A white hat documenting a dark world

One one short year, Brian Krebs has become the journalist I read more than any other — for two reasons. 

One, he writes about internet security, which these days is as much personal safety as anything.

Two, he’s very good, translating complex topics in a rapidly changing space into stories that are thorough, digestible and often exclusive. His email newsletter is pure click bait, not in a kitschy BuzzFeed/Upworthy kinda way but simply because every post  on KrebsOnSecurity.com is a mix of shock and awe in taking us into the dark world of identity theft and cybercrime. 

Krebs is yet another example of a traditional newspaper journalist who found success after going solo. In Krebs’ case, he covered cybersecurity for The Post but was laid off in 2009, so his transition to entrepreneur was more by force than choice. 

I’ve paid special attention to identity theft since noticing weird activity with a monthly “Experian” charge that started appearing on my credit card last year (Krebs discusses this fraud in the NPR podcast above). After getting a strange response from people at the fake “Experian” phone number I called, I called my credit card company. They responded quickly and in force, and thanks to Krebs I learned why. For that, and for every post since, I’m thankful for the tireless and authoritative work Krebs continues to deliver. 

I strongly encourage you read, contribute and donate to support this terrific journalism.