Current Executive Director Howard A. Schmidt to become Executive Director Emeritus at year-end after three years of leadership

Wakefield, Mass. – December 1, 2016 – The Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code (SAFECode) today announced the appointment of Steven B. Lipner, former partner director of Software Security at Microsoft, and former chairman of SAFECode, as its new executive director. SAFECode’s current executive director, Howard A. Schmidt, will transition to the position of executive director emeritus in December 2016 after leading the organization for three years.

“SAFECode has thrived under Howard’s leadership, making great strides in improving its global reach; increasing its engagement with the business community and governments worldwide and producing an impressive body of technical work. Howard will leave behind a legacy of accomplishment and we thank him for his leadership,” said Eric Baize, chairman, SAFECode. “We are now turning the direction of the organization over to Steve, whose leadership has shaped how the entire industry approaches software security assurance. Steve’s work helped define common security practices used by hundreds of thousands of software developers today. His industry leadership combined with his extensive knowledge will be a tremendous asset to help advance the adoption of the fundamental principles of software security assurance among all stakeholders.”

Lipner rejoins SAFECode with more than four decades of experience in software security assurance. He led Microsoft’s Security Development Lifecycle team and was responsible for corporate supply chain security strategies and policies regarding government evaluation of Microsoft security products. A National Cyber Security Hall of Fame inductee, his contributions to software assurance have influenced the entire security sector. He is named as an inventor on 12 U.S. patents in the field of computer and network security. In addition, he co-authored the book, The Security Development Lifecycle.

“I’m proud to have served as a SAFECode board member and look forward to expanding our industry goals, defined and sharpened under Howard’s leadership, as SAFECode’s new executive director,” said Lipner. “Given the pervasiveness of connected software, SAFECode has a unique opportunity to foster broader adoption of proven software security assurance best practices. Through the hands-on experience of SAFECode members, we’ll continue to play a pivotal role with software developers, product security managers and others looking to improve their skills in helping to secure the technology ecosystem.”

About SAFECode
The Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code (SAFECode) is a non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to increasing trust in information and communications technology products and services through the advancement of effective software assurance methods. SAFECode is a global, industry-led effort to identify and promote best practices for developing and delivering more secure and reliable software, hardware and services. Its members include Adobe Systems Incorporated, CA Technologies, Dell EMC, Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corp., SAP AG, Siemens AG and Symantec Corp.
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