Agents are here — but can you see what they’re doing?

Agents are here — but can you see what they’re doing?

Apr 23, 2025

Agentic AI is poised to transform business processes at a scale and pace never seen before. But are enterprises prepared…

AI workloads set to transform enterprise networks

AI workloads set to transform enterprise networks

10 things you should include in your AI policy

10 things you should include in your AI policy

9 steps to take to prepare for a quantum future

9 steps to take to prepare for a quantum future

DARPA backs multiple quantum paths in benchmarking initiative

DARPA backs multiple quantum paths in benchmarking initiative

news and Appearances

AZBEE Regional Gold Award winner

AZBEE Regional Gold Award winner

Apr 15, 2025
Maria Korolov was awarded the Azbee Regional Gold Award by the American Association of Business Press Editors in April of 2025 for her Network World coverage of quantum computing. Five articles were part of the award submission: Crypto flexibility key to preparing for quantum threat, experts say NIST finally settles on quantum-safe crypto standards Error-correction […]
Keynote speaker at Data & AI Summit

Keynote speaker at Data & AI Summit

Mar 26, 2024
Maria Korolov was the keynote speaker at the sold-out Data & AI Summit 2024 in Lima, Peru. Her talk covered the enterprise adoption of generative AI, and its impacts, risks, challenges, and opportunities.
ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2024 Regional Silver Award Winner

ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2024 Regional Silver Award Winner

Mar 13, 2024
Maria Korolov’s CSO article, How AI chatbot ChatGPT changes the phishing game, was a regional finalist in the Technology & Innovation Reporting category of the 2024 Azbee Awards of Excellence from the American Society of Business Press Editors.
Press Release Writing in The Age Of AI

Press Release Writing in The Age Of AI

Jun 14, 2023
Learning AI tools is now an essential investment for every business professional, especially for corporate PR and communicators. In this workshop, Maria Korolov explained the basics of press release writing, how to use tools like ChatGPT to help create press releases, and how search engines are now treating AI-generated content.
ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2020 National Gold Award Winner

ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2020 National Gold Award Winner

Jun 19, 2022
Maria Korolov’s Network World article, Private 5G keeps Whirlpool driverless vehicles rolling, received top national honors from the American Society of Business Press Editors.

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.

Follow her on Twitter at @MariaKorolov, on Threads at @MariaKorolov, and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel.

Latest AI articles

Agents are here — but can you see what they’re doing?
CIO

Agents are here — but can you see what they’re doing?

Apr 23, 2025

Agentic AI is poised to transform business processes at a scale and pace never seen before. But are enterprises prepared to deal with the risks agentic systems pose?

Read More
AI workloads set to transform enterprise networks
Network World

AI workloads set to transform enterprise networks

Apr 21, 2025
The explosive growth of AI applications is reshaping data center, edge and cloud networks.
10 things you should include in your AI policy
CSO

10 things you should include in your AI policy

Apr 8, 2025
From understanding what AI means in the context of the organization to being compliant and not forgetting the role third parties play, here are ten key things to keep in mind when creating an AI policy.
What’s a data engineer? An analytics role in high demand
CIO

What’s a data engineer? An analytics role in high demand

Apr 7, 2025
Data engineers work for enterprises in various industries to help them manage and store the data they need to operate, and, increasingly, to support their AI initiatives.

Latest quantum computing articles

9 steps to take to prepare for a quantum future
Network World

9 steps to take to prepare for a quantum future

Apr 7, 2025

The time is now to create cryptography polices and plan for a transition to post-quantum encryption.

Read More
DARPA backs multiple quantum paths in benchmarking initiative
Network World

DARPA backs multiple quantum paths in benchmarking initiative

Apr 7, 2025
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected 15 quantum computing companies to help bring quantum computing closer, and is spending millions on the project.
IonQ, Alice & Bob roll out quantum breakthroughs
Network World

IonQ, Alice & Bob roll out quantum breakthroughs

Mar 14, 2025
IonQ and Alice & Bob, have both announced breakthroughs that bring quantum computing closer to reality
D-Wave uses quantum to solve real-world problem
Network World

D-Wave uses quantum to solve real-world problem

Mar 13, 2025
D-Wave explains how quantum supremacy can be used to handle more than theoretical problems

Latest Cybersecurity articles

Case in point: taking stock of the CrowdStrike outages
CIO

Case in point: taking stock of the CrowdStrike outages

Apr 2, 2025

It may have faded into obscurity but by an order of magnitude, the outage last July caused by the cybersecurity vendor was the costliest in IT history. What have we learned to prevent something similar from happening again?

Read More
Breach and attack simulation (BAS) tools buyer’s guide
CSO

Breach and attack simulation (BAS) tools buyer’s guide

Dec 18, 2024
From the editors of CSO, this enterprise buyer’s guide helps IT security staff understand what the various breach and attack simulation (BAS) options can do for their organizations and how to choose the right solution. Download the breach and attack simulation (BAS) tools buyer’s guide here.
10 most critical LLM vulnerabilities
CSO

10 most critical LLM vulnerabilities

Dec 3, 2024
Prompt injection and supply chain vulnerabilities remain the main LLM vulnerabilities but as the technology evolves new risks come to light including system prompt leakage and misinformation.
10 ways hackers will use machine learning to launch attacks
CSO

10 ways hackers will use machine learning to launch attacks

Nov 5, 2024
AI and machine learning are improving cybersecurity, helping human analysts triage threats and close vulnerabilities quicker. But they are also helping threat actors launch bigger, more complex attacks.

Latest Networking articles

AI workloads set to transform enterprise networks
Network World

AI workloads set to transform enterprise networks

Apr 21, 2025

The explosive growth of AI applications is reshaping data center, edge and cloud networks.

Read More
Packaged offerings promise to make AI infrastructure deployment easier
Network World

Packaged offerings promise to make AI infrastructure deployment easier

Feb 26, 2025
Cisco, HPE, and other vendors are rolling out enterprise AI packages that bundle GPUs, networking, storage and cooling tech into ready-to-deploy systems.
Internet upgrade part of a move towards 400/800G connectivity
Network World

Internet upgrade part of a move towards 400/800G connectivity

Feb 10, 2025
DE-CIX Internet exchange operator announced plans to upgrade its New York backbone to 400G.
Data center growth puts unprecedented pressure on power grids
Network World

Data center growth puts unprecedented pressure on power grids

Jan 24, 2025
Data center power demand is spurred by AI and other high-performance computing needs, researchers say.
Network convergence will drive enterprise 6G wireless strategies
Network World

Network convergence will drive enterprise 6G wireless strategies

Jan 16, 2025
Enterprise wireless deployments are facing a significant inflection point, according to a new industry roadmap.
Data center certifications target newcomers, experts, and sustainability pros
Network World

Data center certifications target newcomers, experts, and sustainability pros

Dec 9, 2024
Data center certifications remain valuable for IT career advancement even as the industry transforms, with programs adapting to cover everything from traditional infrastructure to AI, sustainability, and security.

latest Awards

AZBEE Regional Gold Award winner

AZBEE Regional Gold Award winner

Maria Korolov was awarded the Azbee Regional Gold Award by the American Association of Business Press Editors in April of 2025 for her Network World coverage of quantum computing. Five articles were part of the award submission: Crypto flexibility key to preparing for quantum threat, experts say NIST finally settles on quantum-safe crypto standards Error-correction […]
ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2024 Regional Silver Award Winner

ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2024 Regional Silver Award Winner

Maria Korolov’s CSO article, How AI chatbot ChatGPT changes the phishing game, was a regional finalist in the Technology & Innovation Reporting category of the 2024 Azbee Awards of Excellence from the American Society of Business Press Editors.
ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2020 National Gold Award Winner

ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2020 National Gold Award Winner

Maria Korolov’s Network World article, Private 5G keeps Whirlpool driverless vehicles rolling, received top national honors from the American Society of Business Press Editors.

latest Appearances

Press Release Writing in The Age Of AI

Press Release Writing in The Age Of AI

Jun 14, 2023
Learning AI tools is now an essential investment for every business professional, especially for corporate PR and communicators. In this workshop, Maria Korolov explained the basics of press release writing, how to use tools like ChatGPT to help create press releases, and how search engines are now treating AI-generated content.
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.
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 here. Read 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

I’m working on a lot of projects these days. As you can see from the site, I’m busy with enterprise technology articles. Plus, I’m the…

AI tools to create cool illustrations

May 17, 2021
AI tools to create cool illustrations

How to use free and low-cost AI tools to create cool images for websites and social media.

15 free mind map tools for writers

May 10, 2021
15 free mind map tools for writers

I try out the top 15 free online mind mapping apps.

How to use Miro for story plotting

May 3, 2021
How to use Miro for story plotting

How the use the free Miro app to outline your story or novel.

The best free* books to help you battle procrastination

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

Here are seven books on Amazon with over a 100 positive reviews that will help you finish your writing project — are free to read…

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? I have, and here’s what I do to…