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

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure Concept, with representations of tools and documents and certificates
Vulnerabilities & Threats
Digital Certificates With Shorter Lifespans Reduce Security VulnerabilitiesDigital Certificates With Shorter Lifespans Reduce Vulnerabilities
byStephen Lawton
Dec 4, 2024
5 Min Read
A screen showing one person's face and the algorithm calculating points of another person's face.
Data Privacy
Regulators Combat Deepfakes With Anti-Fraud RulesRegulators Combat Deepfakes With Anti-Fraud Rules
byStephen Lawton
Oct 31, 2024
4 Min Read

All from Stephen Lawton

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
Oct 8, 2024
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Person pushing a compliance button.
Cyber Risk
Don't Forget to Report a Breach: A Cautionary Tale
Don't Forget to Report a Breach: A Cautionary Tale
Jun 28, 2024
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4 Min Read
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
May 31, 2024
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3 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
CISO and team looking at screens with cybersecurity information.
Cyber Risk
Making the Case for 'Reasonable' Cybersecurity
Making the Case for 'Reasonable' Cybersecurity
May 28, 2024
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4 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
IBM's quantum computer against a black background. It looks like a gold chandelier.
Cyber Risk
How Boards Can Prepare for Quantum Computers
How Boards Can Prepare for Quantum Computers
Apr 16, 2024
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4 Min Read
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
Mar 19, 2024
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3 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
A large binder labeled PRIVACY, next to an open binder and a calculator
Data Privacy
Privacy Beats Ransomware as Top Insurance Concern
Privacy Beats Ransomware as Top Insurance Concern
Feb 23, 2024
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5 Min Read
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
Jan 19, 2024
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5 Min Read
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
Dec 20, 2023
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Silhouettes of people looking at different products such as a house on a blue screen.
Cyber Risk
Making Cyber Insurance Available for Small Biz, Contractors
Making Cyber Insurance Available for Small Biz, Contractors
Dec 8, 2023
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4 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Illustration of a man holding an umbrella in the rain, with a giant boulder hovering over his head
Cyber Risk
Insurance Companies Have a Lot to Lose in Cyberattacks
Insurance Companies Have a Lot to Lose in Cyberattacks
Oct 5, 2023
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4 Min Read
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
Oct 3, 2023
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4 Min Read
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
Jul 31, 2023
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Shot of two business people shaking hands during a meeting while a third watches, typing on a laptop
Cyber Risk
Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation
Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation
Jul 28, 2023
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5 Min Read
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
Jun 29, 2023
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3 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
A white man's hand holds up a smartphone with AI chat conversation in front of desktop computer
Cyber Risk
Generative AI Has Its Risks, but the Sky Isn't Falling
Generative AI Has Its Risks, but the Sky Isn't Falling
Jun 19, 2023
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Photo of an abandoned campsite completely overgrown with saplings and underbrush.
Cyber Risk
Making Sure Lost Data Stays Lost
Making Sure Lost Data Stays Lost
May 12, 2023
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
3D illustration of compromised computer connected to a network
Cyber Risk
Identifying Compromised Data Can Be a Logistical Nightmare
Identifying Compromised Data Can Be a Logistical Nightmare
May 4, 2023
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Photo of two men in a car, wearing body armor and balaclavas, celebrating over an open bag of banded cash
Cyber Risk
When Banking Laws Don't Protect Consumers From Cybertheft
When Banking Laws Don't Protect Consumers From Cybertheft
Apr 12, 2023
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4 Min Read
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
Mar 10, 2023
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4 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Photo of a basic black office chair and an office telephone sitting in an otherwise empty room
Cyber Risk
'Skinny' Cyber-Insurance Policies Create Compliance Path
'Skinny' Cyber-Insurance Policies Create Compliance Path
Mar 8, 2023
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4 Min Read
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
Data Privacy
Google Pushes Privacy to the Limit in Updated Terms of Service
Google Pushes Privacy to the Limit in Updated Terms of Service
Jan 25, 2023
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4 Min Read
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
Nov 29, 2022
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4 Min Read
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
Nov 22, 2022
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5 Min Read
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
Nov 18, 2022
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Painting called "The course of Empire (Destruction of Rome by the Visigoths)" by Thomas Cole
Cyber Risk
The Art of Calculating the Cost of Risk
The Art of Calculating the Cost of Risk
Nov 2, 2022
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4 Min Read
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 Risk
Cyber Insurers Clamp Down on Clients' Self-Attestation of Security Controls
Cyber Insurers Clamp Down on Clients' Self-Attestation of Security Controls
Sep 21, 2022
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5 Min Read
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
Data Privacy
Federal Privacy Bill That Would Preempt State Privacy Laws Faces Uncertain Future
Federal Privacy Bill That Would Preempt State Privacy Laws Faces Uncertain Future
Sep 12, 2022
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7 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Photograph of a woman's hand stopping a chain of dominoes from continuing to fall
Cyber Risk
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
Aug 15, 2022
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4 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Wooden blocks with icons environmental (hand holding sprout), social (hands cupping people), governance (building), and ESG
Cyber Risk
Understanding Proposed SEC Rules Through an ESG Lens
Understanding Proposed SEC Rules Through an ESG Lens
Jul 22, 2022
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4 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Overhead photo of a bunch of businesspeople sitting around a large conference table
Cyber Risk
Proposed SEC Rules Require More Transparency About Cyber-Risk
Proposed SEC Rules Require More Transparency About Cyber-Risk
Jul 11, 2022
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4 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
Illustration of a turbine next to its digital twin, identical except ghostly and glowing
Cyber Risk
Unlocking the Cybersecurity Benefits of Digital Twins
Unlocking the Cybersecurity Benefits of Digital Twins
Jun 16, 2022
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer
waves breaking around a trawler off the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland
Cyber Risk
Turbulent Cyber Insurance Market Sees Rising Prices and Sinking Coverage
Turbulent Cyber Insurance Market Sees Rising Prices and Sinking Coverage
Jun 2, 2022
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5 Min Read
byStephen Lawton, Contributing Writer

Editor's Choice

A woman sitting at a laptop and holding a mobile device, the screens of both displaying a green check mark in a circle
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
Researchers Crack Microsoft Azure MFA in an HourResearchers Crack Microsoft Azure MFA in an Hour
byElizabeth Montalbano, Contributing Writer
Dec 11, 2024
4 Min Read
The words "zero-day" written in a line of code on a computer screen
Application Security
Microsoft NTLM Zero-Day to Remain Unpatched Until AprilMicrosoft NTLM Zero-Day to Remain Unpatched Until April
byJai Vijayan, Contributing Writer
Dec 9, 2024
3 Min Read
A patchwork quilt
Application Security
Actively Exploited Zero-Day, Critical RCEs Lead Microsoft Patch TuesdayMicrosoft Fixes Active Zero-Day, Critical RCEs on Patch Tuesday
byTara Seals, Managing Editor, News, Dark Reading
Dec 10, 2024
5 Min Read
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