Bellovin Named First Technology Scholar by Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board

The PCLOB’s mission is to ensure that the federal government’s efforts to prevent terrorism are balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties.

Feb 12 2016

Computer Science Professor Steven Bellovin has been appointed the first Technology Scholar by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). A nationally recognized expert in technology and network security, Bellovin has examined technology and its privacy implications throughout his career.


—Photo by Eileen Barroso

“I’m delighted to be joining PCLOB,” says Bellovin. “Modern intelligence agencies rely heavily on technology; many of their collection and analysis systems are based on software. My role will be to help the Board members understand these mechanisms and their implications.”

Bellovin has taught computer science at Columbia since 2005. During more than 20 years at Bell Labs and AT&T Labs Research, he focused on network security firewalls, protocol failures, routing security, and cryptographic protocols. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academies. He has served on the Science and Technology Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Technical Guidelines Development Committee of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and as Chief Technologist of the Federal Trade Commission. He also has authored numerous publications and has received awards and national recognition for his work. He holds a BA from Columbia University and an MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In announcing the appointment, PCLOB Chairman David Medine said, “I am pleased that Professor Bellovin will be joining our team as our first Technology Scholar. His vast knowledge and significant expertise in both the private and public sectors will be of great benefit to our agency’s mission to ensure that the federal government’s efforts to prevent terrorism are balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties.”

The PCLOB is an independent agency within the executive branch established by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. The bipartisan, five-member Board is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The PCLOB’s mission is to ensure that the federal government’s efforts to prevent terrorism are balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties.

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