Howard Schmidt
Encyclopedia
Howard A. Schmidt is the Cyber-Security Coordinator of the Obama Administration, operating in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
One of Schmidt's leading policy objectives is the development of "National Strategy for
Trusted Identities in Cyberspace", which seeks to enable private industry to create electronic identities that can be relied upon in cyberspace similar to the way that businesses rely on the combination of driver's licenses and credit cards to authenticate identities in physical space.
Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Schmidt served as President of the Information Security Forum
and President and CEO of R & H Security Consulting LLC, which he founded in May 2005. He was also the international president of the Information Systems Security Association
and a board member of the Finnish security company Codenomicon
, the American security company Fortify Software
, and the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, commonly known as (ISC)². In October 2008 he was named one of the 50 most influential people in business IT by readers and editors of Baseline Magazine.
degree in business administration (1994) and a Master of Arts
degree in organizational management (1998) from the University of Phoenix
. He also holds an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters. Schmidt’s certifications include CISSP and CISM
. He is a professor of practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology
's GTISC, professor of research at Idaho State University
, adjunct distinguished fellow with Carnegie Mellon's CyLab, and a distinguished fellow with the Ponemon Institute.
in 1967, where he studied chemical weapons, high explosives, and nuclear weapons while attending munitions school. Between 1968 and 1974, Schmidt completed three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
. He left active military duty in 1974, then started his civil service career at the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field, since renamed as the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
and served as chief of transportation and deputy director of resource management until 1982.
He served in the Arizona Air National Guard
with the 161st Communications Squadron based at Phoenix International Airport
, from 1989 until 1998.
Schmidt was a city police officer from 1983 to 1994 for the Chandler Police Department in Arizona
where he served on the SWAT team and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit, and formed and led the Special Enforcement Team. In 1994 he took a position with the FBI's National Drug Intelligence Center
, where he headed the Computer Exploitation Team. Before working at the FBI,
In 1994, Schmidt joined the Air Force Office of Special Investigations
(AFOSI) Computer Forensic Lab and Computer Crime and Information Warfare Division. as a supervisory special agent and director. In 1996, while serving in that position, he established the first dedicated computer forensic lab in the government, which was the basis for the formation of the Defense Computer Forensic Laboratory (DCFL).
In 1998, Schmidt transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves as a special agent, Criminal Investigation Division, where he continues to serve and is currently assigned to the Computer Crime Investigations Unit (CCIU). He has also served with the 315th MP Det (CID) at Ft. Lawton in WA. He has testified as an expert witness in federal and military courts in the areas of computer crime, computer forensics and Internet crime.
In May 2003, Schmidt retired from the White House
after 31 years of public service in local and federal government. After the 9/11 attacks, he was appointed by President Bush as the vice chair of the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and as the special adviser for cyberspace security for the White House in December 2001. While at the White House, he assisted in the creation of the US National Strategy to Secure CyberSpace. He assumed the role as the chair in January 2003 until his retirement in May 2003, when he joined eBay.
On Tuesday, December 22, 2009, Schmidt was named as the United States' top computer security advisor to President Barack Obama. Previously, Schmidt served as a cyber-adviser in President George W. Bush's White House and has served as chief security strategist for the US CERT Partners Program for the National Cyber Security Division through Carnegie Mellon University
, in support of the Department of Homeland Security. He has served as vice president and chief information security officer and chief security strategist for eBay
.
In 1997, Schmidt joined Microsoft
, as the director of information security, chief information security officer (CISO), and chief security officer (CSO). He was the co-founder of the Trustworthy Computing
Security Strategies Group.
Schmidt served on the Executive Committee of the Information Technology Sector Coordination Council. His memberships include the High Technology Crime Investigation Association, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences
and the International Association of Chiefs of Police
. He has testified before congressional committees on computer security and cyber crime and has featured on various worldwide television and radio shows including, BBC, ABC, CNN, CNBC, Fox TV talking about cyber-security, investigations and technology. He is a co-author of The Black Book on Corporate Security and author of Patrolling CyberSpace, Lessons Learned from a Lifetime in Data Security.
Schmidt was the first president of the Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center. He is a former executive board member of the International Organization of Computer Evidence, and served as the co-chairman of the Federal Computer Investigations Committee. He served as a board member for the CyberCrime Advisory Board of the National White Collar Crime Center, and was a distinguished special lecturer at the University of New Haven
, Conn., teaching a graduate certificate course in forensic computing. He has also taught courses for the FBI and DEA
on the use of computers and law enforcement investigations.
He served as an augmented member to the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology in the formation of an Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection
.
Schmidt has been appointed to the Information Security Privacy Advisory Board to advise the National Institute of Standards and Technology
the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on information security and privacy issues pertaining to federal government information systems.
One of Schmidt's leading policy objectives is the development of "National Strategy for
Trusted Identities in Cyberspace", which seeks to enable private industry to create electronic identities that can be relied upon in cyberspace similar to the way that businesses rely on the combination of driver's licenses and credit cards to authenticate identities in physical space.
Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Schmidt served as President of the Information Security Forum
Information Security Forum
The Information Security Forum is an independent, not-for-profit association of leading organizations from around the world. It is dedicated to investigating, clarifying and resolving key issues in information security, and developing best practice methodologies, processes and solutions that meet...
and President and CEO of R & H Security Consulting LLC, which he founded in May 2005. He was also the international president of the Information Systems Security Association
Information Systems Security Association
The Information Systems Security Association is a not-for-profit, international professional organization of information security professionals and practitioners...
and a board member of the Finnish security company Codenomicon
Codenomicon
Codenomicon is a private company founded in late 2001, and develops robustness testing tools for manufacturers, service providers, government/defense and enterprise customers. The company has raised Venture money mid 2000's and and has been profitable since 2008, with more than 40% growth in...
, the American security company Fortify Software
Fortify Software
Fortify Software is a San Mateo, California-based software vendor. The company was founded in 2003 and provides products that identify and remove security vulnerabilities from software applications. Its initial funding was provided by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. In September, 2010, the...
, and the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, commonly known as (ISC)². In October 2008 he was named one of the 50 most influential people in business IT by readers and editors of Baseline Magazine.
Education
Schmidt holds a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in business administration (1994) and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in organizational management (1998) from the University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
. He also holds an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters. Schmidt’s certifications include CISSP and CISM
Certified Information Security Manager
Certified Information Security Manager is a certification for information security managers awarded by ISACA...
. He is a professor of practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
's GTISC, professor of research at Idaho State University
Idaho State University
Idaho State University is a public university located in Pocatello, Idaho. It has outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls....
, adjunct distinguished fellow with Carnegie Mellon's CyLab, and a distinguished fellow with the Ponemon Institute.
Public Service
Schmidt began his government service in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in 1967, where he studied chemical weapons, high explosives, and nuclear weapons while attending munitions school. Between 1968 and 1974, Schmidt completed three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He left active military duty in 1974, then started his civil service career at the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field, since renamed as the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
The Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range is a bombing range in the U.S. state of Arizona that runs along the Mexican border....
and served as chief of transportation and deputy director of resource management until 1982.
He served in the Arizona Air National Guard
Arizona Air National Guard
The Arizona Air National Guard is the branch of the United States Air National Guard operating within the state of Arizona. It was founded by Barry Goldwater, and was integrated two years before President Truman's military integration order.-Units:...
with the 161st Communications Squadron based at Phoenix International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
, from 1989 until 1998.
Schmidt was a city police officer from 1983 to 1994 for the Chandler Police Department in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
where he served on the SWAT team and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit, and formed and led the Special Enforcement Team. In 1994 he took a position with the FBI's National Drug Intelligence Center
National Drug Intelligence Center
The U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center , established in 1993, is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice and a member of the Intelligence Community...
, where he headed the Computer Exploitation Team. Before working at the FBI,
In 1994, Schmidt joined the Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations , is a Field Operating Agency of the United States Air Force that provides professional investigative services to commanders throughout the Air Force...
(AFOSI) Computer Forensic Lab and Computer Crime and Information Warfare Division. as a supervisory special agent and director. In 1996, while serving in that position, he established the first dedicated computer forensic lab in the government, which was the basis for the formation of the Defense Computer Forensic Laboratory (DCFL).
In 1998, Schmidt transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves as a special agent, Criminal Investigation Division, where he continues to serve and is currently assigned to the Computer Crime Investigations Unit (CCIU). He has also served with the 315th MP Det (CID) at Ft. Lawton in WA. He has testified as an expert witness in federal and military courts in the areas of computer crime, computer forensics and Internet crime.
In May 2003, Schmidt retired from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
after 31 years of public service in local and federal government. After the 9/11 attacks, he was appointed by President Bush as the vice chair of the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and as the special adviser for cyberspace security for the White House in December 2001. While at the White House, he assisted in the creation of the US National Strategy to Secure CyberSpace. He assumed the role as the chair in January 2003 until his retirement in May 2003, when he joined eBay.
On Tuesday, December 22, 2009, Schmidt was named as the United States' top computer security advisor to President Barack Obama. Previously, Schmidt served as a cyber-adviser in President George W. Bush's White House and has served as chief security strategist for the US CERT Partners Program for the National Cyber Security Division through Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, in support of the Department of Homeland Security. He has served as vice president and chief information security officer and chief security strategist for eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Private Industry and Professional Organizations
Schmidt has also had an active career in private industry and professional organizations.In 1997, Schmidt joined Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, as the director of information security, chief information security officer (CISO), and chief security officer (CSO). He was the co-founder of the Trustworthy Computing
Trustworthy Computing
The term Trustworthy Computing has been applied to computing systems that are inherently secure, available, and reliable. The Committee on Information Systems Trustworthiness’ publication, Trust in Cyberspace, defines such a system as one which...
Security Strategies Group.
Schmidt served on the Executive Committee of the Information Technology Sector Coordination Council. His memberships include the High Technology Crime Investigation Association, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences is a professional society for people in all areas of forensics.For over sixty years, the AAFS has served a distinguished and diverse membership. Its nearly 6,000 members are divided into eleven sections spanning the forensic enterprise...
and the International Association of Chiefs of Police
International Association of Chiefs of Police
The International Association of Chiefs of Police was founded in Chicago in 1893 as the National Chiefs of Police Union. The primary goal of this organization was to apprehend and return criminals who had fled the agency jurisdictions in which they were wanted...
. He has testified before congressional committees on computer security and cyber crime and has featured on various worldwide television and radio shows including, BBC, ABC, CNN, CNBC, Fox TV talking about cyber-security, investigations and technology. He is a co-author of The Black Book on Corporate Security and author of Patrolling CyberSpace, Lessons Learned from a Lifetime in Data Security.
Schmidt was the first president of the Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center. He is a former executive board member of the International Organization of Computer Evidence, and served as the co-chairman of the Federal Computer Investigations Committee. He served as a board member for the CyberCrime Advisory Board of the National White Collar Crime Center, and was a distinguished special lecturer at the University of New Haven
University of New Haven
The University of New Haven is a private university that combines a liberal arts education with professional training. The university comprises five colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the Tagliatela College of Engineering, the Henry C...
, Conn., teaching a graduate certificate course in forensic computing. He has also taught courses for the FBI and DEA
DEA
DEA is the commonly used acronym for the Drug Enforcement Administration, a United States law enforcement agency.DEA or Dea may also refer to:- Organizations :* DEA , UK development education charity...
on the use of computers and law enforcement investigations.
He served as an augmented member to the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology in the formation of an Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection
Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection
The Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection is a consortium of national cyber security institutions, including academic research centers, government laboratories and non-profit organizations, all of which have long-standing, widely recognized expertise in cyber security research and...
.
Schmidt has been appointed to the Information Security Privacy Advisory Board to advise the National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...
the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on information security and privacy issues pertaining to federal government information systems.
Publications
- Patrolling Cyberspace, Lessons Learned from a Lifetime in Data Security [ISBN 0-9776895-2-2]
See also
See :Category:Computer security for a list of all computing and information-security related articles.- Information Security ForumInformation Security ForumThe Information Security Forum is an independent, not-for-profit association of leading organizations from around the world. It is dedicated to investigating, clarifying and resolving key issues in information security, and developing best practice methodologies, processes and solutions that meet...
- Information Systems Audit and Control AssociationInformation Systems Audit and Control AssociationISACA is an international professional association that deals with IT Governance. It is an affiliate member of IFAC. Previously known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, ISACA now goes by its acronym only, to reflect the broad range of IT governance professionals it...
External links
- http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/qna/0,289202,sid14_gci1246660,00.html -- Information Security News: Q&A, Schmidt: Cybersecurity a private affair, 3/8/07
- http://www.csoonline.com/read/030104/ground.html - CSO - The Resource for Security Executives, March 2004
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A50606-2002Jun26?language=printer -- Timeline: The US Government and Cybersecurity, May, 2003
- http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,80549,00.html (“Howard Schmidt leaving government cybersecurity job”) April, 2003
- http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2002/11/mil-021104-295e6199.htm -- 11/4/02 – Background Report on Cyber-Terrorism
- http://www.ilpf.org/conference2002/speakers_schmidt.html -- ILPF Conference 2002 (speaker Bio for conference)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/news/9660 -- Security Focus, “Howard Schmidt Returns to Government”
- http://www.aallnet.org/aallwash/lu0696.html -- The American Association of Law Libraries Washington Affairs – Legislative and Regulatory Update – June, 1996