Covering cyber--a journalist's inside look.

• Author: Zetter, Kim
• Position: Kim Zetter - Interview

Journalists get a unique look into cyber issues. At the forefront of the biggest stories and scandals, the media is essential in shaping the public's understanding and awareness of the latest developments. The Journal of International Affairs talked to Kim Zetter, an award-winning journalist who recently covered cyber for Wired, about what it is like on the inside, how she communicates with sources in the digital age, and what are the next major crises and breaking news stories.

How did you get your start in journalism?

I started my career doing editorial work actually. I was living in Israel with my boyfriend at the time, doing work for a private magazine and some freelance work for a newspaper in the United States. When I got back, I moved to San Francisco. There weren't too many opportunities for journalists on the West Coast at that time apart from technology-focused publications. I ran into a friend from college on the street who worked at PCWorld. She referred me for their features editor position.

Were you always interested in technology and cyber issues?

Not at all. I wasn't actually interested in technology because I'm not a gadget person, per se. But I figured that I could do the PCWorld features position for six months; features wouldn't be as gadget oriented, and it could be interesting.

When was this? How did you transition into covering cyber issues?

This was in 1999. A few months after I got there, a colleague returned from DEF CON. I thought the whole event sounded bizarre--a conference for hackers is in itself just a bizarre idea.

But the technology, or rather what it could do, was fascinating. For instance, that year the group Cult of the Dead Cow came out with a backdoor Trojan called Back Orifice for the Windows operating system. They presented the following year too, when I went for the first time.

What was it like being at DEF CON in 2000?

I loved it. The culture and the community were so varied. The people were incredibly smart, like no other people I'd ever met before. And the social, political, and policy issues surrounding technology were fascinating.

Still, I remember being one of the only women there. Today there are so many women at DEF CON. My first year, I was one of two female journalists--Elinor Mills from CNET was the only other woman in the press room. In the room where the Cult of the Dead Cow was presenting there were 1,000 people, and maybe a dozen or two were women.

How should journalists and policy...