The Varonis Style: Our Voice and Tone

In terms of our voice and tone, a general rule of thumb to follow is to treat each communication as if it could be aired on the evening news with no context. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying it to your grandmother, you should probably tweak it accordingly. 

 

We speak like real humans and communicate in a professional, conversational tone. We may be an enterprise company, but that doesn't mean we're stuffy. We can use humor and wit tastefully without being controversial or making provocative jokes. 

green checkmark

Yep!

  • “Cover your assets.”
  • “Hacker Snacks: Those Cookies Will Go Straight to Your SaaS”
red checkmark

Nope.

  • “Don’t get hacked and pwned like a noob.”
  • “Get off your @$$ and protect your SaaS.”

Specificity counts

We like to be specific and detailed, not vague or general.

green checkmark

Yep!

  • “Attackers are increasingly using software supply chain attacks, targeted ransomware attacks, and double- and triple-extortion to force victims to pay up.”
  • “If you're a bank with 100,000 users, 2PB of data, and 230 SaaS apps, your attack surface is huge. At any point, the likelihood of an object becoming vulnerable (via zero-day, leaked password, etc.) is high.”
red checkmark

Nope.

  • “Everyone knows that attackers keep getting trickier.”
  • “If you’ve got a ton of data, you’re at risk.”

Use clear language and avoid jargon or big words people might not understand. Find the balance between writing as concisely as possible and being specific about what the reader should take away or do next. 

green checkmark

Yep!

  • “Varonis sees and secures data wherever it’s stored.”
red checkmark

Nope.

  • “Varonis brings consummate visibility and BOC security to your data across multiple environments.”

We're real

Like a trusted friend, we are authentic, approachable and real. We genuinely care about helping people with cybersecurity challenges. We would never make outlandish claims or try to instill fear in our readers. We are never condescending or unkind. 

green checkmark

Yep!

  • “We know cybersecurity and we know it can be hard.”
red checkmark

Nope.

  • “Your company isn’t very good at security and without us you will probably fail.”

We're not bullies

We don’t throw victims of cyberattacks under the bus. We don’t want to come across as ambulance-chasers. We speak about the problems and attacks, not about the victims and what they may or may not have done.

green checkmark

Yep!

  • “It only takes one click on a phishing email to compromise an organization.”
  • “Spear-phishing attacks are getting more customized, and it’s easy to be fooled.”
red checkmark

Nope.

  • “Acme Inc. fell victim to a phishing attack because their employees were careless.”
  • “If Acme Inc. had been watching their data, they would not have been breached.”

Passive versus active

Our tone is an active voice versus a passive voice. In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. In a sentence written in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. Also, refrain from using past tense such as “has been” or “had been" when present tense is appropriate.

green checkmark

Yep!

  • “I want to ask you a question.”
  • “We are considering implementing Varonis.”
  • “The engineer installed the software.”
red checkmark

Nope.

  • “I wanted to ask you a question.”
  • “We had been considering implementing Varonis.”
  • “The software was installed by the engineer.”

Exceptions to the style guide

Occasionally, our tone will differ, based on the platform or content itself. For example, on social media posts, Varonis typically takes a more casual, tongue-in-cheek approach to content. We write in short-hand and make references to current trends, which wouldn’t be professional in a different setting, such as a customer presentation.

Our Threat Labs content is usually more complex and technologically detailed than other blog posts or whitepapers. Threat Labs is tailored to a nice audience of industry insiders, and may contain inside jokes sprinkled throughout the topic.

Lastly, depending on the creative treatment, there may be instances in which we deviate from the Varonis style guide. For any questions on this topic, please email dl-marketing-creative@varonis.com for guidance.

If you have a question that is not covered in this guide, please defer to AP style guidelines.

green checkmark

Who we are

  • Detail-oriented
  • Positive
  • Helpful
  • Kind
  • Down-to-earth
  • Sensible
  • Driven
  • Collaborative
  • Real people
red checkmark

Who we are not

  • Fast and loose
  • Negative
  • Demeaning
  • Petty
  • Stuffy; overly formal
  • Scaremongering
  • Intimidating
  • Know-it-alls
  • Hackers in hoodies

Writing inclusive content

As a representative of Varonis, we need to be mindful of how we speak in everyday activities, making sure to focus on inclusion in our communications.

When speaking with or emailing our customers, consider the sub-context of your words. Ensure you are being considerate of languages, sources, and diverse audiences.

For more information on the subject, please reach out to Megan Garza for a detailed guideline.