>You'd think a netsec journalist would be the first to find it worth it to get on the paid plan.

How much do you think a solo netsec journalist with only a couple of ads on his site earns?

Krebs' reporting (now, after leaving the Washington Post under whatever circumstances -- cost cutting? -- on his own "blog"), has for years now shone a very useful, researched insight into various matters of important technological vulnerability.

He provides a real service. Which is probably why Akamai offered him their services for free, in the first place.

Krebs shines a light on shadows that very much don't want to be seen, much less outed. The years long level of escalating attacks against him and his site reflect this.

The "pro bono" part reads to me like Akamai offered him something he'd normally have to pay for for free, so he probably had a "paid plan" equivalent.

Still understandable that Akamai dropped that after while, despite the PR damage, especially if it affected their work for paying customers.