For more info on a specific newsletter, click the title. Details will be displayed in a new window.
Subscribe to
Computerworld 40 years of the most authoritative source of news and information for IT leaders.
Former @stake CTO Dan Geer on Microsoft report, firing
or
Other Security Stories
|
|
|
|
October 01, 2003 (Computerworld) -- Dan Geer, the former chief technology officer at @stake Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., was fired last week as a result of his participation in an independent study of the security implications of Microsoft Corp.'s monopoly hold on the software industry (see story).
Although Geer said he learned of his firing from a press release, James Mobley, president and CEO of @stake, said "a number of unreturned phone calls" were placed to Geer before that statement was issued. "He finally returned my call after the release of the report, at which time I informed him that his services were no longer required," said Mobley, who added that he has "the greatest respect for Dr. Geer as a research scientist and security expert."
Geer spoke to Computerworld's Dan Verton yesterday in an interview from his home in Massachusetts.
What happened on Sept. 25? I'm still cautioned by my attorney not to be too precise about anything. But I learned I was fired from a press release. When I did eventually speak to the CEO, it was cold and short, and he had nothing to say but, "Your services are no longer required." And there was and has been nothing else beyond that.
One thing that your former employer has said is that you should have known that Microsoft was a client of the company and that, although it didn't necessarily disagree with everything in the report, your participation in the study showed a lack of respect for a major client. Is that unreasonable? If you knew my history, you would know that I am a commentator at the limit of my professional skill and integrity on lots of things a lot of the time. It's not as if there's a procedure to check everything with marketing. The reason I was recruited into this company in the first place was precisely for my ability to look over the horizon, to see the big picture and to umpire the game, if you will.
I once had someone explain to me that the way you could tell the difference between a young umpire, an experienced umpire and an old umpire was that the young umpire would say, "I call them as I see them." And the middle-aged umpire would say, "It's not a ball or a strike until I say it's a ball or a strike." And the old hand would say, "I make it a ball, or I make it a strike." If you don't mind me being a little immodest, I like to think that I'm approaching the latter. I comment on everything that I'm capable of commenting on as frankly as I am able to do so. It's what I am.
|
Print this Story |
|
Send Us Feedback |
|
E-mail this Story |
|
Digg this Story |
|
Slashdot this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
All Zones Application Performance Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone Enterprise Solutions Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone The Data Center Management Zone |
 See your link here
|
 |
||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
|
Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? 
Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for free, compliments of MessageLabs.
Get this white paper now!
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
- HP confirms XP SP3 endless reboot snafu, promises patch
- Yahoo tells Icahn that its own board knows best
- Tools circulate that crack Debian, Ubuntu keys
- More top stories
Security Management ZoneSecurity management is the process of developing a comprehensive data protection plan. It takes into account all potential threats, the existing network environment, the future needs of the organization, and lays out a multi-tiered blueprint to integrate the security technology needed to combat these threats. CDW can help keep your network and data secure. Visit the CDW Security Management Zone now See All Zones
|
 Fired up about IT? Join Sharkbait and share your true tales of IT. SharkBait is the place for you to sound off about everything IT – the good, the bad, and the rest of the weird stuff you deal with every day.New baits 
|
"Security Directions" virtual trade show2008's Code-Red Security Issues for Protecting the EnterpriseWebcasts, white papers, demos, and more. Presented in a unique 3-d environment. Enter our show right now! Click here to enter
|
 In SecurityThere's plenty of talk about how to behave during a Customs search of your computer and gear, but Jon Espenschied's got tips for securing your data (and privacy) before you reach the border. Click here to read the latest column by Jon Espenschied |
 |
 |
Layered Security Solutions
Although basic network security issues have changed very little over the past decade, the
network security landscape has changed dramatically. Today's IT professionals still have the
primary responsibility of protecting the confidentiality of corporate information, preventing
unauthorized access, and defending the network against attacks. Security experts and analysts agree that a security solution comprised of multiple layers is the best defense against today's increasingly sophisticated attacks.Download this white paper
|
Universal Threat Management - Because Conventional UTM is Not Enough!
This white paper, written by Mark Bouchard of Missing Link Security Services, examines the challenges confronting today's enterprises with respect to managing threats on a network. It also discusses the need for "Universal Threat Management", which is a security solution approach for all physical locations within an enterprise that require threat protection.Download this white paper |
Selecting the Right Threat Management Solution
This short demo will guide you through key considerations for selecting a solution to manage threats on a network. Learn about the popularity of Unified Threat Management (UTM), and how it fits into an overall security solution. Explore critical elements of a network-wide solution for multisite and large network-size deployments and identify the four key features of a threat management solution.View this demo
|
CIO
Computerworld
CSO
DEMO
GamePro
Games.net
IDG Connect
IDG World Expo
Infoworld
The Industry Standard
ITworld
JavaWorld
LinuxWorld
MacUser
Macworld
Network World
PC World
Playlist
Copyright © 2008 Computerworld Inc. All
rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited.
Computerworld and Computerworld.com and the respective logos are
trademarks of International Data Group Inc.
|
