Tarah Wheeler

Last updated

Tarah Wheeler
Tarah Wheeler Headshot.jpg
Born
Tarah Marie Wheeler

(1979-02-12) February 12, 1979 (age 45)
Alma mater Portland State University
Spouses
Dean Van Vlack
(m. 20102015)
Deviant Ollam
(m. 2017)

Tarah Marie Wheeler [1] (born February 12, 1979) is an American technology and cybersecurity author, public speaker, [2] computer security professional, [3] [4] [5] and executive. She is currently CEO of Red Queen Dynamics [6] [7] [8] [9] and Senior Fellow of Global Cyber Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, [10] and she is the author of Women in Tech .

Contents

Early life and education

Wheeler received a Master of Science degree from Portland State University. [11]

Career

Wheeler was a systems architect at mobile encryption firm Silent Circle. [12]

In 2016, Wheeler was named a Cybersecurity Passcode Influencer by Christian Science Monitor [13] and spoke to the Federal Trade Commission on information security in tech startups. [14]

After a Kickstarter campaign, [15] [16] Wheeler published Women in Tech , a book dedicated to teaching women how to succeed in tech careers. [17] [18] The book was published with several contributors, including Esther Dyson and Brianna Wu, one of the targets of the Gamergate controversy. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [17] [18] [24]

Wheeler served as the Website Cybersecurity Czar at Symantec, [25] until her position was eliminated in August 2017. [26] [27]

Wheeler and her husband Deviant Ollam helped cybersecurity researcher Marcus Hutchins with his bail in August 2017 and to house him in Los Angeles during his arraignment period while he was investigated by the FBI on charges related to the Kronos rootkit; Hutchins later pleaded guilty to two of ten charges. [26]

In 2021, Wheeler became a Fulbright Scholar in Cybersecurity at the University of Oxford. [28] [29] [30]

Wheeler has been cited in national media on issues relating to cybersecurity such as cyberterrorism, malware and data breaches [14] [31] [32] and has written about cyberwar policy. [33] In 2024, Wheeler appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs regarding the importance of a Cyber Safety Review Board. [34]

Bibliography

Books

Poker

Wheeler has competed in the World Series of Poker [35] with $4,722 in lifetime cashes. [36] [37] In Women in Tech, Wheeler notes that interests such as poker can be useful in business, the same way golf can be. [38]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer security</span> Protection of computer systems from information disclosure, theft or damage

Computer security, cybersecurity, digital security or information technology security is the protection of computer systems and networks from attacks by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, theft of, or damage to hardware, software, or data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gen Digital</span> Multinational software company

Gen Digital Inc. is a multinational software company co-headquartered in Tempe, Arizona and Prague, Czech Republic. The company provides cybersecurity software and services. Gen is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 stock-market index. The company also has development centers in Pune, Chennai and Bangalore. Its portfolio includes Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender, and CCleaner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. W. Singer</span> American political scientist

Peter Warren Singer is an American political scientist, an international relations scholar and a specialist on 21st-century warfare. He is a New York Times bestselling author of both nonfiction and fiction, who has been described in The Wall Street Journal as "the premier futurist in the national-security environment".

A cybersecurity regulation comprises directives that safeguard information technology and computer systems with the purpose of forcing companies and organizations to protect their systems and information from cyberattacks like viruses, worms, Trojan horses, phishing, denial of service (DOS) attacks, unauthorized access and control system attacks. While cybersecurity regulations aim to minimize cyber risks and enhance protection, the uncertainty arising from frequent changes or new regulations can significantly impact organizational response strategies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch Boyd</span> American poker player (born 1980)

Russell Aaron Boyd, commonly known as Dutch Boyd, is an American professional poker player from Culver City, California.

Cyberwarfare by Russia includes denial of service attacks, hacker attacks, dissemination of disinformation and propaganda, participation of state-sponsored teams in political blogs, internet surveillance using SORM technology, persecution of cyber-dissidents and other active measures. According to investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov, some of these activities were coordinated by the Russian signals intelligence, which was part of the FSB and formerly a part of the 16th KGB department. An analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2017 outlines Russia's view of "Information Countermeasures" or IPb as "strategically decisive and critically important to control its domestic populace and influence adversary states", dividing 'Information Countermeasures' into two categories of "Informational-Technical" and "Informational-Psychological" groups. The former encompasses network operations relating to defense, attack, and exploitation and the latter to "attempts to change people's behavior or beliefs in favor of Russian governmental objectives."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Cyber Command</span> Unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for cyber operations

United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It unifies the direction of cyberspace operations, strengthens DoD cyberspace capabilities, and integrates and bolsters DoD's cyber expertise which focus on securing cyberspace.

Cyberwarfare is the use of computer technology to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of information systems for strategic or military purposes. As a major developed economy, the United States is highly dependent on the Internet and therefore greatly exposed to cyber attacks. At the same time, the United States has substantial capabilities in both defense and power projection thanks to comparatively advanced technology and a large military budget. Cyber warfare presents a growing threat to physical systems and infrastructures that are linked to the internet. Malicious hacking from domestic or foreign enemies remains a constant threat to the United States. In response to these growing threats, the United States has developed significant cyber capabilities.

Stuxnet is a malicious computer worm first uncovered in 2010 and thought to have been in development since at least 2005. Stuxnet targets supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and is believed to be responsible for causing substantial damage to the nuclear program of Iran. Although neither country has openly admitted responsibility, multiple independent news organizations recognize Stuxnet to be a cyberweapon built jointly by the United States and Israel in a collaborative effort known as Operation Olympic Games. The program, started during the Bush administration, was rapidly expanded within the first months of Barack Obama's presidency.

Jeffrey Carr is a cybersecurity author, researcher, entrepreneur and consultant, who focuses on cyber warfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Moussouris</span> American computer security researcher, entrepreneur, and pioneer in vulnerability disclosure

Katie Moussouris is an American computer security researcher, entrepreneur, and pioneer in vulnerability disclosure, and is best known for her ongoing work advocating responsible security research. Previously a member of @stake, she created the bug bounty program at Microsoft and was directly involved in creating the U.S. Department of Defense's first bug bounty program for hackers. She previously served as Chief Policy Officer at HackerOne, a vulnerability disclosure company based in San Francisco, California, and currently is the founder and CEO of Luta Security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen T. Cobb</span>

Stephen Cobb is an expert on security, privacy, and the risks related to digital technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keren Elazari</span> Cybersecurity expert

Keren Elazari, also known as k3r3n3, is an Israeli cybersecurity analyst, writer, and speaker. She is a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv University Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center.

<i>Women in Tech</i> 2016 professional career guide written by Tarah Wheeler

Women In Tech: Take Your Career to the Next Level with Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories is a 2016 professional career guide written by Tarah Wheeler and published by Sasquatch Books. The book began as a Kickstarter project, with 772 backers and $32,226 in funding.

Marcus Hutchins, also known online as MalwareTech, is a British computer security researcher known for stopping the WannaCry ransomware attack. He is employed by cybersecurity firm Kryptos Logic. Hutchins is from Ilfracombe in Devon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cris Thomas</span> American cybersecurity researcher and hacker

Cris Thomas is an American cybersecurity researcher, white hat hacker, and award winning best selling author. A founding member and researcher at the high-profile hacker security think tank L0pht Heavy Industries, Thomas was one of seven L0pht members who testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs (1998) on the topic of government and homeland computer security, specifically warning of internet vulnerabilities and claiming that the group could "take down the internet within 30 minutes".

Caroline Wong is an American chief cybersecurity leader who has worked to advance software security programs and promote the mission, vision, and values D&I in cybersecurity. Throughout her career, Wong has been working to "boost the number of women in the field" and advocate for workplace equality. She regularly speaks at industry events and in publications such as The Washington Post and CBS News, and publishes editorial articles on topics such as DevSecOps alignment, infosec best practices, diversity in cybersecurity, and women in tech.

The 2018 SingHealth data breach was a data breach incident initiated by unidentified state actors, which happened between 27 June and 4 July 2018. During that period, personal particulars of 1.5 million SingHealth patients and records of outpatient dispensed medicines belonging to 160,000 patients were stolen. Names, National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers, addresses, dates of birth, race, and gender of patients who visited specialist outpatient clinics and polyclinics between 1 May 2015 and 4 July 2018 were maliciously accessed and copied. Information relating to patient diagnosis, test results and doctors' notes were unaffected. Information on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was specifically targeted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandworm (hacker group)</span> Russian hacker group

Sandworm is an advanced persistent threat operated by Military Unit 74455, a cyberwarfare unit of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. Other names for the group, given by cybersecurity researchers, include Telebots, Voodoo Bear, IRIDIUM, Seashell Blizzard, and Iron Viking.

Synapxe Pte Ltd, formerly known as Integrated Health Information System (IHiS), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MOH Holdings Pte Ltd, the holding company through which the Singapore Ministry of Health owns corporatised institutions in the public healthcare sector.

References

  1. Wheeler, Tarah Marie (2004). Prospect Theory and the Cyprus Conflict: Analyzing Decisionmaking in the Turkish Cypriot President (MS thesis). Portland State University.
  2. "5 questions with HDC keynote Tarah Wheeler Van Vlack". Silicon Prairie News. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  3. Collier, Kevin (August 23, 2022). "Twitter whistleblower alleges major security issues". NBC News. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  4. Ghosh, Shona (August 7, 2017). "Supporters have raised more than $12,000 for arrested security researcher Marcus Hutchins after he couldn't make bail". Business Insider. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  5. Turak, Natasha (June 1, 2018). "The next 9/11 will be a cyberattack, security expert warns". CNBC. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  6. "Analysis | Downed U.S. drone points to cyber vulnerabilities". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  7. Nyce, Caroline Mimbs (April 19, 2023). "Montana's TikTok Ban Won't Work". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. "Twitter whistleblower alleges major security issues and says company misled public". NBC News. August 23, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. "WTF Just Happened? Why Your Org Needs a Cybersecurity Incident Review Board". PCMAG. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  10. "Security needs to learn from the aviation biz to avoid crashing" . Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  11. "Speaker Biography: Tarah Wheeler". www.thelavinagency.com. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  12. "Commentary: To bring 'binders full of women' into tech, we must get on the same page". GeekWire. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  13. "Meet Passcode's Influencers". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Start with Security". United States Federal Trade Commission. October 30, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  15. Larson, Selena (February 7, 2015). "Meet the woman writing the book on Women in Technology". Daily Dot. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  16. "Women in Tech: The Book". Kickstarter. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  17. 1 2 Barbara Speed (January 8, 2016). "Against the "pipeline problem": Elissa Shevinsky on getting women and minorities into tech". New Statesman. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Halverson, Matthew (January 23, 2013). "Tarah Wheeler Van Vlack Fights for Women in Tech". Seattle Met. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  19. "A New Kickstarter Funds a Book Aimed at Inspiring Women in Technology". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  20. "Tarah Wheeler Van Vlack On Doing What You Love". Power To Fly. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  21. "Who Knew Helping Women Get Tech Jobs Could Be So Controversial?". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  22. Iain Thomson (April 26, 2016). "Docker hired private detectives to pursue woman engineer's rape, death threat trolls". The Register. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  23. "Sexism isn't getting better in Silicon Valley, it's getting worse". The Register. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  24. "Book excerpt: Salary negotiating secrets for women in the tech industry". GeekWire. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  25. "Symantec appoints first cybersecurity czar" . Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  26. 1 2 Greenberg, Andy (May 12, 2020). "The Confessions of Marcus Hutchins, the Hacker Who Saved the Internet". Wired. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  27. Wheeler, Tarah M. (August 4, 2017). "Some personal news: today is my last day at @Symantec. I learned and incredible amount, was supported in education, and met amazing ppl". @tarah. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  28. "WTF Just Happened? Why Your Org Needs a Cybersecurity Incident Review Board". PCMAG. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  29. Wheeler, Tarah (March 4, 2021). "The danger in calling the SolarWinds breach an 'act of war'". Brookings. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  30. "Tarah Wheeler | Fulbright Scholar Program". fulbrightscholars.org. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  31. "KRACK Wi-Fi Flaw: What You Should Know". Teen Vogue. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  32. "After Massive Data Breach, Equifax Directed Customers To Fake Site". NPR. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  33. Wheeler, Tarah (2018). "In Cyberwar, There Are No Rules. Why the world desperately needs digital Geneva Conventions". Foreign Policy. 12. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  34. "The Cyber Safety Review Board: Expectations, Outcomes, and Enduring Questions". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  35. "WSOP Player Profile Tarah Wheeler". World Series of Poker. WSOP. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  36. "About". Tarah Wheeler. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  37. "Tarah Wheeler's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  38. Wheeler, Tarah (2016). Women in Tech : <take your career to the next level> : with practical advice and inspiring stories. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 184. ISBN   9781632170668. OCLC   1048420078.