Stephen T. Cobb

Infobox Celebrity


image_size = 140px
caption = Stephen Cobb, 2007
name = Stephen Cobb
birth_date = 1952
birth_place = Coventry, Warwickshire, U.K.
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = author, computer security expert, film producer
salary =
networth =
spouse =
website = [http://cobbsblog.com/blog "Cobb's Blog"]
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children = 1

Stephen Cobb [cite web
url = http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&CNT=10&CMD=10+records+per+page&CMD=lccn+%20%20%2089070748%20 | title = Library of Congress Listing for Stephen Cobb's Guide to PC & LAN Security, 1992
accessdate = 2007-07-23
date= 2006-06-10
publisher = catalog.loc.gov] (born 1952 in Coventry, England) is an Anglo-American author and entrepreneur, notably in the field of computer security and data privacy. His books are published under the name "Stephen Cobb". This page was created as "Stephen T. Cobb" to avoid confusion with other authors called "Stephen Cobb", such as Stephen Euin Cobb.

Background

After attending King Henry VIII School and getting his degree at the University of Leeds, Cobb moved to America, where he first learned about computers while working for Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan as Chief Oil and Gas Tax Auditor for the state of North Dakota.

Cobb's first books were published in the 1980s, when he wrote mass-market handbooks for end-users on subjects such as databases, networking, spreadsheets, and word processing, mainly for McGraw-Hill. [ [http://www.bookfinder.com/author/stephen-cobb/ Bookfinder] ] In the early 1990s he was a prolific contributor to a variety of British technology magazines, notably those published by VNU. At this time he wrote his first security-related book, "The Stephen Cobb Guide to PC & LAN Security", [ [http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&CNT=10&CMD=10+records+per+page&CMD=lccn+%20%20%2089070748%20 Library of Congress] ] a comprehensive consideration of threats to data arising from the rapid increase in corporate use of personal computers and LANs.

Cobb has more than 25 years experience working in computer audit, information assurance, and data privacy, [ [http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,90339,00.html?f=x73 ComputerWorld] ] as a serial entrepreneur (InfoSec Labs, ePrivacy Group), an employee (NCSA/ICSA Labs, [ [http://www.pcw.co.uk/crn/features/2010164/enemy-within Personal Computer World] ] Rainbow Technologies, STSN), and a writer, trainer, and speaker. [ [http://www.isp-planet.com/equipment/2003/spamsquelcher.html ISP Planet] ] His guide to privacy for businesses was published in 2002.

More recently Cobb has turned his attention to social issues. In 2005, he initiated an affordable housing project in St. Augustine, Florida and worked as both Executive Producer and Producer on Dare Not Walk Alone, a feature-length documentary about Florida's role in the civil rights movement. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1035731/ IMDB] ] When the film made its theatrical debut in Los Angeles, Sara Schieron of Boxoffice Magazine declared it "has the potential to do real good in the world" [ [http://boxoffice.com/reviews/2008/04/dare-not-walk-alone-the-war-of.php Boxoffice Magazine] ] and Eric Monder of Film Journal International noted, "The racial politics of the current presidential election make this film all the more significant." [ [http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/reviews/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003794585 Film Journal International] ]

Cobb has spoken at numerous conferences in more than 10 countries. He maintains and contributes to numerous web sites and blogs. In 2006 he was interviewed by the ACM publication Ubiqity. [ [http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/interviews/v7i27_cobb.html Ubiquity Volume 7 Issue 27 July 18, 2006 - July 24, 2006)] ]

Companies

In the field of information assurance Cobb's main focus has been on maximizing the benefits of information technology to businesses, governments and communities through the reduction of IT-related fraud and risk. In 1995 Cobb became one of the first ten employees of the National Computer Security Association (later ICSA Labs and Tru-Secure). There he produced the widely distributed "NCSA Firewall Policy Guide" and helped form the Firewall Product Consortium.

In 1997, Cobb joined forces with Michael Miora, David Brussin, and Vincent Schiavone to turn Miora Systems Consulting into InfoSec Labs, a security consultancy which was acquired by Rainbow Technologies in 1999. After two years as Director of Special Projects ar Rainbow, Cobb again joined forces with Brussin, Miora, and Schiavone, this time to create ePrivacy Group. The long term goal of ePrivacy Group was to eliminate spam.

At ePrivacy Group Cobb helped create the SpamSquelcher TurnTide anti-spam technology for which Symantec paid $28 million in 2004. [ [http://news.cnet.com/Symantec-snaps-up-antispam-firm/2100-7355_3-5266548.html CNET, July 12, 2004] ]

References