To choose a cybersecurity PR firm, check five things: technical fluency under researcher scrutiny, a written breach plan with named spokespeople, experience with the SEC disclosure clock, analyst relations alongside press, and proof of AI search visibility work. I run a PR firm that serves security vendors, so use the questions below on every firm you interview, mine included.
Updated on Nov 1, 2026
What should a security vendor ask a PR firm before hiring?
A security vendor should ask about technical depth, breach planning, disclosure rules, analyst work and measurement. The table is the checklist I would bring to a first meeting.
| Question | A good answer | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Can your team explain our product to a security researcher? | Named people who have briefed technical reporters on your category, with recent stories | Generic technology experience |
| What is your breach communications plan? | Pre-cleared holding statements, named spokespeople and a first-hours playbook written before an incident | "We will figure it out when it happens" |
| How do you work with the SEC disclosure rule? | You coordinate with counsel on the four-business-day clock and keep statements factual and specific | No mention of legal review |
| Do you brief analysts as well as reporters? | Analyst briefings run in the same program as media relations | Press only |
| How do you measure AI search visibility? | A baseline of which vendors ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity name for category questions, repeated monthly | "We do not track that" |
| Who works on my account? | Named people and weekly hours | A senior pitch team and a junior delivery team |
What does a cybersecurity PR firm do?
A cybersecurity PR firm builds media relationships, prepares incident-response communications and positions named executives and researchers as technical sources. It differs from general tech PR because the audience includes journalists and researchers who can test a public claim independently. A vague statement that a vulnerability is fixed invites exactly that test.
5W's cybersecurity PR and digital marketing practice covers incident response and recovery, threat intelligence, privacy and data protection, cloud security, network security and identity management, plus zero trust, ransomware defense, supply chain security and fraud prevention. The first-hours playbook is in the guide to what a CISO needs in the first 24 hours, the disclosure rules are in the guide to cybersecurity crisis PR and the SEC clock, and the written plan that holds the roles is covered in the crisis communications guide.
Why do CISOs need media training?
CISOs need media training because the SEC's cybersecurity disclosure rule, in effect since December 18, 2023, requires public companies to disclose a material incident within four business days of deciding it is material. A CISO's public statements during that window can become part of a later regulatory record. The SEC charged SolarWinds and its CISO, Timothy G. Brown, in October 2023, the first time a sitting CISO was personally named in an SEC securities fraud complaint tied to cybersecurity disclosures.
The practical lesson for a buyer is to ask who prepares the spokesperson and the materiality language before an incident, not during one. Ask the firm to show you the holding statement it would use.
How does AI search change the choice of a cybersecurity PR firm?
Security buyers now ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity to name leading vendors in categories such as ransomware defense or zero trust, often before visiting a vendor's own site. 5W built the AI Cybersecurity Visibility Index to measure which brands the engines name for ransomware, EDR, zero trust and cloud security queries.
Ask each firm which outlets the engines cite for your category and which of them it has placed stories with in the last year. The guide to how AI engines decide what to cite explains the method, and the tech PR agency questions guide applies the same test to technology firms.
What does 5W offer security vendors?
5W is an independent PR, creative and AI Visibility agency founded in 2003, and it does its media, site building and content work in house. For security, 5W lists clients including Check Point Software, Huntress, Sysdig, ExtraHop, Lumu, Duality, Riskified, Cheq, MetricStream and Guardio. The firm treats earned media, analyst relations and generative engine optimization as one program, and it builds named-researcher visibility by positioning a client's engineers and threat researchers as sources before a story is published. Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W, so weigh this section against what other firms tell you.
What should the first 90 days look like?
| Days | Work | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 | Draft the breach plan and holding statements, name spokespeople, run the AI visibility baseline | Written plan, spokesperson list, baseline report |
| 31 to 60 | Brief technical reporters and analysts, place researcher commentary | First briefings and placements, first monthly report |
| 61 to 90 | Run a breach drill, repeat the AI baseline | Drill results and a plan for the next quarter |
Frequently asked questions
What does a cybersecurity PR firm do?
It builds media relationships, prepares incident-response communications and positions named executives and researchers as technical sources, for product announcements and breach responses.
How fast should a breach response be?
The SEC's four-business-day rule is a legal maximum, not a communications target. A firm should have a holding statement and a named contact ready before an incident so a client can respond within hours of confirmation.
How is cybersecurity PR different from tech PR?
It needs technical depth that survives scrutiny from researchers who can test public claims, and it carries disclosure rules that general tech PR does not.
Does 5W track AI visibility for security vendors?
Yes. 5W built the AI Cybersecurity Visibility Index, which measures which vendors the major engines name for ransomware, EDR, zero trust and cloud security queries.
What should I ask a firm first?
Ask to see its holding statement and its breach plan, and ask which of your category's most-cited outlets it has placed stories with in the last year.
Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W, a PR, creative and AI Visibility agency. He is the author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release.