Former colleagues and associates keep in mind the cybersecurity researcher, writer, and mentor whose work bridged the human and technical sides of safety
07 Nov 2025
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7 min. learn
The cybersecurity neighborhood misplaced certainly one of its luminaries with the passing of David Harley final week, on the age of 76.
Regardless of being a self-described late entrant to IT, David went on to forge an extended and distinguished profession in cybersecurity that stretched from the early days of laptop viruses till the age of recent ransomware and included a tenure as ESET Senior Analysis Fellow till his retirement in 2018.
With a tutorial background in fashionable languages, social sciences, and laptop science, David understood early that probably the most harmful vulnerabilities weren’t at all times technical, however human. This lesson would echo by means of a lot of his later work, significantly in his writings in regards to the psychology of cybercrime. His experience ranged broadly, nevertheless, and likewise encompassed evaluation of malware traits and engagement with the requirements of antimalware product testing.
A prolific writer, editor, and convention speaker, David seen writing and public talking as an extension of analysis and a possibility to attach with friends and, certainly, anybody else dedicated to creating the web a safer place for everybody. WeLiveSecurity is proud to protect a part of David’s huge physique of written work; in the meantime, the varied books and scholarly articles that he authored, co-authored, and edited are listed right here.
If you happen to ever had the privilege of studying from David, take into account paying it ahead. David himself was proud to be a part of the cybersecurity neighborhood and seen cybersecurity as a public good. (He was additionally an completed singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Pay attention for your self right here.)
Former colleagues, in the meantime, keep in mind David as a fountain of information and a meticulous wordsmith who left a long-lasting mark on the sector and all those that labored with him.
Says ESET Vice President of Authorities Affairs Andrew Lee:
“In 1999 I met a person who would grow to be a buddy, a colleague, and a collaborator on many initiatives through the years.
On the time, I used to be working in a authorities workplace, establishing the primary absolutely carried out safety and antivirus platform all through the company. There was a message board, the alt.comp.virus newsgroup (sort of like a really early social media for geeks), the place others concerned within the antivirus sphere would focus on. On that discussion board, on the time working for the NHS as its laptop safety head, was a person named David Harley. On that board, many conversations would happen, and David would typically give his enter, which was related, knowledgeable, and at all times price studying. He, amongst others, helped me tremendously in offering info and recommendation that helped me do my job.
At a convention known as ‘Infosec’ (sadly lengthy defunct), I lastly met David, in late 1999, and we hit it off instantly, sharing many extra pursuits than simply safety. Throughout that first assembly, over pizza, I mentioned an concept that I used to be engaged on – a paper on Linux malware. I knew David was a superb author, so I requested him for some suggestions. I’ve at all times been good at having concepts, however with extreme ADHD (undiagnosed on the time), I used to be merely unable to get them onto the web page in a logical method, I communicate much better than I write. David virtually instantly provided to assist me write the paper, and we finally offered it on the EICAR convention in 2001, in Copenhagen. I did the presenting, because it was not David’s power on the time. We complemented one another properly. We’d bounce concepts round, he would ship a draft, I’d add my contributions, then he would edit it into one thing usable. Then I might current our work.
Finally, I left authorities and joined ESET – and it is true to say that with out David serving to me with these early convention papers, I’d by no means have had the prospect to fulfill the ESET of us. David and I saved in contact, often assembly up at business conferences, and finally, it was an enormous pleasure to have the ability to rent him into ESET, the place as soon as once more, we labored on many white papers and shows collectively. He additionally wrote books on safety, certainly one of which I had the pleasure of contributing to.
We additionally bonded over music. David was, like me, an enormous fan of conventional British people music, and was himself a really completed guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In the course of the pandemic, I helped him clear up, remix, and grasp a few of his earlier work, and it is a disgrace that extra individuals didn’t uncover his songs, as they’re stunning, properly written, and infrequently deeply shifting.
David was a quiet man, he was mild, sort, but additionally humorous and intelligent. His work was vital, and whereas the business has moved on, a lot of the recommendation he wrote continues to be related and very important immediately. His reserved nature typically hid from others the deep mind and perception that David held.
In some small half, I hope our work collectively helped him too; as is commonly stated, two heads are higher than one. I’ll at all times keep in mind when he met his true ‘second head’, Jude, in Berlin, and their lasting bond, friendship, and love was one thing that was apparent to those that met them.
Above all, David was my buddy. I’ll miss him enormously.
My like to Jude, David’s daughter, and all who knew and liked him.
Relaxation in peace my buddy.”
Says ESET Analysis Fellow Bruce P. Burrell:
“I am not fairly certain after I first met David – in all probability although VIRUS-L/comp.virus within the late 80s or early 90s. I am not sure about after I met him in individual, both, however I am fairly certain it was in 1995, on the Virus Bulletin convention in Boston. Or possibly in San Francisco at VB 97 (the convention report mentions him, so I do know he was there). At any time when it was, by that point it was like assembly an previous buddy.
In all probability a bit earlier than our first face-to-face assembly, the alt.comp.virus newsgroup got here into existence, and I had many interactions with David there. Finally, it grew to become clear that an FAQ was wanted for the newsgroup, and a triumvirate of David, George Wenzel, and I began placing one collectively. Extra precisely, David did virtually the entire placing, whereas George and I contributed a bit or two; I additionally did a wee little bit of wordsmithing. Emphasis on ‘wee’: David’s writing expertise had been superlative, so it was principally simply sanity-checking.
Observe additionally that, whereas the gentlest and kindest of individuals, he had a wickedly intelligent wit – simply browse the titles and headers of his writings.
I overnighted at his flat in London in the summertime of 1998, and later that 12 months, at VB 98, I met the common occupant of that room – his lovable eight-to-ten-year-old(?) daughter Katie. I consider that she adopted her father into laptop safety; whether or not or not she’s nonetheless in that subject, he had each cause to be pleased with her.
Through the years, we would been in common contact – however after I joined ESET, we quickly shaped one other trio of wordsmiths – David, Nick FitzGerald, and myself. It was an ideal pleasure – and studying expertise – to work with these two every day, as an alternative of the occasional one-off emails and the all-too-rare convention or ‘I simply occur to be on the town’ conferences. I used to be lucky to have the ability to work with him intently for a number of years, till his retirement. Not an early retirement, however actually sooner than I might have preferred it to be!
Submit-retirement, we stayed in contact, however on reflection, not almost sufficient. I shall miss you tremendously.”
Says ESET Senior Analysis Fellow Righard Zwienenberg:
“I’m really saddened to listen to this information. Having identified David for over three a long time, I used to be lucky to share many memorable moments with him, on stage throughout shows and thru our mutual love of music. We had some good classes along with David on guitar and myself on drums. He can be deeply missed by me.
David was a ‘strolling Wikipedia’. Everytime you despatched him an summary or a full paper to edit, he at all times returned it with hints to extra materials, references to supporting materials, and so forth. Many individuals know that for all his brilliance as a author and editor, he was ‘clumsy’ as a presenter. Typically shedding monitor, having his notes within the fallacious order so he was speaking about slides but to come back however not the present one, laughing about his personal errors … Everyone who actually knew him will keep in mind, ‘Oh expensive …’, which was his typical method of apologizing on stage whereas presenting and but once more shedding monitor. But, as a result of his huge data on the subject he was presenting or ready-when-needed historical past when the Q&A time was there, he at all times attracted a big crowd …
Could his reminiscence reside on by means of the music and moments we shared.”
We provide our heartfelt condolences to David’s household and associates.
Right here’s the place you possibly can be taught extra in regards to the life and work of David Harley:
