NSA critic Bruce Schneier joins security firm Co3 as CTO

The network security industry's legendary free thinker Bruce Schneier Monday said he's taken a job as CTO at Co3 Systems, but that this in no way will curtail his determination to speak and write candidly on important topics such as the National Security Agency's (NSA) practices.

The network security industry's legendary free thinker Bruce Schneier Monday said he's taken a job as CTO at Co3 Systems, but that this in no way will curtail his determination to speak and write candidly on important topics such as the National Security Agency's (NSA) practices.

"I would never have taken the job otherwise," said Schneier, who recently left his position as futurologist at BT at the end of December. "I have to be able to write about the NSA."

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Over the past decade, Schneier, whose background includes expertise in cryptography, has emerged as a prominent voice on the impact of networking technology on people's lives, with his most recent book being, "Liars and Outliers."

Schneier has been fiercely critical of the NSA following revelations by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden about the agency's mass surveillance practices. Schneier says he expects to be speaking further about the NSA and other topics at a public talk he is scheduled to deliver at the RSA Conference next month.

Cambridge, Mass.-based Co3 Systems makes incident-response products and as CTO there, Schneier will help guide development of the company's product portfolio.

Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security. Twitter: MessmerE. E-mail: emessmer@nww.com

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Tags business issuescorporate issuespersonnelBTnsaWide Area NetworkNational Security Agency

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