Former colleagues and buddies bear in mind the cybersecurity researcher, creator, and mentor whose work bridged the human and technical sides of safety
07 Nov 2025
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7 min. learn
The cybersecurity group misplaced one among 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 pc viruses till the age of recent ransomware and included a tenure as ESET Senior Analysis Fellow till his retirement in 2018.
With an educational background in trendy languages, social sciences, and pc science, David understood early that probably the most harmful vulnerabilities weren’t all the time 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, nonetheless, and likewise encompassed evaluation of malware tendencies and engagement with the requirements of antimalware product testing.
A prolific creator, editor, and convention speaker, David considered 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 assorted books and scholarly articles that he authored, co-authored, and edited are listed right here.
Should you ever had the privilege of studying from David, contemplate paying it ahead. David himself was proud to be a part of the cybersecurity group and considered cybersecurity as a public good. (He was additionally an achieved singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Hear for your self right here.)
Former colleagues, in the meantime, bear in mind David as a fountain of data and a meticulous wordsmith who left a long-lasting mark on the sphere and all those that labored with him.
Says ESET Vice President of Authorities Affairs Andrew Lee:
“In 1999 I met a person who would turn into a good friend, a colleague, and a collaborator on many tasks 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 (type 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 pc safety head, was a person named David Harley. On that board, many conversations would happen, and David would usually give his enter, which was related, knowledgeable, and all the time value studying. He, amongst others, helped me tremendously in offering data and recommendation that helped me do my job.
At a convention referred to 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 great author, so I requested him for some ideas. I’ve all the time 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 supplied to assist me write the paper, and we ultimately introduced 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 nicely. We’d bounce concepts round, he would ship a draft, I might add my contributions, then he would edit it into one thing usable. Then I would 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 people. David and I saved in contact, repeatedly assembly up at business conferences, and ultimately, 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, one among which I had the pleasure of contributing to.
We additionally bonded over music. David was, like me, an enormous fan of conventional British folks music, and was himself a really achieved guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Throughout the pandemic, I helped him clear up, remix, and grasp a few of his earlier work, and it is a disgrace that extra folks didn’t uncover his songs, as they’re lovely, nicely written, and infrequently deeply shifting.
David was a quiet man, he was light, type, but additionally humorous and intelligent. His work was necessary, and whereas the business has moved on, a lot of the recommendation he wrote continues to be related and very important at present. His reserved nature generally 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 usually mentioned, two heads are higher than one. I’ll all the time bear 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 good friend. I’ll miss him tremendously.
My like to Jude, David’s daughter, and all who knew and liked him.
Relaxation in peace my good friend.”
Says ESET Analysis Fellow Bruce P. Burrell:
“I am not fairly positive 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 positive 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 good friend.
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 turned 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 have been superlative, so it was principally simply sanity-checking.
Notice 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 cute eight-to-ten-year-old(?) daughter Katie. I consider that she adopted her father into pc safety; whether or not or not she’s nonetheless in that area, he had each motive to be happy with her.
Over time, we might 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 amazing 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 carefully for a number of years, till his retirement. Not an early retirement, however definitely sooner than I would have favored it to be!
Put up-retirement, we stayed in contact, however looking back, not practically sufficient. I shall miss you tremendously.”
Says ESET Senior Analysis Fellow Righard Zwienenberg:
“I’m actually 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 periods along with David on guitar and myself on drums. He will likely be deeply missed by me.
David was a ‘strolling Wikipedia’. Everytime you despatched him an summary or a full paper to edit, he all the time 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 flawed order so he was speaking about slides but to return however not the present one, laughing about his personal errors … Everyone who actually knew him will bear in mind, ‘Oh pricey …’, which was his typical method of apologizing on stage whereas presenting and but once more shedding monitor. But, as a consequence of his huge information on the subject he was presenting or ready-when-needed historical past when the Q&A time was there, he all the time attracted a big crowd …
Might his reminiscence dwell on by means of the music and moments we shared.”
We provide our heartfelt condolences to David’s household and buddies.
Right here’s the place you may be taught extra in regards to the life and work of David Harley:
