“Security, like everything else that’s human, is a work in progress.”
That line from the late Tim Wilson’s 2013 column for Dark Reading’s seventh anniversary still rings true today. Tim pointed out that cyber defense and breaches involve people — defenders and victims — and “while attacks and technology change, the nature of security itself doesn’t,” he wrote. The human element in security means it’s always evolving. Such is the cybersecurity world in 2026, too.
Tim, Dark Reading’s co-founder and former editor-in-chief, had a gift for penning profound insights about industry trends. That column was just one example of how, for Tim, it was always about the people: those he worked with, those who read his work, and most importantly, his family and friends.
It has been nearly five years since Tim passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Much has changed at Dark Reading since his death in late November of 2021. The site has grown dramatically, and the team has nearly doubled in size. Only two of the eight of us worked with Tim at Dark Reading. Most of our current teammates never met or even knew of Tim before they came on board, and it is not lost on me that many of our newest readers probably don’t know his byline or work.
So, as we celebrate Dark Reading’s 20th anniversary this month, we also honor and remember Tim’s legacy and lasting influence on this media brand, as well as on the industry writ large.
Dark Reading’s Tim Wilson: A Cyber Media Entrepreneur
From the get-go in May of 2006, Tim set the standard for security journalism with smart, insightful reporting wrapped in his inimitably engaging writing style. His pieces were always a great read, thanks to his skilled writing and depth of security knowledge, and the occasional bit of humor he slipped into a headline or body of a story (where appropriate, of course).
As Dark Reading grew, Tim’s role did, too. He served as the face of Dark Reading to the industry for most of his 15 years at the helm, creating content for various industry conferences, educating stakeholders on the Dark Reading business side, and always facilitating communication and conversation, formally or informally, in the burgeoning security community.
Tim was passionate about Dark Reading and making sure that it consistently served industry leaders and professionals. His dream was to establish a security conference for security pros by security pros, where they could share their experiences and learn from one another, focusing on the most relevant threats rather than the latest security vulnerability or research finding. That vision culminated with his creation of the INsecurity conference in 2017, a groundbreaking Dark Reading event that brought together chief information security officers (CISOs) and other major enterprise security leaders in Chatham House Rule forums and roundtable discussions. They shared their experiences, learned from one another, and as Tim had hoped, considered fresh, more effective defense strategies, all in a safe space free of vendor influence.
Tim was always innovating and looking for new ways to grow the Dark Reading audience and the business. As a pioneer in the shift from print to online B2B media, Tim created new and updated elements on the Dark Reading site, and he invented more ways to engage with cyber pros, such as Dark Reading’s editorial webinars, all-day virtual events (long before the pandemic), and research reports. He carved out unique “sites within the site,” as he called them: The Edge, Dark Reading’s features section; and Dark Reading Technology, our section devoted to cyber technology and product trends.
Tim was known for his generosity to others. He took the time to listen, mentor, and support his team and other members of the security industry. Several industry friends over the years have shared stories of how he helped them in their career journeys.
Tim loved the security community, but it was his unabashed love for, and dedication to, Dark Reading that propelled the brand in its first 15 years.
Dark Reading at 20: 2 Decades of Innovative Cyber Reporting
Today, Tim’s entrepreneurial spirit lives on in Dark Reading’s newest generation of talented editors and reporters who understand that this brand carries weight, and who take pride in representing and advancing Dark Reading.
Our editorial team is carrying on the Dark Reading tradition of evolving and finding new ways to connect with our audience. They are leading the way in creating new forms of content including video, unparalleled technology trend analysis, a unique storytelling podcast, and specialized international coverage. The team is experimenting with online polls, interactive AI knowledge agents, and Spanish-language translation. We also work closely with our CISO Advisory Board: a collection of cyber leaders who help us focus on the topics, depth, and types of content they and their security teams need for their jobs and want to see on Dark Reading.
This culture of dedication to readers and the site echoes the core strategy for Dark Reading that Tim evangelized and practiced for nearly 15 years. I’m quite sure he would be pleased: What better way to pay tribute to his legacy and memory than to continue that mission for Dark Reading now and into the future?
Here’s to our memories and gifts from Tim, whom we lost far too soon.
Click here for all of our DR20 content, which will be rolling out across the month of May. Keep checking back for new items!
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