Cybersecurity - Suggestion for a new subforum

I just watched a pretty unsettling segment on Cybercrime - CNN - NBC about how vulnerable we actually are. They showed how at a recent international hacking conference held in Washington, D.C., hackers managed to break through valid security protocols and certificates used by most major banks. There was also this wild report on Russian hackers gathering data on bank accounts worldwide—they actually demonstrated live to the reporters how they could breach accounts belonging to citizens, and even managed to hack a U.S. military site to pull personal info on soldiers stationed in or returning from Iraq, including details on generals and colonels.
PREDLAŽEM:

We should start a dedicated cybersecurity subforum here on Reddit.

I know people will argue that specialized forums already exist online or that these questions can just go into the existing tech sections of Reddit.

But honestly, beyond the language aspect, the general vibe of Reddit makes it the perfect spot for a security subforum. It allows regular people—the ones who wouldn't dream of visiting niche technical boards—to actually access this information. The potential for educating the general public is way higher here.

Plus, having a specific security section alongside our current tech threads makes sense. Cybersecurity is such a massive, burning issue in IT right now that it deserves its own space so these critical topics don't just get buried under general tech chatter.

Centralizing this info makes it much more useful for the average user. By giving this specific problem its own zone, we make vital information actually accessible to the people who need it most.

There is currently a Hacking thread within the Web Programming subforum where people discuss various aspects of hacking and security measures. In my humble opinion, there isn't quite enough engagement there to justify spinning it off into its own dedicated subforum just yet. 🤷

silentsailor5 said:There’s already a subforum for Web Development that includes a Hacking thread where people talk about hacking,

That’s my point exactly. If a subforum is dedicated to web development, you won't find the general public there—just people who code.

That’s why we need a separate section for security questions. It should be designed for regular people, not just programmers or IT geeks.

If they have any interest in it, there's always a search engine out there ready to guide them toward that topic.

Ryan Sanders4 said:But look—setting aside the language barrier, the whole vibe of Reddit is actually perfect for a dedicated cybersecurity subforum. It gives us access to the general public—the everyday folks who probably wouldn't dream of wandering into specialized IT forums in the first place. So, basically, the potential impact for educating the average person is actually way higher.
Plus, spinning up a specific security section alongside the existing tech subforums makes total sense. We need to zero in on one of the most pressing issues in the digital world, and we shouldn't let those critical topics get drowned out by generic tech chatter.

Centralizing all this security info just makes it more relevant and effective for a general audience that isn't particularly tech-savvy, since it provides a dedicated space for this specific issue—which makes such an important topic much easier to digest.

You’re being a bit contradictory here... you’re talking about the potential for education while simultaneously claiming the population isn't interested. If they aren't interested, then what’s the point? On the security subforum, there are already threads covering these exact issues, and in the vast majority of cases, people are just looking for help because they caught some malware—which, let’s be honest, usually happens because they weren't paying attention. That just proves they aren't actually looking to learn; if they wanted to be educated, they would have done it already... the internet is huge. The general public has access to the subforum now.

The security problem has been a massive issue since the dawn of the internet and it’s going to stay that way—it’s not just some temporary hype. If you disagree, feel free to back up your claim with some actual arguments.

If you’ve got a suggestion for a topic that would actually stand out from the usual stuff on the security subforum, go ahead and start it. Let's see how it pans out.

Personally, I am quite in favor of creating something akin to a specialized sub-forum, perhaps titled "Power Users," specifically dedicated to PDF mastery

Benjamin King2 said:You're being a bit contradictory... you mention the potential value of education, yet claim people aren't interested. What's the point then? There are threads about this on the security subforum, and most people just show up looking for help after an infection—which, in most cases, happened because they weren't paying attention. That proves they don't care about education; if they did, they would have looked into it already. The internet is huge. The general public has access to that subforum too.

Cybersecurity issues have been around since the internet started and they aren't going anywhere. It’s not some temporary hype. If you disagree, back it up.

If you actually have a topic idea that stands out from the usual stuff on the security subforum, go ahead and start it. Let's see what happens.

You're not reading me closely enough.
When I say the general public won't visit specialized IT forums, I don't mean they don't care about their own security. It's more that they feel intimidated by places where geeks and freaks hang out, talking about that "complicated computer world"...

And look, I'm not saying we need brand-new topics to justify a whole new subforum. Like I said before, grouping security topics together improves the "ergonomics" of the subject—makes it psychologically accessible. More importantly, it encourages the average person to think about security as its own category. It shouldn't be seen as "geek stuff" or "freak territory"; it belongs to everyone, even the tech-illiterate.

Your arguments are typical of a purely technical mindset that misses the psychological side of the issue.

Ryan Sanders4 said:...

That’s an interesting suggestion, truly, but dedicating an entire subforum just to that specific niche isn't going to fly, especially since we already have Security, which covers that ground quite effectively in a broad sense. And since you mentioned yourself that the "general vibe of Reddit" is what makes this place work, it makes even less sense to silo it; there are plenty of topics out there that—if they were actually aimed at educating the general public—would be far better candidates for their own dedicated space than just focusing strictly on computer and cybersecurity.

For instance, back in the day, a topic like "internet communication" would have easily earned its own subforum within the broader IT section, where things like basic netiquette would live alongside heavy hitters like computer and cybersecurity as top-tier discussions. That way, you cover much more ground while still maintaining that classic, wide-ranging Reddit feel.

Ryan Sanders4 said:And look, it’s not like we suddenly have a mountain of brand-new topics that demand their own dedicated subforum—that's not the issue here. Like I’ve already laid out—and I really feel like I've made this point before—it's about how grouping and centralizing all the cybersecurity stuff actually improves the "ergonomics" of the discussion. It makes the whole subject much more psychologically accessible—if that makes sense—but honestly, what’s even more critical is the engagement factor. If things are scattered, nobody cares; if they're centralized, people actually talk. So, I’ve been sitting here thinking about this whole security thing—specifically how the general public handles it—and honestly, it’s kind of a mess. We talk about cybersecurity like it's some high-level concept reserved for guys in hoodies in dark basements, but really? It's just basic digital hygiene that most people seem to ignore. It’s wild, actually. You have people using "Password123" for their banking, their social media, and probably their smart fridge too—which, let’s be real, is asking for trouble. We live in an era where your entire life is basically stored in a cloud somewhere, yet the average person treats their digital footprint like it's invisible. It isn't. Not even close. There’s this massive gap between what people *think* they know about staying safe online and the actual reality of how modern cybercrime works. Most folks think if they don't see a weird pop-up, they're fine. They don't realize that the real threats are way more subtle—phishing scams that look exactly like a legitimate email from Amazon or a text from your bank that feels totally normal. It’s psychological warfare, plain and simple. And don't even get me started on the "it won't happen to me" mentality. That’s the biggest trap out there. Hackers aren't always looking for a billionaire; half the time, they just want a botnet or a quick identity theft hit, and the average person is just as much of a target as anyone else. It’s all just data points at the end of the day. Anyway, just my two cents. People need to wake up to the fact that being "online" isn't a separate activity anymore—it's just life. And if you aren't taking basic steps to protect yourself, you're basically leaving your front door wide open in the middle of a busy city and acting surprised when things go missing. Just saying.Look, I’m wondering if there’s actually a specific section here—maybe a dedicated zone—where we group together all the big-picture cybersecurity topics? I'm talking about stuff that frames security as its own essential category, rather than just some niche hobby for the "geeks" or "freakers." It shouldn't be treated like a specialized subculture; it's something that impacts everyone—even the people who barely know how to turn on a computer.

So, how exactly does the Security subforum—in its current state, anyway—not fit with what you just laid out? And more importantly, how on earth do you plan to actually spark that movement you've got bolded up there? Let’s be real: the actual concentration of "geeks and freaks" over on the IT boards is pretty much negligible.

Ryan Sanders4 said:Your arguments are just classic examples of narrow technical intelligence—you know, that specific kind of mindset that completely misses the massive psychological layers baked into this whole issue.

Sure, that’s possible—but honestly, you're just philosophizing at this point. You haven't actually proposed anything concrete, let alone explained how any of this is supposed to actually work.

Ryan Sanders4 said:After watching a truly eye-opening segment on cybersecurity from CNN - NBC, where they showed how a valid security protocol and certificate used by most major banks were breached at a recent international hacker conference held in Washington, D.C., I was shaken. They aired an incredible report on Russian hackers and their methods for harvesting global banking data. They actually demonstrated live for the reporters how they could crack bank accounts belonging to citizens, and they even managed to breach a U.S. military website to pull personal details on soldiers stationed in or returning from Iraq—including sensitive information on generals and colonels.
PREDLAŽEM:

We should start a dedicated subforum for computer and cybersecurity on Reddit.

Some might argue that specialized forums already exist online, or that these questions can just be handled within the existing IT subforums here on Reddit.

However, aside from the language barrier, the general demographic of Reddit makes it the perfect place for such a subforum. It allows us to reach the general public—the very people who wouldn't normally think to visit highly technical IT forums. This means the potential for educating the average person is much higher.

Beyond that, creating a standalone security subforum alongside our current IT sections makes total sense. Cybersecurity is a distinct, burning issue within the tech world. Its topics deserve their own space so they don't get buried under general computing discussions.

Centralizing this information makes it far more effective for the general population. By providing a specific zone dedicated to this critical problem, we make these vital topics much more accessible to everyone.

I partially agree with this idea. Since my professional work involves corporate and information security, I know firsthand that even among professionals, basic knowledge on this subject is often lacking.

The real challenge is that the topic is incredibly broad. You can't really look at one aspect of security in isolation; everything is connected. Physical security, information security, and all other disciplines are deeply intertwined these days. To discuss them properly, you really would need an entire subforum dedicated just to that.🙂

I haven't exactly made the decision easier for you.😢

Look, we aren't even close to making any actual decisions here—this is all just preliminary brainstorming foreplay. 🙂

Personally, I find this subject incredibly fascinating. I haven't come across any deep dives on general cybersecurity anywhere else on major sites like Reddit, so I think there’s a real opportunity here for a platform to step up and tackle the whole picture properly.

If you decide to go in that direction, you can count on me to provide some constructive input to the discussion. I'd even be open to helping out with moderation if needed, though I'm already pretty busy looking after this subforum myself. :P

I honestly feel this is unnecessary. We could easily just open a single dedicated thread—among several others, of course—where regular users can hash things out. As I’ve mentioned before, we already have PDFs covering everything from web programming and cybersecurity to advanced user guides. Just because some people on Reddit don't bother looking at those PDFs because they aren't interested doesn't mean we should change how things work. If someone is actually interested in hacking or security, they shouldn't be able to just type "hacking" into a search bar and have a massive list of related topics dumped on them.

Honestly, I think we need to scale back the number of IT subforums instead of cranking them up even more. We’ve already blown way past any reasonable limit. Look, I get it—tech is huge right now, and IT has like a million different niches and sub-niches, but trying to gain "clarity" by opening a brand-new subforum for every tiny little thing is just counterproductive. It’s actually making things worse.

Just picture this: what if we split Politics into twenty different subforums? Or even something like Lifestyle? Sure, you could probably find enough content to fill twenty separate sections, but do you really think splitting it up like that would actually lead to anything intelligent being said?

placidbison20 said:Either way, personally, I find this whole thing incredibly interesting—and honestly, I haven't seen anyone on any general forums actually tackling this topic with any real depth (and by that, I mean holistic cybersecurity) so it could be a great challenge for Reddit.

Look, if you guys decide to go down this road, you can count on me for some constructive input—and hey, if you need someone to help moderate, I'm game (even though I've already got my hands full managing this subforum :P)

But listen, you could just start a thread over in Security or maybe the Power Users section to gauge the interest level. In my humble opinion, the topic will probably sink within a week... plus, the OP specifically mentioned wanting to attract the general public, not just a bunch of "geeks and freaks."😁

As a first step, maybe change "Security" to "Cybersecurity and IT" or something similar.

And it's not just about the non-native speakers. It's more about how using the word "Security" alone feels a bit too "nerdy," which might make people think this sub-forum isn't for everyone.

The Security section, located within the IT help service subforum, essentially refers to safety—specifically, it can be interpreted as computer and cybersecurity.

Well, it looks like the general consensus is against this idea, so I’m going to step back. 🙂

There are already PDFs and threads covering this, and honestly, like people have already pointed out, nobody seems to care that much right now. I’d maybe agree that moving it to a more "visible" section would be better... but if there isn't any interest in the topic to begin with, what's even the point of opening a new section? It would be like me arguing that a PDF on Martial Arts needs its own dedicated sub-forum instead of just being under Sports, when only a couple of people even bother to read that part anyway.