Anthony Spadafora

Anthony Spadafora connects coverage of security threats with hands-on testing of the hardware and services people use every day. He works as managing editor for security and home office at Tom's Guide, focusing on how data breaches, malware and ransomware affect ordinary users and the tools that protect them. His beat combines online safety, networking and remote-work gear, so his reporting frequently moves from hackers and scareware to Wi‑Fi routers, VPNs and standing desks in the same orbit. Across news, reviews and opinion pieces, he emphasizes practical risk, measured testing and clear guidance over abstract industry talk.

Security threats and online safety

Spadafora’s core reporting tracks how criminal groups, malware campaigns and scam tactics play out for consumers and small businesses. He regularly writes about data breaches, ransomware gangs and malicious software, linking headline incidents to concrete steps readers can take to protect themselves.

His work on scareware, including coverage of browser-locking attacks that have hit millions of users, breaks down how these schemes operate and how to avoid paying or handing over personal data. He also produces service pieces such as his investigation into whether modern antivirus software still slows down PCs, testing leading suites across benchmarks and games to separate myth from current performance. Opinion columns like “I write about hackers for a living but these are the 3 real-world threats that worry me most - and how to avoid them in 2026” show him distilling years of security reporting into a short list of everyday risks and defenses.

Across these articles he treats security as a lived issue, grounding explanations in specific attacks, tools and behaviors rather than in abstract cyberwar rhetoric.

Home office gear and remote-work setups

Alongside security, Spadafora has built a deep sub‑beat around home office furniture and remote‑work accessories. He has tested more than two dozen standing desks and written comprehensive guides to the best models for home offices, weighing stability, ergonomics and cable management against price and aesthetics. His reviews extend to office chairs and other desk accessories, and he often writes about building and rebuilding his own desk setups, including a piece where he “screenmaxxed” his workspace from three to five displays to push a favorite configuration to its limits. In these stories he treats the workspace as a system, discussing monitor layouts, peripheral choices and power and networking considerations in detail.

That hands‑on approach runs through his coverage of home office gear, where long‑term use and practical tweaks matter as much as spec sheets.

Computing hardware and PC innovation

Spadafora also covers mainstream and cutting‑edge computing hardware, particularly where it intersects with productivity and security. His Mac mini M6 review and follow‑up analysis on reasons to buy or skip the machine weigh Apple’s performance gains, gaming improvements and connectivity against the unchanged chassis and broader desktop landscape. At trade shows he co‑leads laptop coverage, as in his “Best laptops of IFA 2026” roundup highlighting ultrathin designs, bold colors and rollable displays that signal where PCs are headed next.

He reports on experimental concepts such as Lenovo’s Project Swan, an expanding‑screen laptop he argues could finally replace portable monitors for some users. His computing coverage also reaches into peripherals and tablets, including a piece on the TCL Note A1 with a paper‑like NXTPAPER display, which he presents as a way to get productivity without typical tablet distractions, and an opinion on a new Framework wireless keyboard with built‑in touchpad that he compares directly to a long‑used Logitech model. These articles combine benchmark‑style testing with personal, long‑term perspectives, giving his hardware writing a mix of lab rigor and everyday context.

Networking, VPNs and infrastructure

Networking and VPNs are a recurring strand through Spadafora’s work. His role at Tom's Guide includes coverage of Wi‑Fi routers and home networking, where he focuses on how to blanket homes and small offices with strong, reliable signals using modern standards like Wi‑Fi 6 and Wi‑Fi 6E. He handles VPN testing for Tom's Guide and a sister outlet, running structured comparisons that feed into broader guidance on choosing secure, performant services. Earlier in his career he wrote for specialist IT publications, covering cybersecurity, B2B technology, VPNs, web hosting, online collaboration tools and video conferencing, giving him a background in infrastructure and enterprise‑style tools that informs his current consumer coverage. Across these pieces, his distinguishing trait is treating connectivity and privacy services as part of the same security and productivity stack as the devices on a desk.