Winn Schwartau
{{Short description|American computer security expert (born 1952)}}
{{COI|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Winn Schwartau
| image = GD Winn Library leaning 2MB Small.jpg
| caption = Winn in his library
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|7|1}}
| birth_place = New York City
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| occupation = Computer security Writer, Theoretician
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| website = [http://www.winnschwartau.com Schwartau's personal website]
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Winn Schwartau (born July 1, 1952) is a computer security analyst who focuses on internet security, internet privacy, infowar, cyber-terrorism and related topics.
Schwartau coined the term "Electronic Pearl Harbor" while testifying before Congress in 1991.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/327491878/|title=Computer Security's Rock 'N' Roll Pioneer|last=Trigaux|first=Robert|date=1998-06-15|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2019-08-23}} Schwartau has published several books.
In 2002, Schwartau was honored as a “Power Thinker” and one of the 50 most powerful people in networking by Network World.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmagazine.com/home/events/sc-congress-canada/winn-schwartau-author-chairman-at-mobile-active-defense/|title=Winn Schwartau, author, chairman at Mobile Active Defense|date=2012-01-18|website=SC Media|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-23}} In 2008, he was voted one of the 25 Most Influential People in the Security Industry by Security Magazine.
Early life
Winn is the son of audio engineer and producer Bill Schwartau and Mary Caroline Bell, the first female audio engineer at NBC during World War II. At 16, he began his professional audio-video career and worked at studios including Mirasound Studios in New York, A&R Recording with Phil Ramone, The Hit Factory, Electric Lady Studios. He engineered 96 live concert broadcasts from The Lone Star Cafe 1978-1981.
Written work
His 1991 cyber-terrorism book, Terminal Compromise, outlines a cyber-terrorist attack on the U.S. using 1980s technology. It was updated in 2001 to Pearl Harbor Dot Com.
His first non-fiction book, Information Warfare: Chaos on the Electronic Superhighway (1994, 1996, 1997) discusses cyberterrorism and cyberwar with governments and the private sector.{{cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-56025-080-7|title=Information Warfare: Chaos on the Electronic Superhighway|author=|work=Publishers Weekly|accessdate=August 9, 2021}} Cybershock (2000, 2001) is a non-technical look at hackers, information warriors, hacking technologies, and offensive cyber capabilities.{{cite web|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2589346/should-you-strike-back-.html|title=Should You Strike Back?|last=Radcliff|first=Deb|work=Computerworld|date=November 13, 2000|accessdate=August 8, 2021}} In Time Based Security, Schwartau added math and outlines the principles of using time as a prime security metric.{{cite book|author=Winn Schwartau |title=Time Based Security |year=1999 |isbn=0962870048 }}
As a parent of children growing up with technology, he wrote Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids (and Parents and Teachers Without a Clue) (2001/2002).{{cite book|title=Internet Ethics For Kids |isbn=0962870056 |last1=Schwartau |first1=Winn |year=2001 }} Dr. Fred Cohen, from all.net, described this book as "the best security book ever written".{{cite web |url=http://www.thesecurityawarenesscompany.com/chez/winn_bio.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050527180722/http://www.thesecurityawarenesscompany.com/chez/winn_bio.pdf |archive-date=2005-05-27 |title=The Security Awareness Company Biography: Winn Schwartau |url-status=dead |access-date=September 10, 2016 }}, retrieved 2009-01-05
His latest work, Analogue Network Security, formalized the mathematics and principles of creating provably secure cyber and physical environments. In February 2021, it was named "the Best CyberSecurity Book of all Time" by Cyber Defense Magazine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com/top-100-cybersecurity-books/|title = Top 100 Cybersecurity Books|date = 15 February 2021}}
Entrepreneurial career
Schwartau has said that he wants the United States to put more emphasis on computer security. He recalled in 1996 that some of his ideas were not taken seriously despite what he believed to be demonstrable threats.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/1996/08/schwartau/|title=Information Warrior|last=Venzke|first=Ben|magazine=Wired|year=1996|accessdate=August 8, 2021}}
In 2001, Winn was labeled one of the Network World major "Power Thinkers".[http://www.networkworld.com/power01/50most/thinkers.html Network World] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201164136/http://www.networkworld.com/power01/50most/thinkers.html |date=December 1, 2008 }} In 2007, SC Magazine labeled him one of the Top 5 Security Thinkers.{{cite web|url=http://www.scmagazineus.com/roundup-2007-top-5-influential-it-security-thinkers/article/99732/ |title=SC Magazine |publisher=Scmagazineus.com |date=2007-12-01 |accessdate=2014-07-17}}
SC Magazine called him the "civilian architect of information warfare",{{cite web|url=http://www.scmagazineus.com/industry-pioneers/article/157220/ |title=Industry Pioneers |publisher=Scmagazineus.com |date=2009-11-06 |accessdate=2014-07-17}} and Security Magazine identified him as one of the 25 most influential people in the security industry.{{cite web|url=http://www.securitymagazine.com/CDA/Articles/Cover_Story/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000484861 |title=Security Magazine |publisher=Security Magazine |date=2008-12-01 |accessdate=2014-07-17}}
Schwartau was the Chairman of the Board of Mobile Active Defense, specializing in security and compliance for smartphones and tablets,[http://www.mobileactivedefense.com/about-us/company-overview/ Mobile Active Defense] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026035424/http://www.mobileactivedefense.com/about-us/company-overview/ |date=October 26, 2010 }} and was president and founder of The Security Awareness Company (formerly known as Interpact, Inc. sold to KnowBe4 in 2017),{{cite web|url=http://thesecurityawarenesscompany.com/home.html |title=The Security Awareness Company |publisher=The Security Awareness Company |date= |accessdate=2014-07-17}} which develops security awareness programs for private and public organisations.
Currently, Schwartau is the Chief Visionary Officer for SAC Labs, a division of KnowBe4.
He also founded InfowarCon (1994)[http://www.infowarcon.com infowarcon.com] and Trusted Learning (2003),{{cite web|url=http://www.trustedlearning.com |title=Trusted Learning |publisher=Trusted Learning |date= |accessdate=2014-07-17}} and co-founded SCIPP International (2007)[https://scippinternational.org/about-scipp/]
- Fellow, the Royal Society of the Arts{{Cite web|url=https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/find-a-fellow/|title=Find a Fellow - RSA}}
- Distinguished Fellow, Ponemon Institutehttps://www.ponemon.org/fellows/winn-schwartau.html
- Inducted 2019 ISSA International Hall of Fame{{Cite web|url=https://www.issa.org/issa-international-awards-winners/|title = ISSA International Awards Winners}}
- Top 100 Cybersecurity Influencers at RSA Conference 2019 (#66 out of 42,000 attendees){{Cite web|url=https://onalytica.com/blog/posts/cybersecurity-top-100-influencers/|title = Cybersecurity: Top 100 Influencers at RSA Conference 2019|date = 14 March 2019}}
References
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External links
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- [https://www.winnschwartau.com/about Biography], at Schwartau's site
- [https://www.winnschwartau.com/speaking Videos of Winn Schwartau speaking], at Schwartau's site
- [https://www.winnschwartau.com/writing Works by Winn Schwartau], at Schwartau's site
- {{Gutenberg author | id=57}}
- {{Internet Archive author |sname=Winn Schwartau}}
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