Publishing Policy

KBI.Media is a specialist trade publication centred on cybersecurity and emerging related technologies. Our audience is largely comprised of technology executives and senior practitioners. 

The articles, films, and podcasts that appear on our site, and by extension, on other channels like social media, are from thought-leaders within the industry, our internal staff writers, as well as our video and podcast hosts. We hold all to high standards, and we only publish materials we see as not only relevant for our audience, but that also meet our considerable standards.

We’ve been recognised as one of the fastest growing publications in the industry, and since launching in November 2023, continue to experience significant month-on-month growth. 

Our flagship podcast, KBKast, has been recognised countless times as one of the most influential podcasts in cybersecurity and the wider tech industry, influencing decisions for multiple usd billions in security budgets globally.

Publishing Expectations

Introduction

As a leading media publishing company specialising in cybersecurity, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, accuracy, and relevance in our content. Our Publishing Policy serves as a guiding framework for our editorial processes, ensuring transparency, fairness, and trustworthiness in all our publications. This policy applies to all content published by our company, including articles, reports, whitepapers, interviews, and multimedia content.

Editorial Independence

We uphold the principle of editorial independence, ensuring that our content is free from undue influence or bias. Our editorial team operates autonomously from advertisers, sponsors, and external stakeholders, safeguarding the integrity and impartiality of our publications. We do not accept payments, gifts, or incentives in exchange for favourable coverage or promotion of specific products, services, or companies.

Accuracy and Fact-Checking

Accuracy is paramount in our publications. We are committed to verifying the information presented in our content through rigorous fact-checking processes. Our editorial team endeavours to corroborate claims, statements, and data with credible sources and expert opinions. Corrections to errors or inaccuracies are promptly addressed and transparently communicated to our audience.

Transparency and Disclosure

We maintain transparency in our relationships and interactions with external parties, including PR agencies, marketing professionals, and solution vendors. Any affiliations, sponsorships, partnerships, or conflicts of interest that may influence our content are disclosed to our audience. We clearly identify sponsored content, advertorials, or native advertising to distinguish them from editorial content.

Editorial Guidelines

Our editorial guidelines serve as a set of standards and best practices for content creation and publication. These guidelines encompass principles of journalistic ethics, including fairness, objectivity, and respect for privacy. We adhere to industry-specific guidelines for cybersecurity reporting, ensuring responsible and ethical coverage of security incidents, vulnerabilities, and emerging threats.

Collaboration with PR Agencies and Marketing Professionals

We collaborate with PR agencies and marketing professionals to source relevant information, expert insights, and press releases. While we welcome contributions from external sources, our editorial team retains editorial control over the content, including final approval and editing rights. We strive to maintain a balanced and diverse range of perspectives in our coverage, avoiding undue promotion or endorsement of specific vendors or products.

Review and Approval Process

All content undergoes a comprehensive review and approval process before publication. Our editorial team evaluates the quality, relevance, and accuracy of the content against our editorial standards and guidelines. Any content that fails to meet our criteria is subject to revision or rejection. Final approval for publication rests with the editorial leadership team.

Corrections and Retractions

In the event of errors, inaccuracies, or misleading information in our content, we issue corrections or retractions as necessary. Corrections are prominently displayed to ensure transparency and accountability. Retractions are reserved for serious errors or ethical breaches that undermine the integrity of our publications. We take swift action to rectify mistakes and uphold the credibility of our brand.

Audience Engagement and Feedback

We value feedback from our audience and encourage constructive engagement through comments, inquiries, and suggestions. Our editorial team actively monitors and responds to audience feedback, addressing concerns, clarifying information, and soliciting input for future content. We strive to foster a transparent and open dialogue with our audience, promoting trust and accountability.

Compliance with Legal and Regulatory Requirements

We operate in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards governing media publishing, including copyright, defamation, and privacy laws. Our content adheres to ethical standards outlined by professional organisations, such as the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Online News Association (ONA). We cooperate with legal authorities and regulatory bodies when required to uphold legal obligations and protect the rights of all parties involved.

KBI takes copyright infringement, plagiarism, and other violations of best practises in publishing extremely seriously. We strive to preserve our writers’ rights, and we carefully examine charges of plagiarism or misappropriation of published material. Similarly, we endeavour to safeguard the site’s reputation from misbehaviour. Duplication-checking software may be used to check submitted articles.

If an article is found to have plagiarised other work or included third-party copyright material without permission, or with insufficient acknowledgement, or if the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action, including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the author’s company director or secretary.

The author must disclose any past distribution and/or publishing – if requested – of any portion of the content to the Editor for consideration and must provide proper attribution to the earlier distribution and/or publication of the material.

Furthermore, KBI does not accept fraudulent activity such as manipulating our review process or using submission or review farms (not legitimate third-party submission agencies). Unpublished contributions will be automatically rejected from further consideration on the site if KBI has strong suspicions or proof of such conduct, and any writer or company may be restricted in full or in part, from any future publishing expectations.

While we understand that analyst firms can prove to be valuable resources, the insights they provide are often skewed by their commercial models. Therefore, if articles are citing a source tied to an analyst firm known to have a ‘pay-to-play’ model, we will seek to independently verify the claims wherever possible.

We also request that any content published need keep any sales-focused copy to a minimum. By which, we must see value to our reading audience in every article, and while there may be a commercial imperative, it must nonetheless be ‘tastefully disguised’ through additional informative significance.
If you have any questions or require clarification on any of the above points, please reach out to us:

Final Words

Our Publishing Policy reflects our commitment to upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity, transparency, and accountability in cybersecurity media publishing. By adhering to these principles and guidelines, we aim to serve our audience with reliable, informative, and trustworthy content that contributes to a better understanding of cybersecurity issues and solutions. We continuously review and update our policies to adapt to evolving industry trends and best practices, ensuring that our publications remain relevant and impactful in an ever-changing landscape.

Style Guide Checklist

General Principles

• Assume audience: senior management, practitioners in cybersecurity, business decision-makers. Use precise, well-informed, non-promotional language
• Value objectivity. Claims must be backed by data, quotes, references. Hyperbole or marketing puff should be minimal or avoided
• Clean formatting: avoid extra HTML/CSS tags; submit content that can be rendered without manual cleaning
• Clarity over ornament. Headings, subheadings, short paragraphs aid scanning

Format & Structure

Two kinds of submissions: Press Releases and Editorial / Opinion / Feature Articles. Many rules overlap.

Press Release Submission Guide

Headline

• Use an H1 tag (if submitting via CMS) or clearly marked headline. Title case on proper nouns; otherwise sentence case. Avoid all-caps
• Keep it concise: aim for 10–15 words. Must clearly state what, why it matters

Dateline

• Include the city and date at the start of the first paragraph. Format e.g. “Melbourne, Australia – 17 September 2025”.
• If embargoed, clearly state “Embargoed until [Date] at [Time, Timezone]”, placed right under headline or before lead

Lead Paragraph

• Answer the 5 Ws: who, what, when, where, why. Possibly how. Should give enough info so that a reader understands the core message without reading further

Body

• Subheadings: use H3 or, for deeper subdivision, H4. (No lower levels unless absolutely necessary)
• Paragraphs should be short (2-4 sentences). Each paragraph should ideally contain one main idea
• Include at least one quote from a credible, named spokesperson. Use full name + title + organisation. The quote should add perspective or humanise the story

Supporting Context & Data

• Provide relevant statistics, background info, technical context as needed. But avoid jargon unless essential; if used, define clearly
• If referencing studies, reports, or external sources, include attribution (author, date, source)

Boilerplate (“About [Company]”)

• A short paragraph (2-3 sentences) explaining what the company or organisation is, its mission or core business
• Should not be overly promotional; factual, minimal claims

Media / Contact Information

• Provide full name, role/title, organisation, email, phone number. If relevant, social media handle
• Optional: link to company website

Length

• Aim for ~500 -750 words. If more complex, can be longer, but generally things that require more than one page are very rarely read by executives

Editorial / Feature / Opinion Submission Guide

Title (Headline)

• Use H1 or appropriate CMS title field; sentence case, capitalising only proper nouns. Must reflect content clearly

Subhead or Standfirst (optional but useful)

• A brief paragraph under the headline (if used) summarising what the article is about and its importance

Introduction / Lead

• The opening should set context, state key question or thesis, engage the reader. For opinion pieces, the author’s viewpoint must be clear up front

Structure

• Use H3 for main section headings, H4 for subordinate headings
• Logical flow: context/background → analysis or argument → implications / recommendations → conclusion
• For long pieces, break with headings; avoid one giant wall of text

Tone & Voice

• Authoritative, informed, reflective. It may “take a stance,” but avoid emotional or sensational language
• Use first person if appropriate for opinion, but sparingly (“I argue”, “in our view”)

Evidence & Credibility

• Support claims with data, case studies, references
• Trace sources; avoid vague statements like “many experts say” without attribution

Conclusion

• Summarise key points. Where relevant, offer a takeaway for the reader (e.g., decision-makers) or suggestions for action

Formatting & Style Requirements (Both Types)

• Headings tags: Use H3 for primary subheadings, H4 for deeper subdivisions. Do not use H2 for subheadings under H1 (unless your CMS style mandates; else reserve H2 for special structures)
• Paragraphs: No more than 4 sentences per paragraph ideally. Separate ideas
• Lists / bullets: Use where helpful for clarity (e.g. for benefits, steps, recommendations). Use simple bullet style; avoid nested lists unless absolutely needed

Language & Grammar

• Use British English spelling
• Full stops at ends of sentences; no full stop after headings
• Use Oxford comma in lists
• Avoid jargon; if using technical terms, define them
• Avoid promotional superlatives without substantiation (e.g. “world-leading”, “number one”, “best in class”) unless backed by data or independent verification
• Tone: informative rather than salesy

Links & Media

• If including links, they should be relevant, non-commercial, and working
• Images / graphics: supply separate high-resolution files, properly labelled. Captioned if needed. No embedded style tags in the body

HTML / CSS

• Avoid additional HTML or CSS tags beyond those necessary (e.g. headings, italics, bold). Do not include inline styling or custom CSS
• Clean markup: no tables unless essential; no code snippets or tags unless necessary and formatted cleanly

Self-promotion

• It is acceptable to reference the submitting organisation (in boilerplate or via quote), but avoid overt marketing tone or calls to buy/use product
• Avoid claims like “we are the best”, “unmatched”, “leading the industry” unless substantiated

Review & Editing Checklist

Before submitting, PRs / authors should check:

• Headline: clear, concise, descriptive
• Lead paragraph: answers Who, What, When, Where, Why
• Structure: logical flow; headings in place; no long unwieldy paragraphs
• Tone: objective where appropriate; claims backed up
• Formatting: headings using H-tags; minimal HTML; no embedded CSS; images separate
• Contact info included
• Boilerplate for the organisation is present, ie, ‘About Acme Security’.