Longtime (ISC)² Volunteer Professor Howard Schmidt Leaves Lasting Legacy on Information Security Industry

Clearwater FL, March 2, 2017 — (ISC)²® honors Professor Howard Schmidt, executive director of SAFECode and former White House cybersecurity coordinator, for his 30 years of contributions to the information security industry. He was recently awarded the 2016 (ISC)² Harold F. Tipton Lifetime Achievement Award.

Professor Schmidt had a distinguished career in information security that spanned over 30 years. He served on numerous boards throughout his career, and held high-ranking positions when he was employed by eBay, Microsoft, the Executive Office of the President of the United States, and others. He was a professor of practice at the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC), at the Georgia Institute of Technology; professor of research at Idaho State University; adjunct distinguished fellow with Carnegie Mellon's CyLab; and a distinguished fellow with the Ponemon Institute.

Professor Schmidt was involved with (ISC)² as a volunteer for over 20 years, serving on advisory boards, the board of directors and other committees. He was also a contract speaker for (ISC)² for several years. Professor Schmidt held the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) and Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP®) designations.

“Today we mourn the loss of a leader that also was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather,” said Wim Remes, chair, (ISC)² Board of Directors. “Our thoughts are with his wife and rock Raemarie, and his children and grandchildren.”

He played an instrumental part in Operation Sun Devil, a 1990 nationwide United States Secret Service crackdown on illegal computer hacking activities. While he was cybersecurity coordinator for the Obama Administration, one of Professor Schmidt's leading policy objectives was the development of the ‘National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace.’ He has also written several books on cybersecurity. These are just a few of his many accomplishments throughout his long career.

“In my role as (ISC)²’s CEO, I had the opportunity to travel and work closely with Howard. He was always someone I found easy to admire professionally, but the opportunity to get to know him personally is something I will always cherish,” said David Shearer, CEO, (ISC)². “We’ve not only lost an incredible person, we’ve lost a long-standing contributor to the global security community.”

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(ISC)² is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) certification, (ISC)² offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, programmatic approach to security. Our membership, over 120,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the general public through our charitable foundation – The Center for Cyber Safety and Education^TM.  For more information on (ISC)², visit www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook.

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