The Dangerous Life of a Cybercrime Blogger

Brian Krebs, a Washington Post reporter turned private blogger, has made a name for himself in the world of cybersecurity—in particular through his revelation of the enormous Target hacks. But such security success doesn't come without a price: Hackers know who Krebs is, writes Nicole Perlroth in the New York Times, and they haven't hesitated to go after him. Krebs got interested in cybersecurity after being a victim of a worm in 2001. A few years later, he launched a blog at the Post. Eventually, they asked him to expand its focus beyond cybercrime. He refused, was let go, and started a site of his own.

Now he has an international reputation. In some cases, cybercriminals—usually based in Eastern Europe—offer him the inside scoop on their competitors. Other times, they target him for some fairly serious "pranks." One day, a SWAT team appeared outside his house; police had received a fake report of a murder. In another case, heroin was sent to Krebs' house; again, someone reported the false crime to police. Meanwhile, Krebs' identity is often stolen, and hackers have paid for his cable—using stolen credit cards. "The work that (Krebs has) done exposing Eastern European hackers has been seminal," says another cybersecurity expert. "But Brian needs a bodyguard." Click for the full profile. (More Brian Krebs stories.)