Howard Schmidt is a computer crime expert and advised two U.S. presidents. In this article, we will look more into his great contribution to the cybersecurity field.
He served as the White House Security Advisor to Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama. Schmidt’s primary goal is about cyber identity. To emphasize, he developed the “National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace.”
In the real world, businesses look for identity cards. They might look for a driver’s license and credit card. Howard Schmidt aimed to use the same concept in cyberspace. But instead of identity cards, he sought to create electronic identities. Moreover, he aimed for the reliability of electronic identities.
Education
Howard Schmidt held a bachelor’s degree in business administration (BSBA). Also, he held a master’s degree in organizational management (MAOM). He acquired both degrees at the University of Phoenix.
He also held an honorary doctorate in humane letters. Schmidt’s certifications also include CISSP and CISM. Moreover, he served as an adjunct professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was also a research professor at Idaho State University. He was also an adjunct distinguished fellow with Mellon’s Cylab. Besides, Schmidt is a distinguished fellow with the Ponemon Institute
Military Service
Howard Schmidt served in the military for 26 years. He started in 1967 with the United States Air Force. He studied chemical and nuclear weapons along with high explosives. Afterward, he left active military duty in 1974. Then, he started his civil service career at the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field.
Furthermore, he completed three tours of duty during the Vietnam War. Schmidt later joined the Arizona Air National Guard. He was also a police officer in Chandler, Arizona. Schmidt also worked for the F.B.I. at the National Drug Intelligence Center. Moreover, he headed the Computer Exploitation Team. He was also the chief strategist. That was in the Department of Homeland Security’s US-CERT Partners Program.
Service Under President Bush
President George W. Bush appointed Howard Schmidt after the 9/11 attacks. President Bush appointed Schmidt to be the Vice Chairman of the Presidential’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board. Moreover, he was also appointed in December 2001 as White House’s special adviser for cyberspace security.
At that time, Howard Schmidt assisted in creating the US National Strategy to Secure CyberSpace. He retired from service in the White House in May 2003 to join eBay.
Service Under President Obama
Schmidt returned to the White House at that time having Obama as the US president. Howard Schmidt started his service under Obama’s term on December 22, 2009. In detail, President Obama named Schmidt as the top security advisor to the White House.
Howard Schmidt announced his step down from the White House in May 2012. He wanted to focus on his family. Also, he desired to pursue teaching in the cyber field. Michael Daniel, chief of the White House budget office’s intelligence branch, replaced Schmidt.
Personal Life
Howard Schmidt was born on October 5, 1949, to Anthony and Edith. His wife is the former Raemarie Lange, a forensic scientist. They had four sons. Howard died in the presence of his wife and sons on March 2, 2017, after a long fight with brain cancer. He was 67 years old.
