December 5, 2013

Eddie Schwartz, Master of Science in Technology Management Class of 2006, has been honored by Computerworld magazine as a Top 100 Premiere IT Leader for 2013.  Schwartz is Chief Information Security Officer at RSA, The Security Division of EMC® Corporation (EMC).

“The Premier 100 awards program showcases the exceptional work of a dedicated group of senior IT leaders who are driving huge change in their organizations,” said Scot Finnie, editor in chief of Computerworld. “Every day, these exemplary business leaders make strategic technology decisions that track to their organizations’ top priorities. These men and women keep a keen eye on the changing landscape of political, economic, regulatory and technology trends that are driving significant shifts in IT. We are very pleased to recognize the leadership and achievements of the 2013 Premier 100 honorees.”

As co-founder and CSO of NetWitness*, Schwartz has established a reputation as a transformational thinker in information security. Since becoming RSA’s first Chief Information Security Officer, he has successfully helped enhance the firm’s own internal security, worked to restore trust in the EMC brand after a hostile intrusion and moved the corporation into an even stronger position to help clients around the world counter increasingly aggressive and persistent cyber threats. Eddie has traveled the globe sharing his game-shifting security message:

• With increasing cybersecurity threats, organizations need to have a central focus on their cybersecurity adversaries and their motivations, objectives and capabilities. By then prioritizing the value of information assets and the potential effects of compromise, organizations are better able to stay ahead of advanced threats. Fueled by Big Data analytics and shared threat analysis from disparate sources, this approach, Schwartz preaches, improves decision-making, reduces risk, and speeds response in protecting mission-critical capabilities. This strategy also allows the security team to speak the language of business—something it is often said not to do–by describing cybersecurity in terms of organizational strategy and operations.

• Protection of valuable assets cannot rely on defense alone. Collaboration within and among organizations is key to minimizing persistent threat. Eddie has been a leading proponent of openly sharing and benchmarking security frameworks — collaborations that result in a formidable network against adversarial intrusion.

Schwartz’ message has begun to resonate with corporate executives and government leaders around the world. It is changing the global conversation on information security. And it is from this conversation that the next generation of mature cyber intelligence strategy will be formulated.

Read more about Eddie Schwartz and the Computerworld Premiere 100: http://www.idgenterprise.com/press/computerworld-celebrates-it-leadership-achievement-with-2013-premier-100-awards

Helping governments and organizations defend themselves from online threats has become a popular topic in the past decade.

“There are quite a fewcyber-security programs, but they are highly technically orientated,” says J.P. Auffert, who leads a similar program at George Mason University, also brand-new this year. “There are hardly any that are focused on cybersecurity leadership.”

Three programs focusing on just that have emerged in the D.C. area recently. In addition to the GW and GMU programs, University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business will launch a graduate certificate program in cyber management next semester.

By studying cyber network defense, attacks and exploitation, as well as the law and ethics of the new field, cybersecurity leadership students learn to use technology as a way to reduce costs and help their organizations stay safe.

“We’re not getting so in depth into the engineering,” says Nick Kaywork, 32, a member of GMU’s first group to study management of secure information systems. “But we’re able to be in that sphere comfortably.”

For Kaywork, the program marks a significant career shift. He trained as a linguist while in the Marine Corps before moving on to work for the government.

“I’ve always been a tinkerer with computers,” he says. “It’s been a hobby of mine. But professionally, I’m not in that lane at all.

“I saw language being that growth sector just after 9/11, when I became a Marine and a linguist,” Kaywork says. “I see cyber being that next kind of front.”

That’s why he’s is spending three Saturdays a month earning his master’s at GMU. Both the GWU and GMU offerings are executive programs, meaning most classes are held on weekends and most students have full-time jobs in a related field.

While the George Washington program offers an executive MBA degree, George Mason’s program is run among the university’s management, engineering and public policy schools. Students will graduate in May with Master of Science degrees.

Kaywork said he believes his program and others like it are preparing a new generation to create a safer cyber world.

Read the full article, written by Beth Marlowe and published by the Washington Post Express on October 09, 2012.