In April, Sun Microsystems appointed Whitfield Diffie as Chief Security Officer for Santa Clara, Calif.-based software giant. Diffie oversees internal security as well as a newly created global security program office, the goal of which is to evangelize Suns security product offerings and key issues concerning technology security. Diffie, an authority on cryptography and security technology, is the inventor of the public key encryption concept that secures most online transactions. Prior to joining Sun in 1991, Diffie spent 12 years as manager of secure systems research at Northern Telecom. Diffie received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965. Since 1993, Diffie has worked largely in public policy, in the area of cryptography. Related content news Top cybersecurity product news of the week New product and service announcements from Coro, Descope, Genetec, Varonis, Cloudbrink, Databarracks, and Security Journey By CSO staff Dec 07, 2023 22 mins Generative AI Generative AI Machine Learning news analysis Attackers breach US government agencies through ColdFusion flaw Both incidents targeted outdated and unpatched ColdFusion servers and exploited a known vulnerability. By Lucian Constantin Dec 06, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Vulnerabilities news BSIMM 14 finds rapid growth in automated security technology Embrace of a "shift everywhere" philosophy is driving a demand for automated, event-driven software security testing. By John P. Mello Jr. Dec 06, 2023 4 mins Application Security Network Security news Almost 50% of organizations plan to reduce cybersecurity headcounts: Survey While organizations are realizing the need for knowledgeable teams to address unknown threats, they are also looking to reduce their security headcount and infrastructure spending. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 06, 2023 4 mins IT Jobs Security Practices Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe