Mathew J. Schwartz

Executive Editor, DataBreachToday & Europe, ISMG

Schwartz is an award-winning journalist with two decades of experience in magazines, newspapers and electronic media. He has covered the information security and privacy sector throughout his career. Before joining Information Security Media Group in 2014, where he now serves as the executive editor, DataBreachToday and for European news coverage, Schwartz was the information security beat reporter for InformationWeek and a frequent contributor to DarkReading, among other publications. He lives in Scotland.

Regulator Accuses AI Video Firm of Deceptive Marketing

Mathew J. Schwartz • December 4, 2024

Facial recognition software maker IntelliVision has reached a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission after the regulator accused the AI-powered software vendor of deceptive marketing claims, including that its tools have "zero gender or racial bias" and market-leading levels of accuracy.

CyberEdBoard Profiles in Leadership: Brian Brackenborough

Mathew J. Schwartz • November 14, 2024

Brian Brackenborough, CISO at Channel 4, shares insights on transforming cybersecurity from a technical afterthought to a critical business priority. He discusses aligning security with business goals, fostering a security-minded culture and navigating the challenges of AI-powered threats.

Beyond Phishing: AI's New Tricks for Cyberattacks

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 27, 2024

While AI transforms business operations, it helps cybercriminals develop sophisticated impersonation techniques such as deepfakes and voice synthesis, posing new challenges for corporate security, said Surinder Lall, senior vice president of global information security risk management at Paramount.

CyberEdBoard Profiles in Leadership: Aman Sood

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 20, 2024

Aman Sood began his career in cybersecurity as a help desk analyst, handling tasks such as resetting user passwords and providing technical support. He shares his journey from analyst to cybersecurity vice president, discusses the challenges and offers advice to aspiring security professionals.

AI in Cybercrime: Lowering the Barrier for Bad Actors

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 19, 2024

Like security practitioners, cybercriminals want AI too. But in the AI-versus-AI cyber battle, the barrier for malicious actors "keeps getting lower and lower, while the barrier for defenders is getting more complex and more difficult," said Rick Holland, field CISO, ReliaQuest.

Advice to CISOs: Address AI Challenges Now!

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 18, 2024

Forrester senior analyst Tope Olufon discusses how CISOs face the challenge of shadow IT with generative AI. CISOs need to approach AI as they would any other technology, he says. "Create a threat model, not just based on best practices, but for your organization, and then build security for that."

Balancing AI Innovation With Data Privacy and Security

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 12, 2024

AI offers significant business benefits but also introduces data privacy risks. According to Harmonic Security's CEO Alastair Paterson, CISOs worry about sensitive data shared with third-party applications. "Our approach is certainly security for AI," he said.

Microsoft Now Promises Extra Security for AI-Driven Recall

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 10, 2024

How in the world has Microsoft's leadership managed to get the debut of its forthcoming Recall feature for Windows so wrong on the security and privacy fronts? In the face of serious concerns, Redmond has belatedly promised multiple enhancements, but serious questions remain unanswered.

Did OpenAI Illegally Mimic Scarlett Johansson's Voice?

Mathew J. Schwartz • May 21, 2024

Hollywood megastar Scarlett Johansson said a voice built into OpenAI's new GPT-4o is "eerily similar" to her own, despite her declining the company's request to lend it her voice. While AI firms have a penchant for moving fast and breaking things, how far can their appropriation go?

Training LLMs: Questions Rise Over AI Auto Opt-In by Vendors

Mathew J. Schwartz • May 21, 2024

Can individuals' personal data and content be used by artificial intelligence firms to train their large language models without requiring users to opt in? The answer may vary by geography, but even in Europe it so far appears to be "yes," provided vendors practice transparency with users.

Platform or Point Solutions? AI May Be Tipping the Scales

Mathew J. Schwartz • May 21, 2024

To platform or not to platform? That is the question facing many CISOs when it comes to managing cybersecurity vendors, and the answers are changing thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning, said Brian Essex, executive director, U.S. software equity research, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The Rise of Memory-Safe Languages in Secure Development

Mathew J. Schwartz • May 21, 2024

Mark Ryland, director of Amazon Security, discusses the need for memory-safe programming languages and formal verification techniques to address security vulnerabilities and comply with emerging regulations. He emphasized the shift toward using Rust, a high-performance language for bug elimination.

Top CISO Gen AI Challenges: Employee Use, Red Team Testing

Mathew J. Schwartz • May 20, 2024

Dealing with generative artificial intelligence is challenging for CISOs on multiple fronts, including monitoring employee use of gen AI, as well as how to red team and security test their own large language models and products, said Daniel Kennedy, principal research analyst at 451 Research.

A Human-Centric Security Approach, Supported by AI

Mathew J. Schwartz • May 20, 2024

Sumit Dhawan, CEO of Proofpoint, discusses why the company takes a human-centric approach to security, as well as its challenges and benefits, while also using generative artificial intelligence to enhance risk prediction and mitigation.

Rising Cybersecurity Threats: Focus on Identity Protection

Mathew J. Schwartz • May 14, 2024

David Bradbury, chief security officer at Okta, discusses the shift in the cyberthreat battleground, the effect of artificial intelligence technology on identity protection, Okta's investments into its own security and lessons learned along the way.