Mirren McDade is a senior writer and journalist at Expert Insights, spending each day researching, writing, editing and publishing content, covering a variety of topics and solutions, and interviewing industry experts.
She is an experienced copywriter with a background in a range of industries, including cloud business technologies, cloud security, information security and cyber security, and has conducted interviews with several industry experts.
Mirren holds a First Class Honors degree in English from Edinburgh Napier University.
Articles By: Mirren McDade
222 results
CISO Q&A: Rob Black On Why CISOs Need To Stop Saying “High Risk”
"Security is a business enabler for more revenue, supporting customers, and protecting the organization, but it isn't the number one thing," says Rob Black, Founder and CEO of Fractional CISO.
by Mirren McDade
CISO Q&A: John J. Masserini On Why A Breach Doesn’t Automatically Mean The CISO Failed
"I'd rather be measured on how fast we found the problem and how well we contained it, not on a perfect record no organization our size has ever achieved," says John J. Masserini, Founder and Managing Partner of SentiCon Security.
by Mirren McDade
Best Security Awareness Content Solutions
We reviewed the leading security awareness content platforms on module quality, the range of delivery formats, and how well organizations can tailor content to specific roles and risk levels.
by Mirren McDade
Best Alternatives to KnowBe4 SAT
We reviewed the leading KnowBe4 alternatives on training content freshness, the sophistication of phishing simulation templates, and the behavioral reporting that shows whether training is translating into lower click rates.
by Mirren McDade
Best Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) Software
We reviewed the leading DSAR software solutions on the speed of automated data discovery across sources, quality of response package generation, and how well each tracks requests from submission through to verified closure.
by Mirren McDade
Best Pen Testing as a Service (PTaaS) Solutions
We reviewed the leading PTaaS providers on scope flexibility, the quality of vulnerability reporting, and how well remediation guidance translates into developer action. Output quality varied more than pricing suggests.
by Mirren McDade
Best Human Risk Management Solutions
We reviewed 11 human risk management platforms on the sophistication of individual risk scoring, how well training is adapted based on measured behavior, and the reporting that gives security teams evidence of real risk reduction over time.
by Mirren McDade
Best Bot Detection And Protection Solutions
We reviewed the leading bot detection platforms on how accurately they distinguish malicious bots from legitimate automation, the sophistication of behavioral analysis, and how well each handles evolving bot techniques designed to evade signature-based detection.
by Mirren McDade
Best Web Application Security Solutions
We reviewed the leading web application security platforms on the breadth of vulnerabilities they detect, the quality of runtime protection, and how well each integrates with development and operations workflows.
by Mirren McDade
Best Application Security Testing Solutions
We reviewed the leading application security testing solutions on how well they combine static, dynamic, and interactive testing approaches, the accuracy of findings across different application types, and how well each fits into modern DevSecOps workflows.
by Mirren McDade
Best Application Security Solutions
We reviewed the leading application security platforms on the breadth of lifecycle coverage, how well each integrates into development workflows, and whether the findings they generate drive real remediation or just add to the backlog.
by Mirren McDade
Best Runtime Security Tools
We reviewed the leading runtime security platforms on detection speed, anomaly identification accuracy, and how well they integrate with existing incident response workflows without adding operational overhead.
by Mirren McDade
Best Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPPs)
We reviewed the leading CNAPP platforms on the breadth of protection across build, deploy, and run phases. The best ones unify what used to require three separate tools.
by Mirren McDade
Best Security Testing Tools
We reviewed 10 security testing platforms on detection coverage, false positive rates, and developer-facing reporting. Here's what we think is worth building into your security program.
by Mirren McDade
Best Mimecast Email Security Alternatives
We compared 10 Mimecast alternatives on threat detection accuracy, Microsoft 365 integration, and total cost of ownership. Here's what we think is worth your time to evaluate.
by Mirren McDade
CISO Q&A: Rory Alsop On Why Compliance Should Be A By-Product, Not The Goal
“You can’t run a business at zero risk, because then it’s just not a business,” says Rory Alsop, CISO at Volue.
by Mirren McDade
Best Alternatives To SentinelOne
We reviewed the leading SentinelOne alternatives on AI-driven detection quality, the depth of behavioral analysis, and how the pricing and deployment models compare for organizations of different sizes and security maturity.
by Mirren McDade
88% of Web App Attacks Start With Stolen Credentials. Here’s How to Stop Them
Credential stuffing needs no malware, no exploits, and no firewall bypass. All it needs is a password your employee reused somewhere else.
by Mirren McDade
Best Patch Management Solutions For Windows
Discover the best patch management solutions for Windows devices. Explore features such as update scanning, automated patch deployment, and reporting.
by Mirren McDade
Best Application Control Solutions
We reviewed the leading application control platforms on the flexibility of allowlisting policies, how well each handles software updates without generating false blocks, and the reporting that surfaces unauthorized application installation attempts across the device estate.
by Mirren McDade
Best Email Archiving Solutions For Microsoft 365
We reviewed the leading M365 email archiving solutions on how well they extend native retention capabilities, the speed and granularity of eDiscovery search, and the compliance reporting that audit teams need beyond what Microsoft provides.
by Mirren McDade
Best Identity Governance And Administration Solutions
We reviewed the leading IGA platforms on access certification workflow accuracy, the depth of lifecycle management automation, and how well each enforces least privilege across the identity environment.
by Mirren McDade
Best Anti Impersonation And Spoofing Solutions
We reviewed the leading anti-impersonation and spoofing solutions on DMARC enforcement depth, display name spoofing detection, and how well each identifies the lookalike domains that attackers use to conduct convincing phishing campaigns.
by Mirren McDade
CISO Q&A: Nathan Smolenski On Why AI Is Shining A Light On Broken Security Fundamentals
“It’s like a very bright flashlight in a dark room with lots of bugs. You’re like, oh, wow, there they are,” says Nathan Smolenski, CISO at Qualys.
by Mirren McDade
Best Identity Security Posture Management Solutions
We reviewed 9 ISPM platforms on the depth of identity risk discovery, how accurately each identifies misconfigured permissions and risky access paths, and the integration quality with the IAM and directory tools security teams already use.
by Mirren McDade
CISO Q&A: Zach Lewis On Surviving LockBit And Why Most CISOs Will Face A Ransomware Attack
“We’ve got to be right all the time, and the bad guys just have to be right once to get in,” says Zach Lewis, CIO and CISO at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.
by Mirren McDade
Best File Integrity Monitoring Solutions
We reviewed the leading file integrity monitoring solutions on change detection granularity, alerting speed, and how well compliance reports hold up against PCI DSS, HIPAA, and SOC 2 audit requirements.
by Joel Witts
Backup For Microsoft Entra ID
We reviewed 9 Entra ID backup solutions on granular object recovery, retention depth, and security controls. Native Microsoft tooling does not cover what these platforms protect.
by Mirren McDade
Best Alternatives To Microsoft Entra ID
We reviewed 9 Microsoft Entra ID alternatives on identity lifecycle management, SSO and MFA capabilities, and how well each supports environments that extend beyond Microsoft's ecosystem. Some offer capabilities Entra ID does not.
by Mirren McDade
Best Alternatives To LastPass
We reviewed the leading LastPass alternatives on encryption architecture, admin control depth, and how smooth the migration process is for organizations moving vaults, shared credentials, and policy configurations to a new platform.
by Mirren McDade
Best Enterprise Browsers
We reviewed the leading enterprise browser platforms on DLP enforcement within browser sessions, admin visibility into web activity, and how well each controls data movement through the most commonly used application in any organization.
by Mirren McDade
Best CrowdStrike Alternatives
We reviewed the leading CrowdStrike alternatives on behavioral detection accuracy, investigation tooling, and how well each delivers on the core promise of fast, reliable endpoint threat detection and response at enterprise scale.
by Mirren McDade