IP: By analogy

[David Farber <dfarber () earthlink net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Whitfield Diffie <whitfield.diffie () sun com>
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 11:16:15 
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: By analogy

                                Wednesday  17 April 2002  at 11h14

Dave,

    Maybe this is analogous to your tour at the FCC.  I will be
poking my nose in wholesale rather than retail.

                                        Whit


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Brett Smith
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(408) 276-6143
brett.smith () sun com

Penelope Bruce
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(650) 786-7220
penelope.bruce () sun com


SUN MICROSYSTEMS APPOINTS WORLD-RENOWNED SECURITY EXPERT, WHITFIELD DIFFIE, 
AS CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER; CREATES GLOBAL SECURITY PROGRAM OFFICE

Sun Veteran and Inventor of Public Key Encryption to Lead Global Security 
Initiative to Evangelize Sun's Extensive Security Offerings and Key Issues 
Concerning Technology Security

Santa Clara, CA -- April 17, 2002 -- Sun Microsystems today announced two 
significant and newly-created positions - Chief Security Officer and 
Director of the newly created Sun Global Security Program Office.  The 
positions are intended to further Sun's leadership in world-class, secure 
information technology products and coordinate the expansion of 
security-related product and services innovations.

Sun's security expert Whitfield Diffie is appointed Chief Security Officer 
and Joanne Masters is appointed Director of Sun's Global Security Program 
Office.  Both appointments are effective immediately. 

"Sun has always understood that security is indispensable to enterprise 
computing in a network environment and has always provided products and 
services that reflect this understanding," comments Ed Zander, president 
and COO of Sun Microsystems.  "As our world becomes more and more 
connected, we see our customers looking for security that is effective, 
cost-effective and easy to use.  Whitfield is recognized as one of the 
world's foremost experts in this field and eminently qualified to lead this 
important initiative."

The key objectives of the Chief Security Officer and the Global Security 
Program Office are:
* To be an advocate for Sun's industry-leading security offerings with 
customers and partners, and educate them on key technology security issues.
* To expand Sun's relationship with key security organizations, nationally 
and internationally, in an effort to address the Internet's fragmented 
security environment.
* To anticipate and address future customer security requirements by a 
coordinated process across all of Sun Microsystems' research, product 
development assessment, marketing and sales.

"I always thought of Whit as Sun's Chief Security Officer," said Vint Cerf, 
WorldCom's Senior VP of Internet Architecture and Technology.  "This is 
well-deserved recognition of his stature in the security community, and a 
clear indication of Sun's commitment to securing information technology 
around which much of today's business, government and personal worlds now 
revolve.  One of the industry's challenges is to find ways to make security 
less inconvenient without losing its effectiveness.  If it can be done at 
all, Whit's the right man to do it."

"I have known Whitfield Diffie, his superior technical achievements and his 
advocacy for strong security in telecommunications, since my days as 
Director of the National Security Agency when we testified together before 
the U.S. Senate," comments Mike McConnell, a Vice President at Booz Allen 
Hamilton leading the firm's Infrastructure Assurance, Information 
Operations, and Military Intelligence practices, and former Director of the 
National Security Agency.  Mike also served as the intelligence officer for 
Gen. Powell during operation Desert Storm.  "Even more than our first 
encounter, I learned that cyber security is a critical issue of national 
importance.  Not only is it important to national and economic security, it 
also impacts the very safety and privacy of our citizens and all those who 
use global telecommunications systems.  In Whitfield Diffie, Sun 
Microsystems has chosen a leading national advocate and technical expert 
with broad-based business and policy expertise in the security field.  This 
is an excellent choice to lead the industry's discussions around the 
critical areas of security."

Whitfield Diffie, world-renowned authority on cryptography and security 
technology, joined Sun in 1991 after twelve years as manager of secure 
systems research at Northern Telecom. Diffie, working in Sun Labs, was one 
of the driving forces in the policy struggle that has led to legal 
recognition for the importance of advanced security technologies for modern 
society. 

Diffie is also famous as the inventor of the Public Key Encryption concept 
that underlies secure electronic commerce and is recognized in security and 
intelligence circles worldwide as an authority on information technology 
security issues.  

The Sun Microsystems Global Security Program Office will be led by Sun 
Microsystems Director Joanne Masters, working in partnership with Diffie.  
In addition to the objectives above, her charter will also be to drive 
cross-Sun Microsystems initiatives related to raising Sun's presence on 
Security issues.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision - "The Network Is The 
Computer[tm]" - has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its 
position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software 
and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to make 
the net work.  Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World 
Wide Web at http://sun.com.

# # #

Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo and The Network Is The Computer are 
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United 
States and other countries.


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