With so many vendors crowding into the cybersecurity market, how can you stand out and earn trust? Practitioners and decision-makers see waves of content inundating their inboxes and social feeds daily. Faced with feature parity and AI washing, many buyers struggle to understand what distinguishes one provider from another.
Earned media powers a credibility engine that enhances your authority. Securing coverage through cybersecurity public relations (PR) and targeted media relations builds a company’s reputation and helps win the attention of skeptical professionals in that saturated marketplace. It also increases visibility at a time when competitors are clamoring for answers about answer engine optimization (AEO), generative engine optimization (GEO), and AI search results.
CyberTheory spoke with Sean Hojnacki, Marketing Program Manager, about how earned media builds trust and why AI search has made cybersecurity PR integral to marketing strategy today.
In this conversation (edited for length and clarity), we cover:
- Why independent validation beats corporate messaging every time.
- How earned media affects AI-driven search and credibility.
- What real cyber security PR looks like. (Spoiler: it’s not a quick fix.)
- Practical steps you can take right now.
Read the full conversation to see what Sean recommends doing:
CyberTheory: PR is an essential part of B2B messaging, but some companies may think, “We have our own website, blogs, and social channels. Why can’t we just tell our story ourselves?”
Sean Hojnacki: There’s a reason speakers use a microphone on stage: More people hear your message and actually listen. A corporate blog or LinkedIn post will never carry the same weight as a journalist quoting your CIO or CISO in a trusted publication. Good PR provides third-party validation and access to an audience you wouldn’t reach otherwise.
CyberTheory: That makes sense, but do a few quotes and a bylined article or two really make a difference?
Sean Hojnacki: It’s actually more important now than ever. Think about how you typically search for information. You probably prompt a generative AI platform or check a search engine’s AI overview. Those systems heavily prioritize authoritative sources, such as mentions in respected publications, over corporate marketing collateral.
Each piece of earned media coverage is increasingly treated as a powerful ranking signal by large language models (LLMs). That’s how PR fuels both trust with cybersecurity buyers and authority with algorithms in the emerging age of relevance engineering.
CyberTheory: So if a client is quoted or cited in a trusted outlet, that helps with search visibility too?
Sean Hojnacki: Exactly, and it extends even further. Readers rely on those outlets to get news and insights on a regular basis, and that trust in the source transfers to your brand. Coverage in a top-tier outlet or established trade publication outperforms even the greatest corporate blog post every time.
CyberTheory: What do you tell organizations that want to see immediate ROI from PR investments? How long does it take to see meaningful results?
Sean Hojnacki: Some organizations may get frustrated because they want results today—or yesterday. But you can’t suddenly build trust overnight. It often takes several months of consistent effort and messaging combined with sufficient budget, to break through.
It’s not easy to create the infrastructure and devote the resources to it. That’s actually a good thing. Because it’s difficult, it means you can do it better than your competitors if you’re willing to invest in a strategic approach.
CyberTheory: Can you describe such an approach? For example, what steps are involved and what works well?
Sean Hojnacki: You need discipline. Pick one or two messaging pillars and stick with them. Don’t bounce between narratives. Your subject matter experts (i.e., your CIO, CISO, senior practitioners) should be trained to connect your company’s perspective to timely events in the industry. Then they can tie a notable news story to those talking points without sounding like a product pitch.
CyberTheory: So the goal is to reinforce fewer, more consistent messages rather than hitting a range of different angles?
Sean Hojnacki: Yes, you’re offering insights, research, and context. It’s not transactional. Spokespeople should offer value independent of the company’s quarterly objectives. And when you do pitch something, it has to be relevant to the outlet’s audience.
That’s where a cybersecurity PR agency can make such a big difference. They have established media and reporter relationships in the space and can provide the strategic counsel about how to generate real results.
CyberTheory: That’s a very different mindset from how we usually think about marketing.
Sean Hojnacki: It is! It’s all about strategic positioning and the long game. Earned media is a credibility engine that complements everything else in your marketing mix. It shapes how people perceive your business in a completely different way from other channels. Trust drives deals, so great PR can be a powerful competitive differentiator.
CyberTheory: Where can things go wrong?
Sean Hojnacki: Many PR efforts fail because companies treat journalists and editors like a megaphone for their product offerings. That’s a quick way to have someone stop returning your calls and emails.
The successful approach requires patience, consistency, and providing real value without expecting something in return. Give more than you get in the moment. Then you may get a journalist calling you back when they need fast insights on complex breaking news. That’s a clear sign your PR strategy is working.
CyberTheory: What should cybersecurity vendors start doing now if they want to lean into PR as part of their strategy?
Sean Hojnacki: I’d recommend three things. First, set realistic expectations and get buy-in from leadership on budget and timeline.
Next, identify one or two messaging pillars based on what you’re actually known for, or want to be known for, and build everything around those pillars.
And last, use an experienced cyber security PR agency to leverage their relationships with journalists in the cybersecurity sector. That’s how you win coverage.
Tap the Experts in Cyber Communication
To see how a dedicated cybersecurity PR firm can enhance your company’s relevance across channels, contact CyberTheory today for a free consultation about your strategy.
Sean Hojnacki, Marketing Program Manager at CyberTheory, brings more than 15 years of experience as a strategic communications leader. He specializes in content marketing and advisory for B2B clients in the technology, financial services, and professional services sectors. Sean has led multimillion-dollar integrated programs for enterprise organizations and crafted full-funnel, cross-channel ABM strategies that drive measurable outcomes. He holds a master’s degree in philosophy from University College Dublin, which informs his analytical approach.