Stephen Cobb is an expert on
security
Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...
,
privacy
Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.
The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...
, and the risks related to digital technology.
Widely published as a technical author in the 1980s, Cobb became known for his efforts to educate consumers and companies in data privacy and information security. In 1996, Cobb became one of the first people to earn the Certified Information System Security Professional (
CISSP
CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) is an independent information security certification granted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, also known as ISC2.
As of July 2022, there were 1 ...
) qualification. He later co-founded two information security startups, one of which developed innovative anti-spam technology that is still in use today (both firms were sold to
NASDAQ
The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...
listed companies). Cobb has been cited as an information security expert by national media and in congressional testimony. Since September 2019, he has been pursuing independent research from the city of
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
, in England, where he was born and raised.
Written work
After authoring more than a dozen textbooks during the 1980s on how to use software applications like spreadsheets, databases, and word processors, mostly through
McGraw Hill
McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...
Cobb's first book on PC and LAN Security was published in 1991. In 2002, Cobb published a primer on privacy for businesses. As co-author and editor of the
Trusted Email Open Standard Cobb helped present this proposal for securing email 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) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...
in 2003. After a brief hiatus from privacy and security research, during which he produced an independent documentary on racial inequality in America (
Dare Not Walk Alone, 2006), Cobb co-authored a peer-reviewed paper on the dangers of malicious code use by governments, which he termed "righteous malware". Published by
IEEE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines.
The IEEE ...
, the paper was presented by Cobb at
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
CCDCOE
NATO CCD COE, officially the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence ( or ''NATO küberkaitsekoostöö keskus''), is one of NATO Centres of Excellence, located in Tallinn, Estonia. The centre was established on 14 May 2008, it recei ...
's CyCon 2014, the 6th International Conference On Cyber Conflict. Cobb's historical analysis of cybercrime surveys was presented at
Virus Bulletin
Virus Bulletin is a magazine about the prevention, detection and removal of malware and spam. It regularly features analyses of the latest virus threats, articles exploring new developments in the fight against viruses, interviews with anti-virus ...
2015.
Entrepreneurial activities
Cobb co-founded two information security startups that were sold to NASDAQ listed companies. The first was InfoSec Labs, acquired in 1999 by
Rainbow Technologies, a maker of encryption products such as the CryptoSwift Hardware Security Module (HSM). The second was
ePrivacy Group, the company that created the
TurnTide anti-spam technology. This technology was acquired by
Symantec in 2004 was still in use a decade later as the Symantec Traffic Shaper.
Security awareness and education
Cobb served for four years on the IT Security Executive Council of
CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association, more commonly known as CompTIA, is an American trade association that issues temporary vendor-neutral professional certifications for the information technology (IT) industry.
Certifications
All ce ...
(2012-2015). He frequently worked with Security Our eCity, a non-profit community-wide security awareness organization based in San Diego. In that role, he helped organize an annual Cyber Boot Camp for middle school and high school students that received national attention. Cobb has been an invited speaker on information security and data privacy issues in a dozen countries. He is also a TEDx speaker. Cobb's dissertation for his Master of Science degree in security and risk management at the
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...
addressed aspects of the cybersecurity skills gap.
As a security researcher with
ESET, Cobb tracked the effects of security breaches on economic activity. For example, in the wake of the
Snowden revelations
During the 2010s, international media reports revealed new operational details about the Anglophone cryptographic agencies' global surveillance of both foreign and domestic nationals. The reports mostly relate to Classified information#Top S ...
he documented a drop in online shopping and banking. In 2018 he fielded a public opinion survey in North America that paralleled prior studies conducted by the European Union (EU), published as the “Special Eurobarometer: Cyber Security.” This revealed that nine out of 10 Americans surveyed agreed that cybercrime was “an important challenge to the internal security of the USA." The study also revealed high levels of concern about cybercrime in Canada.
In an effort to spread awareness of emerging threats Cobb has coined words for two related digital security problems: jackware and siegeware. He described jackware as "ransomware meets car jacking." Siegeware is "the code-enabled ability to make a credible extortion demand based on digitally impaired building functionality."
Awards and Nominations
In 2019,
CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association, more commonly known as CompTIA, is an American trade association that issues temporary vendor-neutral professional certifications for the information technology (IT) industry.
Certifications
All ce ...
presented Cobb with the Tech Champion Award for Industry. The Tech Champion Awards are presented to "leaders focused on driving innovation, job growth and advancements for the information technology (IT) industry." Previous Tech Champion Award recipients include U.S. Senator
Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democ ...
and U.S. Representative
Anna Eshoo
Anna A. Eshoo ( ; née Georges; born December 13, 1942) is an American politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2025. She is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...
.
In 2007,
Dare Not Walk Alone, the
feature-length
A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation ...
independent documentary about the civil rights struggle in Florida, for which Cobb received producer and executive producer credit, won the Audience Award at the Deep Focus Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio.
Official Dare Not Walk website
/ref> In 2009, the film was nominated for the 2009 NAACP Image Award
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
for Outstanding Documentary.
References
External links
Quoted by Newsweek on FBI-Apple encryption debate
Cited by American Banker on FBI-Apple encryption debate
Quoted by the Washington Post on post-Snowden drop in Internet commerce
Interviewed by Bank InfoSecurity
Cited by Marketplace on Snowden leaks
Cited on healthcare data breach by the NY Times
Quoted by Forbes on state data breach
Articles by Stephen Cobb on healthcare IT security
Cited by NBC on Instagram vulnerability
Collected cybersecurity articles by Stephen Cobb
Security website, S. Cobb on Security
Cited by fellow expert on antivirus technology
Cited by Dell on security of wearables
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobb, Stephen
Writers about computer security
Living people
1952 births
People from Coventry
Alumni of the University of Leeds