Zak Doffman

Zak Doffman writes about how consumer technology decisions intersect with cybersecurity, surveillance and privacy, focusing on the practical risks that everyday users face when platforms change or attackers adapt. He is a long‑standing contributor at Forbes, where his beat centers on security and surveillance across major consumer ecosystems such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and Samsung. Alongside his journalism he leads Digital Barriers, developing AI and IoT surveillance technologies for defense, security and law enforcement, which informs the depth of his reporting on the balance between public safety and individual privacy.

Consumer security warnings for mainstream platforms

Doffman’s most consistent thread is urgent, service‑oriented coverage of security changes affecting large user bases on platforms like Gmail, Windows, Android and iOS. His pieces on Google’s email service detail major shifts in how Gemini AI processes inbox data, what that means for privacy, and why billions of users must choose new settings or even new addresses.

Headlines such as “Google Changes Gmail After 20 Years - 2 Billion Users Must Now Decide” and “Google Confirms Gmail Warning - Stop Using Your Password Now” frame his work around clear, high‑stakes decisions for non‑expert readers.

He repeatedly covers Microsoft security deadlines and upgrade policies, warning hundreds of millions of Windows users to update before vulnerabilities are exploited. Across these stories he explains complex security issues in direct language, translating technical risks into straightforward actions - update now, change authentication methods, or stop using insecure networks - without diluting the underlying threat.

Mobile devices, messaging and app‑level risks

Mobile security is a second core strand, with extensive reporting on iPhone and Android threats, messaging platforms and risky apps.

He covers high‑impact alerts such as “‘Unprotected’ - 1 Billion iPhone And Android Users Must Act Now,” walking through how device settings and outdated protections leave users exposed. His work on Samsung and Android includes stories on silent OS changes, security updates and cases where features like texting are shut down or reconfigured, emphasizing how those moves affect data protection and user control.

Doffman often focuses on WhatsApp and other messaging apps, explaining the security implications of new updates and how to mitigate them when platforms extend data access or weaken safeguards.

A recurring motif is the need to delete specific high‑risk Android apps and respond to FBI or other agency warnings about malicious texts and calls, showing readers how seemingly benign interactions become attack vectors. He also reports on device‑level risks such as increased theft targeting certain smartphones, pairing coverage of new security features with clear advice on configuration and everyday behavior.

Surveillance, AI and the privacy–security balance

Doffman’s Forbes author pages and other biographies describe him as writing about security, surveillance and privacy, a focus reflected in regular coverage of AI‑driven monitoring and data collection.

He reports on how Google’s Gemini and similar systems extend into email and messaging, highlighting the trade‑offs between powerful assistance tools and expanded data processing by cloud‑based AI. His articles frequently examine spyware and surveillance apps removed from the Play Store, detailing the breadth of data they can collect - messages, location, audio and screenshots - and what users must do to protect themselves.

Outside Forbes, he writes for outlets such as CCN.com on the intersection of geopolitics and security, carrying over the same concern with how state‑level and criminal actors use surveillance technologies and data at scale. His leadership role at Digital Barriers, building AI and IoT surveillance systems for defense, security and law enforcement, gives him direct experience of the technologies he reports on and sharpens his focus on the tension between public safety, commercial data collection and individual rights.

Global, multi‑edition reach and consistent technology beat

Doffman’s work appears across multiple language editions of Forbes, including Japan, España and Brasil, where his articles are localized but maintain the same emphasis on consumer cybersecurity and platform changes.

In these editions he writes about topics such as VPN apps that covertly monitor users, AI‑powered attacks, Google’s handling of dangerous Android apps, and new iOS and Windows security features. The recurring pattern is large‑scale technology changes - major OS updates, new AI capabilities, security overhauls - broken down into concrete risks for everyday users and specific steps they should take.

PR listings and journalist databases consistently categorize his beat under technology, security, surveillance and innovation, underscoring that he is approached as a subject‑matter specialist rather than a general tech reporter. This combination of a clear security‑focused beat, global reach and a strong practitioner background makes his coverage particularly relevant for stories that sit at the junction of consumer tech, cyber risk and surveillance policy.