Edward Felten

Edward Felten is an American computer scientist, entrepreneur, and professor who has made significant contributions to fields such as computer security and privacy, as well as software engineering. He is perhaps best known for his work on trust in computing and cyber security.

Felten was born in 1965 and grew up in New Jersey. He obtained his B.A. in physics from Princeton University in 1987 and his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University in 1991.

In 1992, Felten founded Secure Computing Corporation (SecCom). The company provided network security services to businesses, and became a public company in 1995. In 1997, Felten left the company after it was acquired by CyberSafe Corp.

Felten then returned to his alma mater, Princeton University, where he became a professor of computer science in 1998. At Princeton, he served as the Director of the Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) from 2002 to 2011. While at the CITP, Felten worked on research projects related to privacy, cyber crime, electronic voting, and cyber security.

Felten then returned to the corporate world and founded Edstrate Corporation in 2006. Edstrates provided enterprise software services, including tools for financial institutions. The company was later acquired by Microsoft in 2009.

In 2008, Felten joined the faculty at Princeton University. He is currently the Robert E. Kahn Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs, and the Director of the Princeton Center for Information Technology Policy.

Felten has also served in a number of government and policy roles. From 2011 to 2012, he served as the Chief Technologist of the Federal Trade Commission. He has also served on various committees and councils related to computer security, privacy, and technology policy, including A2AI, the National Academies’ Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, the White House’s Technology Council, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee, and the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee.

In addition to his academic and government work, Felten is the author of over 200 publications. His most notable book is 2011’s “Freedom to Tinker: Securing the Nation’s Cyberinfrastructure,” a comprehensive look at cyber security, policy, and technology.

Felten has received many prestigious awards throughout his career. In 2002, he was awarded the RSA Award in Mathematics, and in 2003 he won the National Academy of Engineering’s Gilbreth Lectureship Award. In 2008, Felten was awarded the Freedom of Expression Award and was named a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. He was also awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2012.

Edward Felten has made significant contributions to fields such as computer security and privacy, as well as software engineering. His research, publications and work in government and policy have helped shape our understanding and approach to cyber security.