Rod Beckstrom

Beckstrom received his BA with Honors and Distinction and an MBA from Stanford University, where he served as the Chairman of the Council of Presidents of the Associated Students of Stanford University.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

In August 2007, Beckstrom and Peter Thoeny, author of TWiki co-launched TWIKI.NET, a Web 2.0 company that supports TWiki, an open source wiki. Beckstrom became Chairman and Chief Catalyst. He was also co-founder, Chairman and CEO of CATS Software Inc., a derivatives and risk management software company which went public on NASDAQ and later was sold to Misys PLC.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

He is co-author of the best-selling book The Starfish and the Spider, which lays out a new organizational theory for considering all organizations as existing on a continuum between centralized to decentralized, with different implications and strategies for each firm based upon their position on that axis. In interviews with The Washington Post{{cite news | title=Follow the Leader, or Think Like a Starfish? | newspaper=The Washington Post | pages=A11 | date=2007-01-01 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/31/AR2006123100832.html}} and USA Today,{{cite news | title=Can small businesses help win the war? | work=USA Today | url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/2007-01-02-terror-war-business-usat_x.htm | first=Del | last=Jones | date=2007-01-03 | accessdate=2010-05-22}} Beckstrom explains how, using the 'Starfish' concept illustrated in The Starfish and the Spider, the U.S. Government can take a different approach in their dealings with Al-Qaeda. Beckstrom is also the formulator of an economic model for valuing networks, Beckstrom's law, which was presented at BlackHat 2009 and Defcon 2009.

On March 20, 2008, Beckstrom was appointed to run the newly created National Cybersecurity Center,{{cite news | title=Outsider to Run Cyber-Security Initiative | work=The Wall Street Journal | pages=A8 | date=2008-03-20 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120595975180949553?mod=googlenews_wsj | first=Siobhan | last=Gorman}} a position requiring "advanced thought leadership in areas like coordination, collaboration and team work in order to best serve the mission".{{cite news | title=White House Taps Tech Entrepreneur For Cyber Defense Post | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=2008-03-27 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903125.html | first=Brian | last=Krebs | accessdate=2010-05-22}}{{cite web|url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Tech-Exec-Picked-for-Top-Cyber-Security-Post/|title=Tech Exec Picked for Top Cyber-Security Post|last=Naraine|first=Ryan |date=2008-03-21 |work=Security|publisher=Eweek|accessdate=2009-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/03/military-surren.html|title=Military Surrenders Cyber Security to the Starfish|last=Shachtman|first=Noah |date=March 21, 2008|work=Info War, Paper Pushers & Powerpoint Rangers|publisher=Wired Blog|accessdate=2009-03-10}}

On March 5, 2009, less than a year after the position was created, he stated that he would resign as the Director of the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) on Friday, March 13, 2009.{{cite news|url=https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/BeckstromResignation.pdf|title=Beckstrom Resignation|last=Beckstrom|first=Rod |date=March 5, 2009|work=Resignation Letter|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|accessdate=2009-03-09}} He has recommended the Deputy Director Mary Ellen Seale as his successor. He stated that a lack of cooperation from the NSA and insufficient funding led to his resignation.{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123638468860758145|title=Cybersecurity Chief Resigns |last=GORMAN|first=SIOBHAN |date=March 7, 2009 |work=Politics|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=2009-03-09}}{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,506830,00.html|title=Federal Cybersecurity Chief Quits, Blasts National Security Agency|date=March 8, 2009 |work=Scitech|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=2009-03-09}}{{cite web|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215801375|title=U.S. Cybersecurity Director Resigns, Blames NSA|last=Claburn|first=Thomas|date=March 9, 2009|work=Rod Beckstrom criticizes the NSA's dominance of most of the nation's cybersecurity initiatives.|publisher=InformationWeek|accessdate=2009-03-09|archive-date=10 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310175133/http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215801375|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/03/national-cybers.html |title=National cybersecurity director resigns; cites roadblocks |last=Acohido |first=Byron |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=2009-03-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310235349/http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/03/national-cybers.html |archivedate=March 10, 2009 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/After-Only-12-Months-Another-US-Cyber-Chief-Resigns/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122212751/http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/After-Only-12-Months-Another-US-Cyber-Chief-Resigns/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 January 2013 |title=This URL has been excluded from the Wayback Machine. |last=Mark|first=Roy |date=2009-03-09 |work=Security|publisher=Eweek|accessdate=2009-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/03/nsa-continues-b.html|title=NSA Chief Continues Bid to Take Over Cybersecurity|last=Zetter |first=Kim |date=March 9, 2009|work=Cybersecurity|publisher=Wired Blog|accessdate=2009-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/breaking-cyber.html|title=Cyber-Security Czar Quits Amid Fears of NSA Takeover|last=Shachtman|first=Noah |date=March 6, 2009|work=Homeland Security |publisher=Wired Blog|accessdate=2009-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10191170-38.html|title=Cybersecurity official quits, blasts NSA power grab|last=McCullagh|first= Declan |date=March 6, 2009|work=Politics and Law|publisher=Cnet News|accessdate=2009-03-10}}{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hNqCqxlylTswpXjgksC9y1V8Y9zQ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310174040/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hNqCqxlylTswpXjgksC9y1V8Y9zQ|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2009|title=Top US cybersecurity official quits|date=March 7, 2009|publisher=AFP Google|accessdate=2009-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/03/cyber_an_nsa_not_a_dhs_thing.php|title=Cyber an NSA, Not a DHS, Thing|last=Holmes|first=Allan|date=2009-03-09|work=Tech insider|publisher=nextgov|accessdate=2009-03-10|archive-date=10 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310223509/http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/03/cyber_an_nsa_not_a_dhs_thing.php|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Federal-Cybersecurity-Chief-Resigns/story.xhtml?story_id=021000Q2J1ML&full_skip=1|title=Cybersecurity Chief Resigns Amid Power Struggle|last= Resende|first=Patricia |date=March 9, 2009|publisher=newsfactor.com|accessdate=2009-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Political-Turf-Wars-Drive-Out-US-Cybersecurity-Chief-66431.html|title=Political Turf Wars Drive Out US Cybersecurity Chief|last=San Miguel|first=Renay |date=2009-03-09 |work=Security |publisher=TechNewsWorld |accessdate=2009-03-10}} He stated that he received $500,000 which funded five weeks of operation.{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/03/09/rod-beckstrom-security-technology-security-beckstrom.html|title=Top Cyber Official Sounds Off|last=Greenberg|first=Andy|date=2009-03-09|work=Cyber Security|publisher=Forbes|accessdate=2009-03-10|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120918110243/http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/09/rod-beckstrom-security-technology-security-beckstrom.html|archivedate=2012-09-18|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jS0ZQTLpeZoyy1MtWIcs9dyHv_NAD96OSIBO0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310161337/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jS0ZQTLpeZoyy1MtWIcs9dyHv_NAD96OSIBO0|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2009|title=Cybersecurity director resigns amid turf battles|last1=Baldor|first1=Lolita C.|last2=Sullivan|first2=Eileen|author-link2=Eileen Sullivan |date=March 7, 2009|publisher=Associated Press |accessdate=2009-03-10}} He has stated that he supports a more decentralized approach and opposes the NSA's move to try to "rule over" the NCSC.{{cite web|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/03/outgoing-dhs-cy.html|title=Outgoing DHS Cyber Chief Expands on Why He Resigned|last= Zetter |first=Kim|date=March 9, 2009 |work=Cybersecurity |publisher=Wired Blog|accessdate=2009-03-10}}

File:ICANN History Project - Interview with Rod Beckstrom, ICANN CEO (2009-2012) (112E).webm

On 25 June 2009, at its 35th meeting in Sydney, Australia, the Board of ICANN resolved to appoint Rod Beckstrom as its CEO and President.{{cite web|url=http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/release-26jun09-en.pdf|title=Internet Security Expert Named ICANN CEO|last= ICANN |date=June 26, 2009 |work=ICANN |publisher=ICANN|accessdate=2009-06-26}} At ICANN, he presided over a number of notable developments, including the 15 July 2010 DNSSEC signing of the DNS root, and the 20 June 2011 opening of the gTLD namespace to additional applicants.{{Cite web|author=Murphy, Kevin|date=20 June 2011|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/20/icann_dot_everything/|title=World braces for domain name EXPLOSION, ICANN approves dot-everything|publisher=The Register|location=London|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623065910/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/20/icann_dot_everything/|archivedate=23 June 2011|url-status=live}} On July 1, 2012 he was succeeded as CEO by ICANN's COO as CEO pro tem who served in that capacity until Beckstrom's permanent replacement Fadi Chehade was able to take up his position on 1 October 2012.{{Cite news|author=Staff|date=22 June 2012|title=Icann hire Fadi Chehade as new chief executive|newspaper=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18553887}}{{Cite news|author=Jesdanun, Anick|date=23 June 2012|title=Internet group picks little-known executive as CEO|newspaper=The Austin Statesman|location=Austin, Texas|url=http://www.statesman.com/business/technology/internet-group-picks-little-known-executive-as-ceo-2402558.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623163622/http://www.statesman.com/business/technology/internet-group-picks-little-known-executive-as-ceo-2402558.html|archivedate=23 June 2012}}

Rod Beckstrom is the lead angel investor in the Encino, CA-based software development company American Legalnet Inc.{{cite web|title=Rob Beckstrom's profile on LinkedIn|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckstrom|website=LinkedIn.com|publisher=LinkedIn|ref=27}}{{Better source|reason=LinkedIn.com is questionable as a reliable source|date=October 2016}}

An active participant in the non-profit arena, Beckstrom serves on the board of trustees of Environmental Defense Fund, an organization involved in designing, advocating and implementing environmental policy solutions, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the California Climate Act. He is also a trustee of Jamii Bora Trust, a micro-lending group with 170,000 members, based in Nairobi.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

{{reflist|2}}

• {{Official website|http://beckstrom.com/}}
• {{C-SPAN|1022626}}

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Category:Living people

Category:American information technology businesspeople

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Category:1961 births