Tarah Marie Wheeler (born February 12, 1979) is an American technology and
cybersecurity
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...
author, public speaker, entrepreneur
and executive. She is currently CEO of Red Queen Dynamics and Senior Fellow of Global Cyber Policy at the
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...
, and she is the author of ''
Women in Tech
''Women In Tech: Take Your Career to the Next Level with Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories'' is a 2016 professional career guide written by Tarah Wheeler and published by Sasquatch Books. The book began as a Kickstarter project, with 772 ...
''.
Early life and education
Wheeler received a
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
degree from
Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
.
Career
In 2012, Wheeler founded now-defunct employee management company Fizzmint.
Wheeler was a systems architect at mobile
encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can decip ...
firm
Silent Circle.
In 2016, Wheeler was named a Cybersecurity Passcode Influencer by
Christian Science Monitor
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and spoke to the
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction ov ...
on
information security
Information security, sometimes shortened to InfoSec, is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of information risk management. It typically involves preventing or reducing the probability of unauthorize ...
in tech startups.
After a
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign, Wheeler published ''
Women in Tech
''Women In Tech: Take Your Career to the Next Level with Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories'' is a 2016 professional career guide written by Tarah Wheeler and published by Sasquatch Books. The book began as a Kickstarter project, with 772 ...
'', a book dedicated to teaching women how to succeed in tech careers.
The book was published with several contributors, including
Esther Dyson
Esther Dyson (born 14 July 1951) is a Swiss-born American investor, journalist, author, commentator and philanthropist. She is the executive founder of Wellville, a nonprofit project focused on improving equitable wellbeing. Dyson is also an ang ...
and
Brianna Wu
Brianna Wu (born July 6, 1977) is an American video game developer and computer programmer. She co-founded Giant Spacekat, an independent video game development studio, with Amanda Warner in Boston, Massachusetts. She is also a blogger and pod ...
, one of the targets of the
Gamergate controversy
Gamergate or GamerGate (GG) was a loosely organized misogynistic online harassment campaign and a right-wing backlash against feminism, diversity, and progressivism in video game culture. It was conducted using the hashtag "#Gamergate" pri ...
.
Wheeler served as the Website Cybersecurity Czar at
Symantec, until her position was eliminated in August 2017.
Wheeler and her husband Deviant Ollam helped cybersecurity researcher
Marcus Hutchins
Marcus Hutchins (born 1994), also known online as MalwareTech, is a British computer security researcher known for stopping the WannaCry ransomware attack. He is employed by cybersecurity firm Kryptos Logic. Hutchins is from Ilfracombe in Dev ...
with his bail in August 2017 and to house him in Los Angeles during his arraignment period while he was investigated by the FBI on charges related to the
Kronos rootkit; Hutchins later plead guilty to two of ten charges.
In 2021, Wheeler became a Fulbright Scholar in Cybersecurity at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
Wheeler has been cited in national media on issues relating to cybersecurity such as cyberterrorism, malware and data breaches
and has written about cyberwar policy.
Bibliography
Books
* Tarah Wheeler Van Vlack, ''
Women in Tech
''Women In Tech: Take Your Career to the Next Level with Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories'' is a 2016 professional career guide written by Tarah Wheeler and published by Sasquatch Books. The book began as a Kickstarter project, with 772 ...
: Take Your Career to the Next Level with Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories'', 2016, Hardback ISBN 978-1-63217-140-5
Poker
Wheeler has competed in the
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker pla ...
with $4,722 in lifetime cashes.
In ''Women in Tech'', Wheeler notes that interests such as poker can be useful in business, the same way golf can be.
References
External links
Personal site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Tarah
1979 births
Living people
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American women writers
Activists from Washington (state)
American business writers
Women business writers
American computer businesspeople
American feminist writers
American technology chief executives
American technology writers
Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon
Businesspeople from Seattle
People associated with computer security
Gen Digital people
Splunk people
Writers from Portland, Oregon
Writers from Seattle
American women non-fiction writers
Fulbright alumni