Editorial Disclosure

Last updated: 2026-05-07

Our editorial integrity is the product. This page explains how we make money, who pays us, what affects our coverage, and what does not.

How we monetize

This site is operated as part of the AI Sec Network. The network's revenue sources, in order of priority:

1. Affiliate links in editorial content (HackTheBox, TryHackMe, Pluralsight, Coursera, etc.). When we recommend a tool or training, the link may include a referral parameter that pays us a commission if you sign up. The commission does not change your price.
2. Paid SaaS subscriptions (AI Red Team Gym, Prompt Injection Scanner, future products). These are products we built; they're separate from coverage.
3. Newsletter sponsorship (currently inactive). When we begin accepting sponsored slots, they will be clearly labeled as such.
4. Display advertising (currently inactive). If we begin running display ads, they will be from a single transparent network and will not influence editorial.

We do not currently accept: paid placement in posts, sponsored content disguised as editorial, "as seen on" badges from vendors, or undisclosed affiliate placement.

Affiliate link handling

When a post contains an affiliate link, the link target shows the destination domain on hover. Where applicable, we add an in-text disclosure: "Affiliate link — we may receive a commission."

Affiliate links are added because we recommend the product, not because the program offers the highest commission. We have publicly declined affiliate enrollment from products we consider unsuitable for our audience.

What affects our coverage

The factors that legitimately shape what we cover:

• Reader interest (queries, support tickets, newsletter replies)
• Material developments in the field (incidents, regulations, research)
• Editorial calendar planning (cluster cadence, seasonal themes)
• Direct experience with a tool or technique

What does NOT affect our coverage

• Whether a vendor is in our affiliate program
• Whether a vendor has reached out to us
• Whether a vendor has offered free credits, trials, or hardware
• Whether a competitor is in our affiliate program
• Whether the topic is "good for SEO" — we don't write thin posts to capture keywords

Conflicts of interest

The AI Sec Network's operators may hold equity in or have prior employment with companies we cover. When a meaningful conflict exists, the post will disclose it inline. Examples:

• Reviewing a product made by a company where the author was previously employed
• Covering a vendor where the author holds direct equity
• Reviewing a competitor of a company that has paid us

We do not always know who-is-related-to-what at sign-up time. If you spot a conflict we missed, email editor@deskmatreviews.com and we will add the disclosure.

Free trials and review units

We may accept free trial credits, demo accounts, or extended trials of products we are evaluating. We do not retain hardware, branded merchandise, or other physical gifts beyond a nominal value (e.g., a t-shirt at a conference). Any trial credits or accounts received are disclosed in the relevant post.

Source verification

For news cluster content (incident reporting, regulatory developments), we follow a documented verification methodology with five source tiers. Every published incident has at least one Tier 1-2 source.

AI involvement

Posts on this site are produced through a workflow that includes AI assistance for drafting, research synthesis, and copy editing. All published posts are reviewed before publication. The byline reflects the editorial persona responsible for the cluster — a single persona writes for multiple sites in the same cluster, by design, for editorial consistency.

We do not pretend posts are written by named individuals who do not exist behind the persona. The personas are pseudonymous editorial identities, not fabricated humans.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we correct it visibly with a diff at the bottom of the affected post. We do not silently edit. The correction log is at the bottom of relevant posts.

Reader feedback

We read every reply to newsletter dispatches and every email. We can't always respond, but tips and corrections are read. Channel: editor@deskmatreviews.com.

Operator

AI Sec Network is an independent publication network. We are not owned by, operated by, or affiliated with any of the AI providers, security vendors, or platforms we cover. If our ownership status changes, we will update this page.