Stephen Lawton | Dark Reading

Stephen Lawton has short dark hair and a mustache; he wears wire glasses and a suit with tie.

Stephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Stephen Lawton is a veteran journalist and cybersecurity subject matter expert who has been covering cybersecurity and business continuity for more than 30 years. He was named a Global Top 25 Data Expert for 2023 and a Global Top 20 Cybersecurity Expert for 2022. Stephen spent more than a decade with SC Magazine/SC Media/CyberRisk Alliance, where he served as editorial director of the content lab. Earlier he was chief editor for several national and regional award-winning publications, including MicroTimes and Digital News & Review. Stephen is the founder and senior consultant of the media and technology firm AFAB Consulting LLC. You can reach him at [email protected].

Latest from Stephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

A screen showing one person's face and the algorithm calculating points of another person's face.

Regulators Combat Deepfakes With Anti-Fraud Rules Regulators Combat Deepfakes With Anti-Fraud Rules

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Oct 31, 2024

4 Min Read

A green shadow of a hand against a screen with 0 and 1

Cybersecurity Operations

The Perils of Ignoring Cybersecurity Basics The Perils of Ignoring Cybersecurity Basics

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Oct 8, 2024

5 Min Read

All from Stephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Person pushing a compliance button.

Don't Forget to Report a Breach: A Cautionary Tale

Don't Forget to Report a Breach: A Cautionary Tale

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

magnifying glass looking for clues

Endpoint Security

Lawyers Ask Forensics Investigators for Help Outside Cybersecurity

Lawyers Ask Forensics Investigators for Help Outside Cybersecurity

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

CISO and team looking at screens with cybersecurity information.

Making the Case for 'Reasonable' Cybersecurity

Making the Case for 'Reasonable' Cybersecurity

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

IBM's quantum computer against a black background. It looks like a gold chandelier.

How Boards Can Prepare for Quantum Computers

How Boards Can Prepare for Quantum Computers

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Directors and Officers Liability D&O insurance application form

Cybersecurity Operations

New Regulations Make D&O Insurance a Must for CISOs

New Regulations Make D&O Insurance a Must for CISOs

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

A large binder labeled PRIVACY, next to an open binder and a calculator

Privacy Beats Ransomware as Top Insurance Concern

Privacy Beats Ransomware as Top Insurance Concern

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Torso of man in suit selecting icons on an imaginary screen in front of him, with the word CISO floating

Cybersecurity Operations

Top 3 Priorities for CISOs in 2024

Top 3 Priorities for CISOs in 2024

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

View of a settlement nestled into the badlands of Medora, North Dakota, USA

Cybersecurity Operations

How States Help Municipalities Build Their Cyber Defenses

How States Help Municipalities Build Their Cyber Defenses

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Silhouettes of people looking at different products such as a house on a blue screen.

Making Cyber Insurance Available for Small Biz, Contractors

Making Cyber Insurance Available for Small Biz, Contractors

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Illustration of a man holding an umbrella in the rain, with a giant boulder hovering over his head

Insurance Companies Have a Lot to Lose in Cyberattacks

Insurance Companies Have a Lot to Lose in Cyberattacks

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Businessman with cornrows uses desktop computer with the implied assistance of AI, represented as a glowing circuitboard head

Cybersecurity Operations

Nexusflow Slots GenAI Into SOC Automation

Nexusflow Slots GenAI Into SOC Automation

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

People in an office doing work, while in the foreground a man hands a folder to a business partner

Threat Intelligence

Protecting Intellectual Property When It Needs to Be Shared

Protecting Intellectual Property When It Needs to Be Shared

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Shot of two business people shaking hands during a meeting while a third watches, typing on a laptop

Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation

Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Two businesspeople, an Asian woman and a white man, go over paperwork at a desk

Vulnerabilities & Threats

Pepper and Embedded Insurance Partner on Cyber Insurance for Consumers, SMBs

Pepper and Embedded Insurance Partner on Cyber Insurance for Consumers, SMBs

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

A white man's hand holds up a smartphone with AI chat conversation in front of desktop computer

Generative AI Has Its Risks, but the Sky Isn't Falling

Generative AI Has Its Risks, but the Sky Isn't Falling

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Photo of an abandoned campsite completely overgrown with saplings and underbrush.

Making Sure Lost Data Stays Lost

Making Sure Lost Data Stays Lost

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

3D illustration of compromised computer connected to a network

Identifying Compromised Data Can Be a Logistical Nightmare

Identifying Compromised Data Can Be a Logistical Nightmare

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Photo of two men in a car, wearing body armor and balaclavas, celebrating over an open bag of banded cash

When Banking Laws Don't Protect Consumers From Cybertheft

When Banking Laws Don't Protect Consumers From Cybertheft

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Entrance to Federal Communications Commission office in Washington, DC; glass doors, white brick walls, brass fittings

Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

Proposed FCC Rule Redefines Data Breaches for Communications Carriers

Proposed FCC Rule Redefines Data Breaches for Communications Carriers

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Photo of a basic black office chair and an office telephone sitting in an otherwise empty room

'Skinny' Cyber-Insurance Policies Create Compliance Path

'Skinny' Cyber-Insurance Policies Create Compliance Path

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Someone holds an Android phone in one hand and selects the Play Store with the index finger of their other hand

Google Pushes Privacy to the Limit in Updated Terms of Service

Google Pushes Privacy to the Limit in Updated Terms of Service

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

miniature crime scene investigators standing on top of a computer collecting evidence.

Сloud Security

How the Cloud Changed Digital Forensics Investigations

How the Cloud Changed Digital Forensics Investigations

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Photo illustration of peeling back a shiny office building facade to reveal a crumbling ruin

Threat Intelligence

Cyber Due Diligence in M&As Uncovers Threats, Improves Valuations

Cyber Due Diligence in M&As Uncovers Threats, Improves Valuations

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Steinenberg, Basel, Switzerland - February 19th, 2018. Front view of a carnival group with the topic of cyber warfare

Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

Amid Legal Fallout, Cyber Insurers Redefine State-Sponsored Attacks as Act of War

Amid Legal Fallout, Cyber Insurers Redefine State-Sponsored Attacks as Act of War

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Painting called "The course of Empire (Destruction of Rome by the Visigoths)" by Thomas Cole

The Art of Calculating the Cost of Risk

The Art of Calculating the Cost of Risk

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

A person is answering a cybersecurity quiz that asks if he knows how to protect his data. "Yes" is checked.

Cyber Insurers Clamp Down on Clients' Self-Attestation of Security Controls

Cyber Insurers Clamp Down on Clients' Self-Attestation of Security Controls

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

A man's hand builds a stack of blocks to reveal a locked padlock, with the last corner he's placing marked Data

Federal Privacy Bill That Would Preempt State Privacy Laws Faces Uncertain Future

Federal Privacy Bill That Would Preempt State Privacy Laws Faces Uncertain Future

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Photograph of a woman's hand stopping a chain of dominoes from continuing to fall

Transitioning From VPNs to Zero-Trust Access Requires Shoring Up Third-Party Risk Management

Transitioning From VPNs to Zero-Trust Access Requires Shoring Up Third-Party Risk Management

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Wooden blocks with icons environmental (hand holding sprout), social (hands cupping people), governance (building), and ESG

Understanding Proposed SEC Rules Through an ESG Lens

Understanding Proposed SEC Rules Through an ESG Lens

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Overhead photo of a bunch of businesspeople sitting around a large conference table

Proposed SEC Rules Require More Transparency About Cyber-Risk

Proposed SEC Rules Require More Transparency About Cyber-Risk

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Illustration of a turbine next to its digital twin, identical except ghostly and glowing

Unlocking the Cybersecurity Benefits of Digital Twins

Unlocking the Cybersecurity Benefits of Digital Twins

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

waves breaking around a trawler off the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland

Turbulent Cyber Insurance Market Sees Rising Prices and Sinking Coverage

Turbulent Cyber Insurance Market Sees Rising Prices and Sinking Coverage

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

An overgrown forest path blocked by fallen tree symbolizing the difficult, overgrown legal compliance landscape

New Connecticut Privacy Law Makes Path to Compliance More Complex

New Connecticut Privacy Law Makes Path to Compliance More Complex

byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox.