Georgia Tech Professor Howard Schmidt Named National Cyber Czar

President Barack Obama has appointed Howard Schmidt, adjunct faculty member in the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) in the College of Computing, as the new White House cybersecurity coordinator.

“Howard is one of the world’s leading authorities on computer security, with some 40 years of experience in government, business and law enforcement,” said John Brennan, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, in an e-mail announcing the appointment last month. “Howard will have regular access to the president and serve as a key member of his National Security Staff. He will also work closely with his economic team to ensure that our cybersecurity efforts keep the nation secure and prosperous.”

At Tech, Schmidt has helped set up the GTISC industry advisory board. He has worked on a research project to evaluate the cyber security policies of various United States stakeholders. He has also given lectures on security policies and strategies.

Schmidt previously served as former chief security strategist for the US CERT Partners Program and former special advisor to the White House for Cyberspace Security under President George W. Bush. He joined Tech in 2006 to work with GTISC to improve the state of information security by lending his vast knowledge and expertise in this growing technological area.

Schmidt’s distinguished career as an information security advocate includes leadership positions with both public and private sector organizations. He has served on the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, was an augmented member of the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology and held executive positions with the Information Systems Security Association, the Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Information Security Privacy Advisory Board. Schmidt also served as vice president and chief security strategist for eBay and chief security officer for Microsoft Corporation, forming and directing the computer giant’s Trustworthy Computer Security Strategies Group.

David Terraso
Georgia Tech

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