Howard Schmidt becomes the first president of the Information Security Forum
Professor Howard A. Schmidt, the internationally-renowned expert and authority on information security, has been appointed as the first President of the Information Security Forum (ISF). The ISF is an independent, not-for-profit association of some 300 of the world’s largest corporations and public sector bodies that harness their knowledge and experiences to resolve information security and risk management issues. Over US$100 million has already been invested in business-driven research and the development of best-practice methodologies, processes and tools.
The appointment of Howard A. Schmidt as its first President reflects the ISF’s vital role and influence in addressing the growing scale and diversity of information security threats facing organizations around the world.
Mr. Schmidt has already had a long and distinguished career in defense, law enforcement and corporate security that spans almost 40 years. Being able to draw on this depth of experience across senior business, government, academic and information security management roles, puts him in the ideal position to head up the ISF, which is widely recognized as the leading authority on information security and risk management.  ÂÂ
As well as serving as the CISO and chief security strategist at eBay and as chief security officer for Microsoft Corp, Howard Schmidt has also spent 31 years in US local and federal government. He was appointed as vice chair of the US Government’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and as special advisor for cyberspace security to the White House. Most recently he was chief strategist for the US CERT Partners Program of the National Cyber Security Division of the Department of Homeland Security.
Howard Schmidt has also had a major influence on the international stage. His roles include membership on the Permanent Stakeholders Group (PSG) for the European Network Information Security Agency (ENISA), and as an International Advisory Board member to the International Multilateral Partnership against Cyber Terrorism (IMPACT) led by the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is also a member of the High Level Experts Group for the ITU’s Global Cyber Security Agenda. Howard is a member of the board and security strategist for (ISC)2, the global standard for information security certifications and immediately prior to joining the ISF was President and CEO of R & H Security Consulting LLC.