Challenge
Cybersecurity stories compete for attention in a crowded national news environment. The opportunity was to connect a specific public concern, airport data safety, with a Virginia Tech expert who could give clear, useful guidance.
Case study 03 · Campaigns + media
Collaborating across Virginia Tech to turn a cybersecurity pitch into national CBS coverage
This project shows how I collaborated with university media relations and College of Engineering teams to connect Matthew Hicks' cybersecurity expertise with an important public issue. The resulting CBS News coverage highlighted the value of Virginia Tech research for a broad national audience.
CBS Newsfeatured coverage
March 21, 2025CBS segment date
Matthew Hicksexpert source on data safety
The published result was CBS News' "Keeping your data safe at the airport," which featured Matthew Hicks explaining public Wi-Fi and data-security risks.
Strategy
Working across university and college communications teams, we framed the expertise around a timely, practical question rather than a general research announcement. The pitch positioned Matthew Hicks as a source who could help travelers understand the risks of public Wi-Fi, fake networks, and sensitive data exposure.
My role
I collaborated with Virginia Tech's university media relations and College of Engineering teams to identify the opportunity, shape the pitch, and connect expert knowledge to an accessible public-interest angle. I helped align the expert, message, and media moment so the value of Virginia Tech research was clear and useful to journalists and their audiences.
ECE relevance
This case study demonstrates my ability to collaborate effectively across university and college communications teams, elevate a faculty expert, and show how Virginia Tech research addresses an issue people encounter in daily life. The national coverage extended both the public-service and reputational value of that work while preserving accuracy, relevance, and usefulness.
Result
CBS News published "Keeping your data safe at the airport" on March 21, 2025, featuring cybersecurity expert Matthew Hicks with tips on protecting personal data while traveling. The coverage brought Virginia Tech research and expertise into a national conversation about an immediate public concern.
Featured link
National coverage from the pitch.
The external links preserve the public evidence trail for the case-study outcome.