Data breaches have become as routine as weather reports. With major organizations facing near-constant attacks, cybersecurity incidents now rarely shock or surprise—they simply blend into the daily news cycle. This creates a significant challenge for cybersecurity companies trying to break through an already saturated media environment.

With cyberattacks occurring more frequently than ever, the media has focused on covering these breaches, causing a constant stream of breach coverage that has dulled audiences' and decision-makers' sensitivity to these events. To gain brand recognition and position their spokespeople as thought leaders, companies now vie to insert their brand into the conversation, pitching insights and commentary to capitalize and share their message on the event.

However, when companies focus too much on trendjacking or rapid response commentary, they may have the opposite effect. With journalists often including up to three or four sources in each article, and each with similar takes, the media and readers may have trouble differentiating what each company does or what their message is.

At the same time, cybersecurity media has shifted its focus. In fact, according to Treble’s 2025 Cybersecurity Media Pulse Report, 53% of journalists say they’re most interested in AI-driven threats, ahead of traditional breach coverage (31%). As AI-driven threats increase, due to their novelty and sophistication, so will the coverage around these breaches. This makes it even harder for companies to break through the constant breach news and share their message and solutions.

For many cybersecurity companies, rapid response commentary still serves a purpose: it builds credibility, positions spokespeople as experts, and can garner company recognition. However, organizations must be more proactive and less reactive, rather than waiting for the next relevant breach to build a story or share expert commentary. While keeping up with the media and breach news is important, a healthy mix of narrative-driven storytelling—anchored in trust, thought leadership, and expert insights—helps cybersecurity companies successfully share their message. Credibility, real-world impact, and timing now define success.

From Reactive to Proactive: Earning Media Attention That Lasts

To break through the breach-saturated news cycle, cybersecurity companies need to offer more than timely commentary—they need to build a strategy rooted in lasting credibility and narrative ownership. Relying too much on rapid response and trendjacking may generate momentary visibility, but it does not build lasting recognition or trust.

The successful shift from reactive to proactive begins with identifying the company’s core focus, target audience, and impactful messaging. Cybersecurity companies should base their strategy on: 

  • Technical expertise areas: Clearly defining where you have deep, defensible knowledge (such as identity security, fraud prevention, or defending against AI-driven threats)
  • Target audience identification: Understanding which specific personas you aim to reach (CISOs, IT directors, compliance officers)
  • Differentiated messaging: Developing a unique viewpoint that stands apart from competitors
  • Business objective alignment: Ensuring your communication strategy supports revenue and growth goals

By leaning into their niche, cybersecurity companies and their experts can create deeper narratives that resonate with both journalists and their audiences. However, thought leadership–like Rome–is not built in a day. It's built over time, through meaningful, on-brand placements across media channels.

From guest posts to podcasts, every touchpoint should reinforce and reiterate the company’s mission and why the company matters in the industry. These placements and being able to speak about a topic beyond the surface level, position companies as authoritative voices in their fields, building trust and credibility for reporters and audiences. 

Journalists look for sources that make sense of complex, real-world cybersecurity issues that impact consumers and decision-makers. Cybersecurity companies that offer this become credible, go-to sources. Through this, reporters will begin to consider the company a trusted source and be more receptive to proactive topics set forth by the company. The results are in-depth and on-topic exclusive interviews, feature stories, and lasting media relationships.

This approach enables companies to build strong ties with the media that help them rise above the daily stream of cybersecurity breach news. It balances securing proactive opportunities and addressing relevant incidents, building a media strategy that goes beyond chasing breaches. Doing so helps cybersecurity brands not just react, but stand out. 

Lasting Recognition in Cybersecurity Media

Ultimately, the goal isn't to chase every headline–it’s to lead conversations that matter, on the company’s terms, within its area of expertise. Proactive storytelling, backed by consistent messaging and strong subject-matter experts, earns media attention that lasts.

Cybersecurity companies can build positive reputations and lasting media relationships rooted in credibility, expertise, and long-term impact by focusing on valuable, narrative-driven, proactive media placements over reactive commentary. This allows for the successful shift from reactive to proactive, achieving enduring impact in the industry, even in a media landscape saturated with breach news.