Latest Appearances

Guest Speaker: VWEC Expert Series

Guest Speaker: VWEC Expert Series

Aug 26, 2022
Maria Korolov gave a talk at the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium Eduverse Spotlight on Friday, August 26, 2022, speaking about the future of education in the metaverse.
Profile: Sam Whitmore Media Survey

Profile: Sam Whitmore Media Survey

Jul 27, 2022
Maria Korolov was profiled on the Sam Whitmore Media Survey.
SANS Attack Surface Management Solutions Forum 2022: Building Resilience in the Face of Cyber Conflict

SANS Attack Surface Management Solutions Forum 2022: Building Resilience in the Face of Cyber Conflict

Apr 29, 2022
Maria Korolov moderated a panel about what steps organizations can be taking to harden their attack surfaces and enhance their cyber resiliency. 
Guest Speaker: VWBPE 2022 Conference

Guest Speaker: VWBPE 2022 Conference

Apr 1, 2022
Maria Korolov spoke about the state of virtual environments at the 16th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference.
Metaverse presentations: OpenSimulator Community Conference

Metaverse presentations: OpenSimulator Community Conference

Dec 15, 2021
Maria Korolov was one of the organizers of the ninth annual OpenSimulator Community Conference this December, held virtually. She gave a talk about the metaverse, about the current state of the OpenSim ecosystem, and moderated a panel about creativity in OpenSim.
Informa Webinar: Doing More IT With Less

Informa Webinar: Doing More IT With Less

Oct 27, 2021
Maria Korolov was a panelist at “Doing More IT With Less: Economizing and Innovating in Today’s Enterprise IT Organization,” an Informa virtual event on Wednesday, Oct. 27 sponsored by DarkReading, InformationWeek, Data Center Knowledge, ITProToday, NetworkComputing, and other Informa publications. She spoke on the topic “The practicalities of implementing SASE.”
MetaStellar: Setting up a WordPress website with DreamHost in 15 minutes

MetaStellar: Setting up a WordPress website with DreamHost in 15 minutes

Oct 7, 2021
In a segment for MetaStellar’s YouTube channel, Maria Korolov does a quick overview of using DreamHost to set up a brand new WordPress website.
IDG Zero Trust Webinar

IDG Zero Trust Webinar

Sep 21, 2021
Maria Korolov was a guest on IDG’s zero trust webinar, “VPN vs SSO vs ZTNA — Designing Access for an Anytime, Anywhere World.”
MetaStellar Interview: How we launched in a pandemic

MetaStellar Interview: How we launched in a pandemic

Aug 5, 2021
Maria Korolov talks with the co-hosts of Long-Lost Friends, a show on the MetaStellar YouTube channel, about how MetaStellar was launched.
BrightTalk cybersecurity panel

BrightTalk cybersecurity panel

Oct 23, 2020
On Oct. 13, Maria Korolov moderated a BrightTalk panel, “Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyberattacks During Global Disruption.”  Watch the webinar on-demand here.

About Maria Korolov

Maria Korolov is an award-winning tech journalist who covers cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and extended reality.

She’s also a science fiction author and the editor and founder of MetaStellar, an online magazine of speculative fiction, and of Hypergrid Business, one of the world’s top virtual reality blogs.

Contact her at maria@korolov.com to pitch articles or to hire her as writer, editor, or speaker at your event.

Latest AI articles

6 barriers to becoming a data-driven company

6 barriers to becoming a data-driven company

May 17, 2023

It’s no surprise that becoming a data-driven company is at the top of the corporate agenda. A recent IDC whitepaper found that data-savvy companies reported a threefold increase in revenue improvement, almost tripling the likelihood of reduced time to market for new products and services, and more than doubling the probability of enhanced customer satisfaction, profits, and operational efficiency. But according to a January survey of data and information executives from…

AI-fueled search gives more power to the bad guys

AI-fueled search gives more power to the bad guys

Mar 29, 2023
How to stay ahead of attacks by learning about the risks of AI-based search engines, what skill sets are needed to defend systems and ensuring employees can learn to use AI tools safely without inviting attackers in.
Real-time analytics presents challenges to unlock benefits

Real-time analytics presents challenges to unlock benefits

Mar 27, 2023
Real-time analytics enables organizations with faster decision-making. However, bad data, or a culture that isn’t ready for real-time analytics, can undermine the benefits.
How ChatGPT Can Help and Hinder Data Center Cybersecurity

How ChatGPT Can Help and Hinder Data Center Cybersecurity

Mar 20, 2023
We explore the benefits and dangers of cybersecurity professionals using AI tools like ChatGPT in the data center space – as well as how they’re already being leveraged by bad actors.

Latest quantum computing articles

Commercial quantum networks inch closer to primetime

Commercial quantum networks inch closer to primetime

Mar 23, 2023

As commercial availability of quantum computers moves closer to reality, researchers and vendors are investing in efforts to create quantum-secured networks. Quantum networks use entangled photons or other particles to ensure secure communications, but they are not, in and of themselves, used for general communication. Quantum networks are expensive and slow. And though nobody can listen in on the messages without breaking the entanglement of the photons, hackers can still…

Quantum Computing for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Quantum Computing for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Mar 1, 2023
Pharmaceutical companies are using quantum computers to make drug discovery faster and safer.
Quantum Computing for the Supply Chain – Delivering New Efficiencies

Quantum Computing for the Supply Chain – Delivering New Efficiencies

Feb 22, 2023
A new report from Enter Quantum explains how supply chain enterprises are turning to quantum computers to solve routing problems. Finding optimal delivery routes gets incrementally more difficult the more stops are added. Factor in the other variables that might affect the supply chain and you quickly exceed the constraints of current classical computing, leading …

Quantum Computing for the Supply Chain – Delivering New Efficiencies Read More »

How Quantum Computing is Supporting Financial Services

How Quantum Computing is Supporting Financial Services

Jan 9, 2023
The financial services industry has been one of the first to benefit from emerging quantum computing solutions, which can support use cases including targeting and prediction, trading optimization and risk profiling.

Latest Cybersecurity articles

5G network slices could be vulnerable to attack, researchers say

5G network slices could be vulnerable to attack, researchers say

May 22, 2023

5G promises increased speed, lower latency, and support for a significantly larger number of connected devices. But the growth in devices and in new applications that will ensue also will expand the attack surface, offering new opportunities for malicious actors to take advantage of security gaps. Plus, as with any new technology, there is a great deal of potential for misconfigurations, errors, and unpatched vulnerabilities while companies are still learning…

Insured companies more likely to be ransomware victims, sometimes more than once

Insured companies more likely to be ransomware victims, sometimes more than once

May 15, 2023
A recent report found that companies with cyber insurance have been hit by ransomware more than those without it, and sometimes more than once. Although threat actors may not be directly correlating the insurance factor to find targets, one of the reasons for this may be that as insurers require more from companies those able to pay for insurance are also likely to be able to afford bigger ransoms.
Siemens focuses on zero trust, legacy hardware, supply chain challenges to ensure cybersecurity of internal systems

Siemens focuses on zero trust, legacy hardware, supply chain challenges to ensure cybersecurity of internal systems

Apr 25, 2023
Siemens us chief cybersecurity officer Helen Negre discusses how the organization is focusing on zero trust to ensure the security of internal systems across its different lines of business.
Secure Cloud Environments on a Budget: Focus on the Essentials

Secure Cloud Environments on a Budget: Focus on the Essentials

Apr 5, 2023
In an era of budget cuts and layoffs, data center managers need to get the most bang for their buck when securing cloud environments.

Latest Networking articles

5G network slices could be vulnerable to attack, researchers say

5G network slices could be vulnerable to attack, researchers say

May 22, 2023

5G promises increased speed, lower latency, and support for a significantly larger number of connected devices. But the growth in devices and in new applications that will ensue also will expand the attack surface, offering new opportunities for malicious actors to take advantage of security gaps. Plus, as with any new technology, there is a great deal of potential for misconfigurations, errors, and unpatched vulnerabilities while companies are still learning…

Commercial quantum networks inch closer to primetime

Commercial quantum networks inch closer to primetime

Mar 23, 2023
The potential for attackers to use quantum computers to crack public key cryptography algorithms is driving research and investment in developing quantum-safe networks.
Enterprises turn to single-vendor SASE for ease of manageability

Enterprises turn to single-vendor SASE for ease of manageability

Feb 2, 2023
Getting the full SASE stack of networking and security capabilities from a single vendor can simplify deployment and management, but there are downsides to consider.
NTT, Palo Alto partner for managed SASE with AIOps

NTT, Palo Alto partner for managed SASE with AIOps

Feb 2, 2023
Using a managed services provider to deliver SASE can streamline deployment and free up enterprise resources.
Pros and cons of managed SASE

Pros and cons of managed SASE

Jan 20, 2023
Managed SASE can be appealing for enterprises that want a single provider for deployment and management of WAN and security infrastructure, but there can be tradeoffs depending on provider flexibility, platform interoperability, and cost.
What to expect from SASE certifications

What to expect from SASE certifications

Jan 13, 2023
SASE certification options are expanding, with Palo Alto joining Cato Networks, Netskope and Versa Networks. Are they worth the effort?

latest Awards

2020 National Gold Award Winner, ASBPE Awards of Excellence

Maria Korolov’s Network World article, Private 5G keeps Whirlpool driverless vehicles rolling, received top national honors.

2018 New England AZBEE award winner: In April 2018, Maria received the Silver Impact/Investigative award at the New England ASBPE Awards of Excellence for the article “What is a supply chain attack?

latest Appearances

Profile: Sam Whitmore Media Survey

Profile: Sam Whitmore Media Survey

Jul 27, 2022
Maria Korolov was profiled on the Sam Whitmore Media Survey.
SANS Attack Surface Management Solutions Forum 2022: Building Resilience in the Face of Cyber Conflict

SANS Attack Surface Management Solutions Forum 2022: Building Resilience in the Face of Cyber Conflict

Apr 29, 2022
Maria Korolov moderated a panel about what steps organizations can be taking to harden their attack surfaces and enhance their cyber resiliency. 
Guest Speaker: VWBPE 2022 Conference

Guest Speaker: VWBPE 2022 Conference

Apr 1, 2022
Maria Korolov spoke about the state of virtual environments at the 16th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference.
Metaverse presentations: OpenSimulator Community Conference

Metaverse presentations: OpenSimulator Community Conference

Dec 15, 2021
Maria Korolov was one of the organizers of the ninth annual OpenSimulator Community Conference this December, held virtually. She gave a talk about the metaverse, about the current state of the OpenSim ecosystem, and moderated a panel about creativity in OpenSim.
Informa Webinar: Doing More IT With Less

Informa Webinar: Doing More IT With Less

Oct 27, 2021
Maria Korolov was a panelist at “Doing More IT With Less: Economizing and Innovating in Today’s Enterprise IT Organization,” an Informa virtual event on Wednesday, Oct. 27 sponsored by DarkReading, InformationWeek, Data Center Knowledge, ITProToday, NetworkComputing, and other Informa publications. She spoke on the topic “The practicalities of implementing SASE.”
MetaStellar: Setting up a WordPress website with DreamHost in 15 minutes

MetaStellar: Setting up a WordPress website with DreamHost in 15 minutes

Oct 7, 2021
In a segment for MetaStellar’s YouTube channel, Maria Korolov does a quick overview of using DreamHost to set up a brand new WordPress website.
IDG Zero Trust Webinar

IDG Zero Trust Webinar

Sep 21, 2021
Maria Korolov was a guest on IDG’s zero trust webinar, “VPN vs SSO vs ZTNA — Designing Access for an Anytime, Anywhere World.”
MetaStellar Interview: How we launched in a pandemic

MetaStellar Interview: How we launched in a pandemic

Aug 5, 2021
Maria Korolov talks with the co-hosts of Long-Lost Friends, a show on the MetaStellar YouTube channel, about how MetaStellar was launched.
BrightTalk cybersecurity panel

BrightTalk cybersecurity panel

Oct 23, 2020
On Oct. 13, Maria Korolov moderated a BrightTalk panel, “Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyberattacks During Global Disruption.”  Watch the webinar on-demand here.
CIO Magazine New Reality Event

CIO Magazine New Reality Event

Sep 15, 2020
On Sep. 15, Maria Korolov was a speaker at a CIO magazine virtual event, “The New Business Process Mandate: AI & Automation.” Watch the on-demand session by clicking here.
Look Left podcast

Look Left podcast

May 12, 2020
On May 12, Maria Korolov was a guest on the Look Left Marketing podcast to talk about her career in journalism.  Listen to the podcast by clicking here.
IDG Tech Talk: CCPA Revisited

IDG Tech Talk: CCPA Revisited

Feb 18, 2020
On Feb. 21, Maria Korolov was a guest on IDG Tech Talk to answer reader and viewer questions about the California Consumer Privacy Act.  Watch the show on YouTube by clicking here.
InformaTech’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp

InformaTech’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Oct 23, 2019
On Oct. 23, 2019, Maria Korolov was a guest speaker at InformaTech’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp, talking about securing the virtual data center.  See her presentation for free and download the slides here.
IDG Tech Talk: CCPA

IDG Tech Talk: CCPA

Sep 6, 2019
On Sep. 6, 2019, Maria Korolov was a guest on IDG Tech Talk to talk about how the California Consumer Privacy Act will affect businesses  Watch the show on YouTube by clicking here.

older Awards and Appearances

Judge, 2019 CSO50 awards

Maria is one of the judges of the annual CSO50 awards, which recognize 50 organizations for their security project or initiative that demonstrates outstanding business value and thought leadership.

Judge, Epica Awards

Maria is a member of the jury of the 2018 Epica awards, the only global creative prize judged by journalists.

Jan. 2018: Maria Korolov talks with Sine Wave about “Succeeding As A Retailer In Immersive Worlds.” 

Dec. 2017: Speaker at Stereopsia conference in Brussels, Belgium. Topic was women in virtual reality. Click here for slides.

Dec. 2017: Speaker at OpenSimulator Community Conference. Topic was a statistical overview of OpenSim development. Click here for slides.

Apr. 2017: Profiled in Viar360’s Women of VR – 35 Ladies Who Are Killing It In Virtual Reality

Aug. 2016: Mentioned in Marie Claire’s Virtual Reality Has a Female Mafia—and They’re Looking for New Recruits

BBC Image

May 2016: Interviewed by the BCC about how virtual reality will change our lives. Listen to the broadcast hereRead the transcript here.

Sep. 2015: Mentioned in Fortune’s Meet the women shaping our virtual future.

Latest Blog Posts

Help wanted: Virtual editorial assistant

Aug 4, 2022
Help wanted: Virtual editorial assistant

Virtual assistant illustration created with Midjourney. Read my Midjourney review here. I’m working on a lot of projects these days. As…

AI tools to create cool illustrations

May 17, 2021
AI tools to create cool illustrations

Writing is all about the text. But marketing and promotion is often all about the images. Whether you’re sharing with your audience on Twitter, Facebook,…

15 free mind map tools for writers

May 10, 2021
15 free mind map tools for writers

A few days ago I wrote about how to use the free online app Miro to plot out a story. That’s all well and good…

How to use Miro for story plotting

May 3, 2021
How to use Miro for story plotting

A year ago, when the pandemic first hit, I wrote an article for CIO magazine about how to manage software development teams when you can’t…

The best free* books to help you battle procrastination

Feb 28, 2021
The best free* books to help you battle procrastination

Last month, I posted an article about a bunch of ways writers can use to beat procrastination. But maybe you want to go deeper on…

28 ways to beat procrastination for writers

Jan 7, 2021
28 ways to beat procrastination for writers

Have you ever stared at your screen or typewriter or notebook and couldn’t force yourself to write? You had the time block set aside for…