Introducing ourselves
Actual people, not chatbots!
Hello, world! We’re the co-founders of Trusted Cyber Annex. We’re deeply committed to publishing free, high-quality cybersecurity content that people can rely on. Our goal is to help counter the effects of bogus “facts,” AI-generated slop, and missives from the White House prohibiting federal agencies from using words like “misinformation.” We’re focused on doing work we enjoy that helps others.
Here’s a quick intro to us so you know a little about the people behind the words.
Karen Scarfone
Credentials: I’ve been working in cybersecurity since 1999, most notably supporting NIST for 22 years. My cyber writing portfolio contains over 150 NIST publications, including the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, plus hundreds of print and online articles, and contributions to 21 books. My passion is absorbing highly technical cybersecurity concepts and translating them for broader audiences to understand. I even got a rare Master of Science degree in English (tech writing) to improve the quality of my work.
Everything else: I’m a GenX geek who still loves listening to new wave, post-punk, and goth and is staunchly pro-oxford comma and pro-Lego. My sports obsessions are the Washington Capitals and the Winter Olympics (you can never watch enough curling). I’m learning how to play the piano again after a 35-year hiatus. My mission in life is to pay forward all the help that so many people have given me over the years.
Matthew Smith
Credentials: I’ve been working in cybersecurity since 2010. I have worked in the intelligence community, federal civil departments and agencies, and the private sector. I am an author of NIST IR 8286, 8286A, and 8286C (Enterprise risk management pubs), CSF 1.0 and 1.1, along with a smattering of other publications. I also write about AI governance and risk mitigation over on TechTarget while serving as vCISO for a few telecommunications companies.
Everything else: I’m technically a Millennial with X tendencies (latch key for life!). I play arcade games and darts in my free time while cheering on the local soccer team. My newer hobbies include cooking and trying to not kill plants. My motto is: think big thoughts, feel big feelings, help when you can.