12 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 Twitter and Linked is certainly an effective way to view valuable insights in aggregate. But one of the downsides of social media 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 Twitter, LinkedIn, or both.
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
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.
What He Shares: Commentary on the latest cybersecurity news and career opportunities for security professionals
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
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 InfoSec in the Star Wars universe
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
Katie Moussouris
Katie Moussouris was instrumental in building the first bug bounty program at the US Department of Defense, leveraging her experience from leading Vulnerability Research at Microsoft. Now CEO of Luta Security, she advises governments and higher education institutions on potential vulnerabilities and bug bounty programs.
What She Shares: An unfiltered view of the life of an entrepreneur and ethical hacker along with advice for other female cybersecurity professionals
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
Mikko Hypponen
Named Cybersecurity Person of the Year for 2020 by CISO MAG, Mikko Hypponen has led his team at F-Secure Corporation in Finland through some of the largest computer virus outbreaks in history. His research has been shared on CNN, Scientific American, and The New York Times, and he’s given multiple TED talks. In 2014, Mikko was thanked by Twitter for improving the company’s security.
What He Shares: Wisdom from other security experts as well as his insights on recent malware attacks
Rachel Tobac
Rachel Tobac is undoubtedly an authority on social engineering. As an ethical hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security, Rachel helps companies keep their data safe by executing penetration tests and educating employees on socially-engineered attacks. She is also the Chair of the Board for the nonprofit Women in Security and Privacy (WISP), where she offers support and guidance to other women in the cybersecurity community.
What She Shares: Digestible advice and recommendations for blocking socially-engineered attacks
Shira Rubinoff
Regarded as one of the top female cybersecurity influencers, Shira Rubinoff is an expert in the human element of cybersecurity. She co-founded Prime Tech Partners, an NYC-based technology incubator, and is the president of the social media security firm, SecureMySocial. Shira 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.
What She Shares: Valuable research and guidance on data security and online privacy best practices
Theresa Payton
Theresa Payton made history as the first woman to serve as White House CIO. Following her tenure in the Bush administration, she went on to co-found Dark3, a cybersecurity solution, and is now CEO of Fortalice Solutions, a provider of cybersecurity consulting services. She was also named 2019 Woman Cybersecurity Leader of the Year as well as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People in Security” by Security Magazine.
What She Shares: Advice for protecting privacy alongside breaking security stories
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
If you’re looking for another great source of information on new attacks, the latest trends in cybercrime, and actionable advice for how to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, we invite you to visit Abnormal Intelligence.
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