Latest Appearances

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.
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.
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. 
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.”
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.”

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

Is the power of people skills enough to keep gen AI in check?

Is the power of people skills enough to keep gen AI in check?

Apr 10, 2024

Higher-level languages, automation, low-code and no-code development platforms, and better programming environments have been gradually reducing the need for IT staff to perform low-level, routine tasks for years so they can take on more innovative challenges. With generative AI, this trend is accelerating dramatically, and technology professionals will have to diversify their skillsets faster than ever to stay a step ahead. That can soon become difficult however, since AI systems…

Data centers warm up to liquid cooling

Data centers warm up to liquid cooling

Apr 1, 2024
AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing are creating cooling challenges for data center owners and operators. As rack densities increase and temperatures rise, more data centers are finding ways to add liquid cooling to their facilities.
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.
The state of ransomware: Faster, smarter, and meaner

The state of ransomware: Faster, smarter, and meaner

Mar 25, 2024
The ransomware business hit record highs in 2023 despite falling payment rates, as attackers scaled up the number of attacks and new AI weapons were brought to bear on both sides of the war, promising to make an even bigger impact this year.

Latest quantum computing articles

What Microsoft’s error-correction milestone means for usable quantum computing

What Microsoft’s error-correction milestone means for usable quantum computing

Apr 8, 2024

Microsoft, in collaboration with quantum-computing company Quantinuum, announced that they have reached a new high in quantum error correction, which finally moves the industry into a new phase of quantum computing. Existing quantum computers all fall into the first stage of quantum computing: the foundational level, also known as “noisy intermediate scale quantum,” or NISQ, says Krysta Svore, vice president of advanced quantum development at Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Corp. “The significance of this…

Error-correction breakthroughs bring quantum computing a step closer

Error-correction breakthroughs bring quantum computing a step closer

Feb 21, 2024
Three startups have announced error-correction breakthroughs that could accelerate enterprise adoption of quantum computing.
Cybersecurity in a Post-Quantum World

Cybersecurity in a Post-Quantum World

Jun 7, 2023
Experts agree that future quantum computers will break most current encryption when they become sufficiently powerful. The code to do this – Shor’s algorithm – has already been written. It just needs a powerful enough quantum computer to run on. According to the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), a suitable quantum computer will be available by […]
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.

Latest Cybersecurity articles

The state of ransomware: Faster, smarter, and meaner

The state of ransomware: Faster, smarter, and meaner

Mar 25, 2024

Ransomware payments hit $1.1 billion in 2023, a record high and twice what they were in 2022. The frequency, scope and volume of attacks were all up, as was the number of independent groups conducting the attacks, according to a report by Chainalysis. “We’re tracking dozens more groups than we used to,” Chris Morgan, senior cyber threat intelligence analyst at ReliaQuest, tells CSO. “And a lot of these groups are taking…

Generative AI poised to make substantial impact on DevSecOps

Generative AI poised to make substantial impact on DevSecOps

Mar 11, 2024
Generative AI could be the holy grail of DevSecOps, from writing secure code and documentation to creating tests. But it could be a major point of failure if not used correctly.
How GenAI helps entry-level SOC analysts improve their skills

How GenAI helps entry-level SOC analysts improve their skills

Mar 5, 2024
By automating repetitive triage and documentation tasks, generative AI systems allow entry-level security analysts to spend more time on investigations, response, and developing core skills.
Assessing and quantifying AI risk: A challenge for enterprises

Assessing and quantifying AI risk: A challenge for enterprises

Jan 30, 2024
Risks associated with artificial intelligence have grown with the use of GenAI and companies must first understand their risk to create the best protection plan.

Latest Networking articles

Intel builds world’s largest neuromorphic system

Intel builds world’s largest neuromorphic system

Apr 17, 2024

Quantum computing is billed as a transformative computer architecture that’s capable of tackling difficult optimization problems and making AI faster and more efficient. But quantum computers can’t be scaled yet to the point where they can outperform even classical computers, and a full ecosystem of platforms, programming languages and applications is even farther away. Meanwhile, another new technology is poised to make a much more immediate difference: neuromorphic computing. Neuromorphic…

Data centers warm up to liquid cooling

Data centers warm up to liquid cooling

Apr 1, 2024
AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing are creating cooling challenges for data center owners and operators. As rack densities increase and temperatures rise, more data centers are finding ways to add liquid cooling to their facilities.
AI-powered 6G wireless promises big changes

AI-powered 6G wireless promises big changes

Feb 12, 2024
The next-gen technology is still years away, but 6G wireless could enable futuristic high-bandwidth, low-latency applications.
5 data center predictions: Surging demand and tighter rules squeeze operations

5 data center predictions: Surging demand and tighter rules squeeze operations

Jan 29, 2024
Rising workloads, tougher sustainability regulations, and cost pressures will increasingly squeeze data center operators in 2024 and force tradeoffs between business expansion and infrastructure reliability.
Data centers unprepared for new European energy efficiency regulations

Data centers unprepared for new European energy efficiency regulations

Dec 7, 2023
Regulatory pressure is driving IT teams to invest in more efficient servers and storage and improve their data-center reporting capabilities.
5 ways to boost server efficiency

5 ways to boost server efficiency

Dec 4, 2023
Right-sizing workloads, upgrading to newer servers, and managing power consumption can help enterprises reach their data center sustainability goals.

latest Awards

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.
ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2018 Regional Silver Award Winner

ASBPE Awards of Excellence: 2018 Regional Silver Award Winner

Maria Korolov’s CSO article, What is a supply chain attack? Why you should be wary of third-party providers, received silver regional 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 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…