Dan Geer is currently the CISO for In-Q-Tel, a not-for-profit investment firm that works to invest in technology that supports the missions of the Central Intelligence Agency and the broader U.S. intelligence community. His history within the security industry is both extensive and striking. Looking at just a few of his accomplishments, Geer was a key contributor to the development of the X Window System as well as the Kerberos authentication protocol while a member of the Athena Project at MIT in the 1980s. Shortly after, Geer created the first information security consulting firm on Wall Street in 1992, followed by organizing one of the first academic conferences on electronic commerce in 1995. Geer is also the past president of the USENIX Association where he earned a Lifetime Achievement Award. His varied history in the industry gives him a truly unique perspective on the importance and future of information security. In recent years, Geer has gained additional recognition for his controversial yet influential 2003 paper titled, "CyberInsecurity: The Cost of Monopoly," that argued Microsoft's dominance of desktop operating systems was a threat to national security. Continuing his leadership in the field, Geer launched the site SecurityMetrics.Org in 2004, convened MetriCon in 2006 and is the author of several books and book chapters including "Economics & Strategies of Data Security," and "Cybersecurity & National Policy." He also created the Index of Cyber Security in 2011 and the Cyber Security Decision Market in 2012. Often cited for his thoughtful security philosophy and deep industry expertise, Geer has testified before Congress five times and has consulted with numerous startups and their investors. Dan Geer is a 1972 graduate of MIT with a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, as well as a 1988 Harvard graduate where he received his Doctor of Science (Sc.D) in biostatics.
