Former Twitter Inc. Head of Security, Peiter Zatko Joins Cybersecurity Firm Rapid7 Ltd,
Last year, he claimed security risks and mismanagement at the social media giant after a whistleblower filed a complaint with federal officials.
Zatko’s part-time role at Rapid7 involves advising company executives and customers, including board members, on using data to make cyber decisions, said the Boston-based company. said a company spokesperson who put the
In a July whistleblower complaint, Zatko accused Twitter of lying about computer security issues and failing to protect user privacy. The filing was shared with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice, which launched an investigation into Twitter’s conduct. Zacco told a congressional hearing in September that Twitter executives put profit above security. The company said Zacco’s claims were inaccurate.
Twitter shareholders approved Elon Musk’s takeover of the company on the same day as Mr. Zatko’s hearing in Congress, after a high-profile legal battle.
Zatko, a former hacker known as “Madge,” worked at Twitter from late 2020 until he was fired in January 2022. The company reportedly paid him a $7 million settlement in private for lost compensation.
Rapid7 said it will leverage Zatko’s experience measuring the effectiveness of cybersecurity practices. “To move the industry forward, we will educate our organizations on how and what to measure to ensure we make the right investments,” CEO Cory Thomas said through a spokesperson. is needed.
Company directors may be under pressure to improve their cyber expertise. Last year, the SEC proposed new rules requiring companies to disclose information about cybersecurity oversight, including which board members are experts in the field. The proposal is expected to be finalized in the coming months.
Marene Allison, former Chief Information Security Officer of Johnson & Johnson, has joined Covenant Technologies as a member of its Advisory Board.
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Johnson & Johnson
Zatko’s move to Rapid7 is the latest move by a prominent former security chief.Marlene Allison, who stepped down as chief information security officer at Johnson & Johnson in December,
has joined cybersecurity consulting firm Covenant Technologies as an advisory board member, the company said Wednesday. In June, Chris Krebs, former director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, joined cybersecurity firm Rubrik Inc. to oversee an advisory board of corporate security professionals.
One of the allegations in Zatko’s whistleblower complaint was that more than 50% of Twitter employees had access to user information. The complaint also alleges that much of the company’s software was outdated and that management hid problems from the board.
Zatko’s new role at Rapid7 was first reported by The Washington Post.
Please contact Catherine Stupp at [email protected].
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