million people. Mikko currently serves as the Chief Research Officer at WithSecure and Principal Research Advisor at F-Secure.
What He Shares: Wisdom from other security experts as well as his analyses of recent malware attacks
12. Sarah Armstrong-Smith
Sarah Armstrong-Smith, Chief Security Advisor - EMEA for Microsoft, is a renowned industry leader with 25 years of experience in the IT space. Her expertise spans disaster recovery, cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy, with notable roles at AXA, EY, Fujitsu, and the London Stock Exchange Group. She is a prolific keynote speaker and author and has received more than 30 awards, including being named one of the Top 25 Leaders in Cybersecurity for 2023 by Cyber Security Hub.
What She Shares: Observations about the evolution of cybersecurity in the era of AI
13. Shira Rubinoff
Regarded as one of the top female cybersecurity influencers, Shira Rubinoff is an expert in the human element of cybersecurity. She holds several patents and patents pending for systems and methods intended to enhance security on social media by preventing certain information from being posted publicly. Shira also co-founded Green Armor Solutions and Prime Tech Partners, serves on numerous advisory boards, and was recently named the president of The Futurum Group’s Cybersphere.
What She Shares: Valuable research and guidance on data security and online privacy best practices as well as insights into AI-driven threats
14. Theresa Payton
Theresa Payton made history as the first woman to serve as White House CIO. Following her tenure in the Bush administration, she founded Dark3, which was acquired by Celerium, and Fortalice Solutions, a world-class cybersecurity consulting firm. Payton has written multiple industry-leading books on IT strategy and cybersecurity, including Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth, which the Guardian included on its list of the Top 10 Books about Cybercrime.
What She Shares: Advice for protecting privacy alongside breaking security stories
15. Troy Hunt
Australian web security consultant Troy Hunt has made education and outreach the focus of his career. A data breach expert, he’s best known for creating “Have I Been Pwned?”, a website that allows users to see if their personal information has been compromised. As an Information Security Author & Instructor at Pluralsight, Troy has created dozens of courses on a range of cybersecurity topics.
What He Shares: Informative data security and InfoSec content that is easy to understand
Stay Secure by Staying Informed
Understanding the threat actors behind advanced attacks and their current methodologies makes it easier to predict shifts in their strategies and adjust accordingly. Back in 2022, we launched Abnormal Intelligence—a research and data hub focused on providing insight into new and emerging cyber threats.
Abnormal Intelligence has a wealth of data on new attacks, the latest trends in cybercrime, and actionable advice to help you better protect your workforce.
Abnormal Security's LinkedIn is also an excellent source of information on how to prevent attackers from successfully infiltrating your enterprise. If you're not already following our page, we would love for you to connect with us!
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