McAfee CTO, Phyllis Schneck to Lead US Cybersecurity Efforts

• By Ginger Hill
• Aug 19, 2013

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security named Phyllis Schneck, PhD, chief technology officer and VP at McAfee, as the new head of cybersecurity in the capacity of deputy undersecretary.

With experience in both the public and private sectors and in addition to her work at McAfee, focusing on global threat intelligence, Schneck spent eight years as chairman of the National Board of Directors of the FBI’s InfraGard program, leading this group to help facilitate communication between the Feds and private companies about cybersecurity threats. She has also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), vice chair of the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB), and has worked on the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Cybersecurity.

According to McAfee Executive Vice President and Worldwide Chief Technology Officer Michael Fey, Schneck’s technical experience is unsurpassed.

“Her technical expertise is significant, yet she can translate it into terms that most people can readily understand, and she’s able to link cyber security technology and policy in ways that few people can match.”

Taking office in early September, Schneck will oversee America’s defense against domestic and foreign hackers, focusing in on major concerns like the high number of attacks originating from China. Schneck has some big shoes to fill, as the U.S. Department of Defense has identified cyberattacks as the number one threat facing the nation.

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/19/4635920/white-house-appoints-mcafee-cto-phyllis-schneck-to-key-cybersecurity

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