Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned computer security expert and author who has been studying, writing, and speaking on issues related to technology, security, and privacy since the late 1980s. He is the author of more than twenty books on information security, including bestsellers Secrets and Lies, Beyond Fear, and Data and Goliath. He is a frequent contributor to newspapers and magazines worldwide and writes a popular blog on security topics, Crypto-Gram. He also operates a successful security consulting business, Counterpane Internet Security, Inc., and is a fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
Schneier was born in Brooklyn, New York in January 1963. He attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, from which he graduated with a degree in computer science. In the early 1990s, he wrote an Internet protocol security paper for a cryptography conference, which led to his first book, Applied Cryptography. In the book, Schneier described the technology of cryptography and how it can be used for restricted access, authentication, and digital signatures. Applied Cryptography became a seminal text in the cryptology field, transforming Schneier from a cryptology researcher to an authority in the field of computer security.
Since then, Schneier has written extensively on security-related topics. In Secrets and Lies, published in 2000, Schneier examines the fundamental principles of security in the digital age, and addresses the social, political, and privacy consequences of computing technology. He explores the problems of vulnerability and emergence, outlines the history and principles of cryptography, and details the economics of security, public-key infrastructures, and the future of international law in cyberspace. The book has been an influential guide for corporate security professionals, government organizations, and security enthusiasts ever since.
In 2004, Schneier released Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly about Security in an Uncertain World. In this book, he outlines a systematic approach to security that analyzes the reality of risks and rewards to its readers. He encourages readers to think analytically and systematically about security, and applies a strategy of “risk management” that factors in both the potential harm of an attack and its cost to justify purchasing security products and services.
Schneier’s most recent book, Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World (2015), reveals the ways in which corporations and state-sponsored adversaries are covertly exploiting our data to build models of our behavior. Using this information, powerful institutions influence our online and offline behavior, create opportunities for economic exploitation, and even monitor our movements from place to place. Data and Goliath contains an urgent call for both public and corporate transparency, and warns of the dire consequences of continued apathy in the face of such data-driven manipulation.
Schneier’s security expertise has been sought by the media on numerous occasions, including ABC News, CNN, Bloomberg, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Forbes. He has testified before the U.S. Senate and was a founding member of the World Economic Forum Global Risk Network. His work also received numerous awards, including the Tech Museum Award, the Leon Bradly Award, and the National Cyber Security Alliance Award.
Bruce Schneier has proven to be a thought leader and an authoritative voice on security-related issues. He is a respected author and media expert who has consistently produced vital and influential materials to help individuals, corporations, and government organizations protect systems, data, and privacy. Schneier’s works have informed generations of professionals and tech enthusiasts, and his ideas continue to be a driving force in the security community today.
