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

Cloudera jockeys for AI platform prominence

Cloudera jockeys for AI platform prominence

Oct 10, 2024

Cloudera is using partnerships and acquisitions in its bid to become the platform of choice for data, analytics, and enterprise AI .

Weighing the risks of moving too fast with gen AI

Weighing the risks of moving too fast with gen AI

Oct 9, 2024
Jumping on the gen AI bandwagon can backfire, but moving too slow isn’t wise either. Finding the optimum pace relies on a host of factors, starting with a healthy appetite for risk.
23 key gen AI terms and what they really mean

23 key gen AI terms and what they really mean

Sep 25, 2024
From agentic systems to zero-shot prompting, generative AI can feel like a new language. Here are the terms CIOs need to know.
Red Hat delivers AI-optimized Linux platform

Red Hat delivers AI-optimized Linux platform

Sep 5, 2024
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI is aimed at making it easier and cheaper for enterprises to deploy generative AI technologies with open-source tools sets and models.

Latest quantum computing articles

IBM, Microsoft and Boeing mark advances in quantum computing

IBM, Microsoft and Boeing mark advances in quantum computing

Sep 16, 2024

IBM today announced its Quiskit Functions Catalog, a collection of services that are designed to make it easier for enterprise developers to experiment with quantum use cases.

Quantum networking takes off… into space

Quantum networking takes off… into space

Sep 10, 2024
Boeing plans to send a satellite into space to facilitate quantum communications, the company announced at the Quantum World Congress.
Post-quantum encryption: Crypto flexibility will prepare firms for quantum threat, experts say

Post-quantum encryption: Crypto flexibility will prepare firms for quantum threat, experts say

Aug 7, 2024
NIST standards for quantum-safe encryption are due out this summer. As quantum computing advances, enterprises need to consider their encryption infrastructure and post-quantum security strategies.
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
In an achievement claimed to usher in a new era of quantum computing, Microsoft and Quantinuum showcase logical qubits with error rates up to 800 times lower than physical qubits.

Latest Cybersecurity articles

Ransomware recovery: 8 steps to successfully restore from backup

Ransomware recovery: 8 steps to successfully restore from backup

Sep 2, 2024

The best way to recover from a ransomware attack is to have a reliable and fast backup process. Here’s how to do it.

NIST finally settles on quantum-safe crypto standards

NIST finally settles on quantum-safe crypto standards

Aug 13, 2024
After years of review, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has chosen three encryption algorithms as the basis for its post-quantum security strategy.
Post-quantum encryption: Crypto flexibility will prepare firms for quantum threat, experts say

Post-quantum encryption: Crypto flexibility will prepare firms for quantum threat, experts say

Aug 7, 2024
NIST standards for quantum-safe encryption are due out this summer. As quantum computing advances, enterprises need to consider their encryption infrastructure and post-quantum security strategies.
Microsoft Entra Suite is late to the SSE pool but will still make waves

Microsoft Entra Suite is late to the SSE pool but will still make waves

Jul 24, 2024
Despite being late to market, Microsoft’s secure service edge (SSE) offering has some advantages, including cost and ties to Microsoft’s identity access management services.

Latest Networking articles

VMware Cloud Foundation gains AI model store, other updates

VMware Cloud Foundation gains AI model store, other updates

Aug 28, 2024

At the VMware Explore conference this week, Broadcom announced expanded AI support, including a new AI model store for VMware Private AI running on VMware Cloud Foundation.

VMware upgrades software-defined edge for AI workloads

VMware upgrades software-defined edge for AI workloads

Aug 27, 2024
VMware added connectivity options and traffic-management capabilities to its software-defined edge products to better support generative AI workloads.
Main Line Health readies networks for ‘at home’ hospitals

Main Line Health readies networks for ‘at home’ hospitals

Aug 21, 2024
Modernizing Main Line Health’s networking, device management, and cybersecurity helped the organization respond to work-from-home mandates and the rise in telehealth and positions it for future ‘hospital at home’ medicine delivery.
Microsoft Entra Suite is late to the SSE pool but will still make waves

Microsoft Entra Suite is late to the SSE pool but will still make waves

Jul 24, 2024
Despite being late to market, Microsoft’s secure service edge (SSE) offering has some advantages, including cost and ties to Microsoft’s identity access management services.
Red Hat unveils image mode for its Linux distro

Red Hat unveils image mode for its Linux distro

May 9, 2024
New container image deployment method for Red Hat Enterprise Linux is aimed at helping enterprises streamline operations and management.
Intel builds world’s largest neuromorphic system

Intel builds world’s largest neuromorphic system

Apr 17, 2024
Code-named Hala Point, the brain-inspired system packs 1,152 Loihi 2 processors in a data center chassis the size of a microwave oven.

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

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…