About David Harley

David Harley is an IT security researcher, author/editor and consultant living in the United Kingdom, known for his books on and research into malware, Mac security, anti-malware product testing, and management of email abuse.

Harley has worked in IT since the mid-1980s, working initially at the Royal Free Hospital in London. From 1989 to 2001 he worked for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer Research UK), where he eventually moved into full-time security. In 2001 he rejoined the National Health Service where he ran the Threat Assessment Centre. After leaving the NHS in 2006 to work as an independent consultant, he worked closely with the security company ESET where between 2011 and 2018 he held  the position of Senior Research Fellow.  In 2009 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), but stood down in February 2012, when Righard Zwienenberg, president of AMTSO, joined ESET, so that there wouldn’t be more than one Board member representing the same AMTSO member entity. 

He formally retired from the security industry in 2019, but continues to write on security issues, among many other things.

Bibliography

  • David Harley, sole author (the most recent – 2024): ‘Facebook: Sins & Insensitivities’. Wheal Alice Publishing.
  • Eddy Willems: Cyberdanger (already published in English, Dutch and German). Translation, review, editing, contributing some content.
  • Bidgoli, Hossein; et al. (2008). The Handbook of Computer Networks. Wiley. Volume 3, “E-Mail Threats and Vulnerabilities.”
  • Baccas, Paul; et al. (2008). OS X Exploits and Defense. Syngress. Chapter 3: “Malicious Macs: Malware and the Mac.” Chapter 4: “Malware Detection and the Mac.”
  • Harley, David; et al. (2007). AVIEN Malware Defense Guide for the Enterprise. Syngress. ISBN 978-1-59749-164-8. (Editor, technical editor, several chapters.)
  • Schiller, Craig A.,, Binkley, Jim; et al. (2007). Botnets: the Killer Web App. Syngress. Co-wrote Chapter 5, “Botnet Detection: Tools and Techniques” with Jim Binkley.
  • Bidgoli, Hossein; et al. (2006). Handbook of Information Security. Wiley. Volume 3, “E-Mail Threats and Vulnerabilities.”
  • Paulus, S., Pohlmann N., Reimer, H.; et al. (2004). ISSE 2004: Securing Electronic Business Processes. Vieweg. Massmailers: New Threats Need Novel Anti-Virus Measures.
  • Bosworth, Seymour, Kabay M.E.; et al. (2002). Computer Security Handbook. John Wiley. Co-wrote Chapter 49, “Medical Records Security” with Paul Brusil.
  • Anonymous; et al. (2002). Maximum Security Fourth Edition. SAMS. ISBN 0-672-32459-8. Revised Chapter 17 “Viruses and Worms”, Chapter 18 “Trojans.”
  • Harley, David, Robert Slade and Urs E. Gattiker (2001). Viruses Revealed. McGraw-Hill Companies.  Co-Author.
  • Anonymous; et al. (2001). Maximum Security Third Edition. SAMS. Chapter 17 “Viruses and Worms”, Chapter 18 “Trojans.”

(Security books only listed here: musical, historical, and verse-related books are available here.

Most of his security writing since joining ESET is available here:

Most of his writing for other magazines, web sites etc. is available from or via the Geek Peninsula blog, as are most of the above writing.

Among his other security-related (sometimes) blogs are: