Passcode signs off
The Monitor’s cybersecurity and privacy project ends March 31.
The Passcode booth is setup in the Austin Convention Center at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive on March 12, 2016, in Austin, Texas.
Ann Hermes/The Christian Science Monitor
Dear Passcode readers:
Two and a half years ago, The Christian Science Monitor launched Passcode to explore the biggest challenges of our Digital Age and surface the most innovative solutions to safeguard the internet – and everything connected to it. We set out to talk differently about cybersecurity and privacy, too, avoiding the tech jargon and fear driving most news about hackers and security.
Since our first articles and events in the fall of 2014, cybersecurity has emerged as one of the biggest global news stories. From the Sony Pictures attack to the Democratic National Committee breach, hackers have become major players in global power struggles and presidential politics. Our staff writers, correspondents, contributors, and columnists helped make sense of those complex developments and made an indelible mark on the international technology conversation. In just a short time, we became a must read for policymakers, executives, security researchers, and anyone else who cares about digital privacy and security issues.
But as the Monitor changes course to focus its attention on a new daily digital subscription product, Passcode is winding down.
In order to dedicate more resources to this new product, the Monitor will stop publishing articles and opinion under the Passcode banner on March 31. We’ll end our regular email newsletter then, too. This doesn’t mean the Monitor will step away from digital security and privacy coverage. The newsroom remains committed to following these issues.
Throughout this journey, we’ve worked with incredible people. The Passcode project wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of many dedicated reporters, columnists, and contributors – and the foundation of pioneering cybersecurity journalism laid by late Monitor reporter Mark Clayton. We’re so grateful to our sponsors and partners who supported our journalism, podcasts, polls, and helped our team stage more than 50 live events across the country, from interviewing senior officials to hosting capture-the-flag hacking tournaments.
It’s been an incredible adventure – and an exciting challenge to prove that great journalism on this vital topic can be financially sustainable.
Most of all, we’re thankful to you: readers who turned to Passcode to learn more about the connected world.
We are deeply appreciative of your thoughtful notes, insightful questions at our events, and constant willingness to push us to be better. And we are grateful to the information security community that supported us from the beginning.
We hope we’ve done our part to leave the web a little bit safer and smarter.
Please be in touch with any questions. We’ll use our newsletter to keep you updated.
Sincerely,
Mike Farrell, Passcode editor
Sara Sorcher, Passcode deputy editor
David Grant, director of content strategy, The Christian Science Monitor
Special thanks to...
Editorial staff past and present Jack Detsch, Joe Uchill, Malena Carollo, Jeff Stone
Publishing staff past and present Julie Cam, Matt Orlando, Sean Sposito, Ben Arnoldy, Ben Frederick, Nicole Scruggs
Correspondents Paul F. Roberts and Jaikumar Vijayan and regular writers Aliya Sternstein, Nathaniel Mott, Alexandra Samuel, Joshua Eaton, Grace Dobush, Rachel Stern, Seung Lee, Fruzsina Eördögh, Kim Zetter, Anita Elash
Columnists Jason Healey, Space Rogue, Sascha Meinrath, Melanie Teplinsky, Evan Selinger, Nicole Wong, Lysa Myers, Dan Geer, Bruce Schneier, Nadya Bliss, Lori Faith Cranor, Christopher Ahlberg, and dozens of other guest contributors
Photographers, illustrators, and videographers Ann Hermes, Erick Montes, Alicia Tatone, Michael Bonfigli, Rick Flowe, Paul Brigner
Podcast cohost New America’s Peter W. Singer and producers John Williams, Amanda Gaines, Simone McPhail, Fuzz Hogan (listen here)
Influencers More than 160 experts, politicians, policymakers, security researchers, academics, executives
Key sponsors Northrop Grumman, Dell, Tenable Network Security, Edison Electric Institute, Open-Xchange, Vectra Networks, NSS Labs, Invincea, and more
Key partners Atlantic Council, University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, The Hewlett Foundation,California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, Center for Democracy and Technology, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and more
We couldn’t have done it without you.