Top Digital Identity and Privacy Influencers

With rapid improvements in technology in a short period of time, protecting digital identity and privacy is an idea that concerns everyone. Large corporations, governments, and regular individuals all face new threats on a daily basis. That’s why it only makes sense to follow the most recent news and discoveries in the cybersecurity sphere.

This list ranks the best digital identity and privacy influencers in the world. Following them for their expertise and constant search for improved protection could benefit anyone.

1. Brian Krebs

• 286k followers

Part II of an investigation into who was behind last week's mass compromise at Twitter. https://t.co/2xZCfihKpX tl;dr, while 2 of those interviewed by the New York Times claimed they were only customers of the Twitter hacker, they both resold access to Twitter insiders

— briankrebs (@briankrebs) July 22, 2020

Brain Krebs is an independent investigative journalist that primarily covers cybercrime, security, and online privacy. His book Spam Nation is a New York Times bestseller. He also has a website where he posts all of his articles and updates about happenings in the world of digital security.

With over 280k followers, his Twitter account is one of the most popular cybersecurity accounts. This is because he constantly puts out new information that can help both businesses and regular people ensure their digital information is secure.

2. Del Harvey

• 283.6k followers

An important update on our approach to handling harmful and misleading content related to COVID-19: https://t.co/z9jZCD2Ur2

— Del Harvey (@delbius) March 19, 2020

Del Harvey is the Vice President of Twitter Trust & Safety. Although her tweets typically focus on the social media giant, she often provides incredible resources and revolutionary information in the world of cybersecurity. She also relays important information on navigating Twitter, and other social media platforms, in the safest way possible. Harvey is persistent in reinforcing the idea that the internet can be both a safe and fun space for users.

3. Kevin Mitnick

• 249.4k followers

I look forward to seeing you there! https://t.co/tvxvXClaCq

— Kevin Mitnick (@kevinmitnick) July 14, 2020

Kevin Mitnick is arguably the world’s most notorious hacker. Once placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for hacking into over 40 corporations just to prove that he could, Mitnick is now a trusted security consultant for multiple Fortune 500 companies and governments around the world. He’s also a bestselling author for his books The Art of Deception and the New York Times bestseller Ghosts in the Wires. In addition, he’s an esteemed keynote speaker on topics in digital privacy. His active presence on Twitter keeps his followers updated on the world of cybersecurity.

4. Eugene Kaspersky

• 182.7k followers

How to stay sane when you’re working from home in semipermanent semiquarantine? 😜
We help you design a digital comfort zone you won’t want to leave. Main points:
🕐 time&space
🕑 peace&quiet
🕒 internet
🕓 hard'n'soft
🕔 #cybersecurity
Details ⇒ https://t.co/5N71HRrqjw pic.twitter.com/nIo4rTJTTD

— Eugene Kaspersky (@e_kaspersky) July 23, 2020

Eugene Kaspersky is the CEO of Kaspersky, the world’s largest privately held vendor of internet security solutions for businesses and consumers. His tweets primarily focus on discoveries made by his company while also offering advice on how to stay aware of cyberthreats. His extensive knowledge of cybersecurity makes him a great person to follow if you’re interested in learning more or staying up to date.

5. Troy Hunt

• 161.5k followers

Stress. Extreme stress. It's been a tough period, one I decided to tackle by writing a blog post about how I was handling it at the worst of times. This is a much more personal post than usual: here's how I sustained performance under extreme stress https://t.co/rq3hISXq2w

— Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) July 2, 2020

Troy Hunt is the creator of Have I been Pwned, a cybersecurity company that checks if your email address or password has been compromised in a data breach. He’s also a regional director for Microsoft and has written a lot of informative works on online security, technology, and “The Cloud”. The Australian is a popular follow because of his extensive knowledge in the world of digital protection.

6. Eva Galperin

• 129.8k followers

If you are concerned about the possibility of stalkerware on your device, Wired has written this handy guide to how to check for it: https://t.co/mBDm4x66OS

— Eva (@evacide) July 21, 2020

EFF’s Director of Cybersecurity, Eva Galperin has loads of experience in security and IT from prior experiences in Silicon Valley. She also earned degrees in Political Science and International Relations from SFSU. Currently, she primarily focuses her efforts on providing privacy and security for vulnerable populations worldwide.

7. Graham Cluley

• 97.1k followers

A new episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast is out now, with guest @LisaForteUK!

⭐ Twitter hack – it could have been worse
⭐ Vaccine researchers targeted by hackers
⭐ How to know if your phone is infected with stalkerware
⭐ Much more!https://t.co/pZAXMU0oES

— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) July 22, 2020

Graham Cluley, an award-winning expert in computer science, is an esteemed writer and public speaker who focuses on digital security. He claims to have been fighting cybercrime since the early 1990s and is currently the co-host of the podcast Smashing Security.

8. Dan Kaminsky

• 90k followers

Me: Tech needs to leave SF to find houses

2020: COVID

Me: not like this

— Dan Kaminsky (@dakami) July 23, 2020

Dan Kaminsky has been a respected digital identity and privacy researcher for over a decade. He’s also spent most of his career advising Fortune 500 companies like Cisco, Avaya, and Microsoft. Kaminsky worked with Microsoft for three years on their Vista, Server 2008, and Windows 7 project releases. His spotlight moment came when he found a critical flaw in the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS), and he went on to lead the largest synchronized fix to the web’s infrastructure to date.

9. Joseph Steinberg 

• 76.3k followers

Irony: Due to the hacking of Twitter accounts today, Twitter blocked me from sharing an article about how to prevent your Twitter account from being hacked.#twitterhacked #BillGates #Obama #Biden #CyberSecurity #infosec #news #technologynews #technology #hacked #elonmuskhacked pic.twitter.com/KfB7p3BOhX

— Joseph Steinberg (@JosephSteinberg) July 16, 2020

A notorious cybersecurity thought leader, CEO and tech influencer, Joseph Steinberg also produces one of the most-read columns in the digital security world. He also writes about other “cool tech” projects after amassing millions of readers from his regular contributions to Forbes magazine. Steinberg also serves as an expert witness and consultant on information security and new technologies while advising large corporations and the US government.

10. Richard Bejtlich

• 58.2k followers

This is pretty cool. As with so many issues in "cyber," it's sound business practices and common sense that will save you, not yet another security product from a startup, buying a booth at RSA, only to disappear the next year. https://t.co/Y03MLm33kh

— Richard Bejtlich 💾 🇺🇦 (@taosecurity) July 23, 2020

Richard Bejtlich has defended large companies from advanced digital intruders since 1998. He promotes Network Security Monitoring solutions that detect and respond to digital threats to help international organizations stay in business.

The list doesn’t end here! Check out these Digital Identity and Privacy Influencers who also regularly share their expertise on cybersecurity.