Advisory Board

Peter Christy

Principal, Internet Research Group

Peter Christy has been involved with the computer and communications industries for over 30 years. He has an Undergraduate degree from Harvard University and Graduate degree from UC Berkeley. He was with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in the heyday period of 1975-1985, starting as technical staff to the VP of software engineering, and ending in the middle of wafer-scale systems, where he contributed early work to DECNet. After managing network architecture at HP, running engineering at IBM/Rolm PhoneMail operations and founding MasPar Computer, he conducted business development for Sun's object-oriented Spring OS and then ran much of Apple's developer tools efforts. Mr. Christy is currently a principal at IRG, providing strategy consulting and market research in the areas of networks, applications and systems.

Dr. Taher Elgamal

CSO, Axway, Inc.

Dr. Elgamal is a leading expert in computer, network, and information security. He was the Chief Technology Officer at Tumbleweed Communications Corp until its acquisition by Axway, Inc. where he now serves as Chief Security Officer. Previously, he served as Chairman and CEO of Ektasis, Inc., a second-generation Internet company; founder, CEO, and Chairman of Securify, Inc.; and as Chief Scientist at Netscape, Inc. Recognized in the industry as the "inventor of SSL," Dr. Elgamal led the SSL efforts at Netscape and throughout the industry. He also wrote the SSL patent and promoted SSL as the Internet-security standard within standard committees and the industry. Several thousand publications have been written in the space referred to as "the ElGamal Cryptography." He developed the basic work that has been adopted for commercial products and for several IEEE and ISO standards. This work has also been adapted for the DSS government standard for digital signatures and is the basis for the Elliptic Curve encryption methods recently introduced in the industry. Dr. Elgamal has public company board experience with RSA Security, Phoenix Technologies, and Tumbleweed. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University and a B.S. in Computer Science from Cairo University.

Col. Jeffrey Gerald

President and Chief Executive Officer, Comprehensive Intelligence Technology Training Corporation (CINTT Corp.)

Col. Gerald is currently the President and CEO at CINTT Corp a leading business in the education and training for the Intelligence, Defense and Homeland Security Communities. Jeffrey Gerald was the manager of the Department of Defense's premiere initiative in Homeland Security command, control, and coordination. He was selected from industry to create, formulate, and lead this crucial Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program in November 2001. The program encompassed more than 40 agencies representing the DoD, other Federal agencies, the National Guard, state and local government agencies, as well as commercial entities. His diverse commercial background includes creation of new technologies and pioneering telecommunications systems, assisting in the development of video standards for global information exchange, and providing the vision and management required to build commercial enterprises. His military background includes management of airborne reconnaissance systems, development of space-based sensor and communication systems, administration of leading advanced research programs, and command of aviation operations and intelligence training.

Suzanne Gorman

Director of Governance, Omgeo

Suzanne Gorman has over 30 years of experience in the Financial Services Sector, with a career focused on Information Security. In May 2007, she joined Omgeo as the Director of Governance within the Corporate Information Security Department. Omgeo automates the confirmation of economic details between institutional investment managers and broker/dealers, allowing them to process trades more efficiently. Previously Suzanne was the Managing Director of Corporate Information Security for SIAC/NYSE Group. There Ms. Gorman designed and implemented a comprehensive Information Security program. She served four years as the Chairperson of the Financial Services Information Sharing Analysis Center (FS/ISAC) and two years as the Chairperson of the ISAC Council. Ms. Gorman was a founding member of the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council (FSSCC); a Co-Chair of Financial and Economic Issues on the New York State Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination Committee; and a member of the United States Secret Service New York Electronic Crimes Task Force. Ms. Gorman serves on NetWitness' and SignaCerts Board of Advisors. Information Security Magazine identified Ms. Gorman as one of the top 25 "Women of Vision" in September 2003. Network World named Ms. Gorman as one of "The 50 Most Powerful People in Networking" in December 2006.

John Katsaros

Principal, Internet Research Group

John Katsaros has more than 35 years experience in senior-level sales, marketing, product development, and business planning positions in a variety of environments ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. He is also the co-author of Getting It Right The First Time (2005), the author of Selling High Tech (1994), and was a contributing author to Tricks of the Internet Gurus (1993). In March 2000, the original company named Internet Research Group (IRG), which Mr. Katsaros founded, was acquired by Jupiter Communications. Subsequent to working with Jupiter, Mr. Katsaros, along with Peter Christy, started a successor research company, NetsEdge Research Group, which they later renamed Internet Research Group after the original IRG. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and has written many reports on electronic commerce and infrastructure. Currently, Mr. Katsaros is a principal at IRG, a leading market research and consulting company focused exclusively on helping innovative companies gain market share. IRG publishes a monthly newsletter on IT infrastructure "Infrastructure 2.1."

Dr. Harry Kloor

Chief Science Consultant, Universal Consultants

Dr. Harry Kloor is a Hollywood Writer-Producer, Chief Technology Officer, and National Science Policy Advisor. He has 24 years experience in developing and improving technological products, science and technology consulting, policy-making, and communicating science and technology to the public. In 1994, he became the first and to date the only person in the world to simultaneously earn two Ph.D.'s, one in physics and the other in chemistry. Prior to becoming the chief scientist for Rocket Racing League and Marketshare Partners, Dr. Kloor was the CTO for the X-Prize Organization. For 15 years, Dr. Kloor has held the position of chief science consultant for Universal Consultants, a company he also co-founded. He has provided in-depth technology consulting, scientific research, and technology mining to clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and start-ups to NASA and national security agencies. Dr. Kloor has also provided extensive guidance to his clients in the development of new technological products, patents, and policy positions. His clients have included NASA, Zero-G Corporation, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Rocket Plane, the U.S. Senate, the American Medical Association (AMA), Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL), Heavy Mental Interactive, Mousetrap Solutions, Real Player and Next Computers. He has also provided a host of classified work for various think tanks and energy companies.

Peter L. O'Dell

Founder/Director, Swan Island Networks

Pete O'Dell has experience in startups as well as established companies. Prior to co-founding Swan Island in 2002, he was COO of Supertracks, COO of Online Interactive, CIO of MicroWarehouse; CIO/Sr. VP of Upgrade Corp. of America; president of Autodesk Retail Products (a $20m subsidiary); president of Loyalty Management Systems (a software startup), and director of technical services for Criton Technologies. He has held technical positions at Microsoft, Digital Equipment and other companies, and is the author of The Computer Networking Book (Ventana Press). Mr. O'Dell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems and Production Management from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and a Masters of Business Administration in Technical Management from the University of Phoenix. He has four years of military service in the United States Army.

Prof. Howard A. Schmidt

President and CEO, Information Security Forum Ltd

Howard Schmidt has a distinguished career of more than 40 years in defense, law enforcement, and corporate security. He currently is the President & CEO of the Information Security Forum (ISF), a global nonprofit, corporate membership organization dedicated to develop and research of information security best practices and knowledge base. He has served as vice president and chief information security officer and chief security strategist for online auction giant eBay. He most recently served as chief security strategist for the U.S. CERT Partners Program for the National Cyber Security Division, Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Schmidt was the Vice chair of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and special adviser for cyberspace security for the White House and the Chair of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board. He was Chief security officer for Microsoft Corp. and prior to that, Supervisory Special Agent and Director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Computer Forensics Lab and Computer Crime and Information Warfare Division, where he established the first dedicated computer forensic lab in the government. Mr. Schmidt was the head of the Computer Exploitation Team for the FBI at the National Drug Intelligence Center. Mr. Schmidt has been appointed to the Information Security Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) to advise the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 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. Mr. Schmidt holds a bachelor's degree in business administration (BSBA) and a master's degree in organizational management (MAOM) from the University of Phoenix and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters. Mr. Schmidt holds board positions on a number of corporate boards in both advisory and director positions. Mr. Schmidt is a Professor of Research at Idaho State University, an adjunct professor of GA Tech, GTISC, and an adjunct senior fellow with Carnegie Mellon's CyLab.

Steve Sigmond

Partner, BlueStream Ventures

Steve Sigmond is a venture partner at BlueStream Ventures and has worked with venture-backed technology startups for the past fourteen years. Prior to joining BlueStream, Steve was a Managing Director in Equity Research at RBC Capital Markets, and its predecessor firms Dain Rauscher Wessels and Wessels, Arnold & Henderson. As an analyst, Steve founded, built, and led one of Wall Street's most successful Internet research practices and covered more than 50 public companies in information security, enterprise software, and infrastructure services. Mr. Sigmond holds a BS in Physics from Stanford University and An MSE in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

John Stewart

Vice President and Chief Security Officer, Corporate Security Programs, Cisco

John Stewart provides leadership and direction to multiple corporate security and government teams throughout Cisco, strategically aligning with business units and the IT organization to generate leading corporate security practices, policies, and processes. Mr. Stewart was the Chief Security Officer responsible for operational and strategic direction for corporate and customer security at Digital Island. He has served as a research scientist responsible for investigating emerging technologies in the Office of the CTO at Cable & Wireless America. Mr. Stewart also has professional experience in software development, systems and network administration, and is a software specialist, author, and instructor. Mr. Stewart has served on advisory boards for Akonix, Cloudshield, Finjan, Ingrian Networks, Riverhead, and Tripwire, Inc. Currently, Mr. Stewart sits on technical advisory boards for Panorama Venture Capital (formerly JPMorgan Partners Venture), RedSeal Networks, and SignaCert, Inc. He is on the board of directors for KoolSpan, Inc., and a member of the CSIS commission on cyber security for the 44th Presidency. Mr. Stewart holds a Master of Science Degree in Computer and Information Science from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.

Dr. Yoshiyasu Takefuji

Professor of Environmental Information, Keio University

Dr. Yoshiyasu Takefuji has been a tenured professor of environmental information at Keio University since April 1992. Previously he was on tenured faculty in the electrical engineering department at Case Western Reserve University. Before joining Case, he taught at the University of South Florida for two years and at the University of South Carolina for three years. He received his BS (1978), MS (1980), and Ph.D. (1983) in electrical engineering from Keio University under the supervision of Professor Hideo Aiso. His research interests focus on neural computing, security, and internet gadgets. He received the National Science Foundation/Research Initiation Award in 1989 and received the distinct service award from IEEE Trans. on Neural Networks in 1992. He has also been an NSF advisory panelist. He has published more than 100 journal papers and more than 100 conference papers. He is included in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the Midwest, and Who's Who in Science and Engineering, Men of Achievement. He is currently an advisor to JICA and Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Japanese Government, PSDI of the Philippine government, and Vietnam Information Technology Training Institute (VITTI), Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Jordan CTTISC respectively. Dr. Takefuji is an official assessor of the Hong Kong government and a current board member of the Computer Software Association of Japan.