Laurie Iacono didn't come to cybersecurity through a traditional path. With an MFA in Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, she entered a deeply technical world as a non-technical professional — and that shift in perspective changed how she thinks about digital risk. It's also what drives her approach to training: if she could learn to navigate the threat landscape, anyone can.
Today, Laurie manages threat actor engagement and dark web monitoring for a leading cyber insurance provider, where her team analyzes cyber incidents across hundreds of organizations each year. Previously, she served as Associate Managing Director of Cyber Risk at Kroll, where she led a global team of intelligence analysts supporting incident response engagements and specialized in tracking ransomware-as-a-service operations. Before that, she led the Brand and Consumer Protection program at the National Cyber-Forensics Training Alliance (NCFTA), collaborating with federal law enforcement on hundreds of dark web and cybercrime investigations — from the takedown of notorious underground markets to the physical arrests of individuals involved in illicit activity, including the online distribution of fentanyl.
For six years, Laurie has taught graduate-level cybersecurity courses at the University of Pittsburgh and Robert Morris University. That experience reinforced what her incident response work had already shown her: understanding threats isn't enough. People need to build habits, not just pass tests. That principle — behavior over knowledge — is what Mindful Digital Safety was built on.
Selected Publications & Media
- "The Year in Ransomware: Key Targets, Extortion Tactics, and What to Do" — Security Magazine
- "'Pen-Tested' by a Hacker: What to Believe" — Security Management
- Quoted "Money Can Be Stolen From Your Bank Account: Here's How to Lower Your Risk" — AARP
- Quoted "Construction Companies Attract New Set of Malicious Hackers" — IT Brew
- Quoted "Blue Yonder Investigating Data Leak Claim Following Ransomware Attack" — Cybersecurity Dive
- Quoted "Dark Web Vendors Shift to Third Parties, Supply Chains" — Dark Reading
Laurie's research and analysis have also been cited by CoinTelegraph, Bleeping Computer, SC Magazine, Cyber Magazine, and Supply Chain Magazine.
Speaking & Media
Laurie is available for speaking engagements, panel discussions, and media interviews on cybersecurity awareness, ransomware trends, dark web threats, and building organizational security culture. She has experience as a media contact for broadcast and print interviews and has presented at industry conferences and community events including:
- SANS CTI Summit
- BSides Pittsburgh
- SC Media Ransomware Summit
- O'Reilly Media Ransomware Summit
- Merchant Risk Council
- Three Rivers Information Security Symposium
- A-CAPP Brand Protection Strategy Summit
- National Biopharmaceutical Security Council
- National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center
- Pitt Cyber CyberCamp
- Robert Morris University AFA Cyber Camp