For PR professionals, especially in tech/cybersecurity, our job has always been about staying one step ahead. We have to anticipate story angles, prepare spokespeople, and get ahead of any brewing media storms. But now, with cybersecurity exploding into public consciousness, the media landscape is evolving faster than ever before.

Where journalists once had only a surface-level understanding of cyber threats, many now are arriving to interviews armed with sophisticated knowledge of the latest attacks, vulnerabilities, and security terms. Reporters are devouring cybersecurity content to better cover breaches, malware threats, and growing geopolitical tensions in cyberspace. For PR pros, this means the “gotcha” questions are getting more complex while the window to prepare intelligent responses is shrinking rapidly.

To adapt, PR teams need to further immerse themselves in the latest cybersecurity issues and lingo. They should read cybersecurity publications, follow key experts on social media, and brush up on essential terminology and concepts. When briefing executives, they must think several steps ahead to anticipate challenging cyber-related questions. And when a breach occurs, PR pros need to react swiftly with messaging that shows sophistication about the nature and scale of the attack.

The PR learning curve is steeper because cyber risks evolve so quickly. But taking the time to truly understand this brave new world of cyber-savvy media will be well worth the effort. Those PR teams who can get ahead and stay one step ahead of the ever-intellectual journalists will become invaluable assets to their organisations

With cybersecurity now fully in the media spotlight, successful PR means mastering both the latest technology and communications strategies like never before