Secure 360°^TM is excited to announce that one of last year's keynote speakers, Howard Schmidt, has been selected by President Obama to be new cybersecurity coordinator for the United States government!

Mr. Schmidt has had a long distinguished career in defense, law enforcement and corporate security. He has served as vice president and CISO and chief security strategist for online auction giant eBay, and in the position of chief security strategist for the US-CERT Partners Program for the National Cyber Security Division under the Department of Homeland Security. He retired from the White House after 31 years of public service, and was appointed by President Bush as the vice chairman of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and as the special adviser for cyberspace security for the White House in December 2001. In August 2008 he was appointed President of the Information Security Forum (ISF), a not-for-profit association of public and private sector bodies that work to resolve information security and risk management issues.

Everyone here at the Upper Midwest Security Alliance would like to wish Mr. Schmidt the best of luck in his new position!