Make your threat research stand out from the crowd

Threat research is typically thorough and very technical, which can make it difficult for a lay person to understand. Translating that complexity into a story that speaks to business is hard. Too often, great research goes unnoticed because the business impact and the ‘so what?’ gets lost in jargon. But with the right approach, your insights can not only stand out but also dominate the headlines.

Having an agency that can take technical content and make it newsworthy can make all the difference. For instance, by hooking into trending issues like AI and creating catchy headlines around ‘CatPhishing’, HP’s threat research generated over 650 pieces of global coverage in the last year alone. This has included mainstream publications like The Sun, The Mirror, and The Express, as well as top-tier business and IT trade publications, like Bloomberg, and The Register.

And when Imperva’s threat research team conducted a new botnet investigation, we secured a featured article with Forbes. We also used Venafi’s threat research on North Korean hacking groups to target beat reporters at nationals, securing pick up in the Financial Times.

By consistently delivering credible research to journalists, your team can not only increase share of voice, they also become the go-to source when major cyberattacks occur. During the MoveIt breach, while many firms were scrambling to comment, we had media coming to us to ask for Secureworks to comment. This led to coverage in the Financial Times and The Guardian, as well as Computer Weekly, Infosecurity and The Telegraph.

Top tips to make your threat research fly

Here’s our top five success factors for threat research:

1. Storytelling. Threat research is technical by nature, but creating a compelling narrative can make it accessible to the masses. A catchy theme, snappy headline, and a clear ‘so what’ will put your research in the spotlight.

2. Timeliness. The clock is ticking when a researcher uncovers something new. If you’ve spotted it, chances are, someone else has too. Act fast or you risk being pipped to the post.

3. Novelty. Cybersecurity is a world of constant change, but some patterns never shift. The key is finding what’s truly new—and making it stand out.

4. Data. Journalists love real-world data. This is where threat research really shines. Spotlighting trends and turning raw data into clear statistics makes stories easier to report—and more impactful.

5. Relevance. Cybersecurity writers – particularly those at the nationals – are inundated with stories. Think about who the right reporter will be and whether you can target someone on a different beat with a shared interest.

Want to make your threat research impossible to ignore? Let’s chat. We’ll help you turn your findings into headlines and ensure your insights reach the right audience. Get in touch with us at [email protected] today!