Marcus Sachs
Encyclopedia
Marcus H. Sachs is the executive director of government affairs for national security and cyber policy at Verizon in Washington, D.C.
, Pakistan
in 1959 and moved to Tallahassee, Florida
with his parents and younger brother in 1961. He grew up in Tallahassee and graduated from Godby High School in 1977. After attending Florida State University
, he transferred to the Georgia Institute of Technology
in Atlanta, where he graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering
degree
. Sachs holds a master's degree
in Science and Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas
and a master's degree in Computer Science from James Madison University
.
of Engineers in the United States Army
in 1981, he served over 20 years as an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers. He graduated from the United States Army
Command and General Staff College
. His final assignment in the Army was with the Defense Department's Joint Task Force for Computer Network Operations (currently named the Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations
) where he was the Senior Operations Analyst and Technical Director. He retired from the US Army in 2002.
Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency. He specialized during the later half of his career in computer network operations, systems automation, and information technology.
Sachs was appointed by President George W. Bush
in 2002 to serve in the White House Office of Cyberspace Securitym where he was a staff member of the National Security Council
and the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board. While a member of the White House
staff, he coordinated efforts to protect and secure the nation's telecommunication and Internet infrastructures, leveraging expertise from United States
government agencies, the domestic private sector, and the international community. He also contributed to the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace
, and later served in the National Cyber Security Division
of the US Department of Homeland Security. He is credited for proposing the creation of the US-CERT in 2003.
In 2005, Sachs began directing the Washington operations of the Cyber Security Research and Development Center of SRI International. Supported by SRI International
's Computer Science Laboratory under a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Center was the primary vehicle through which the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA
) Cyber Security R&D programs were executed. Sachs is also a cyberspace security researcher, writer, and instructor for the SANS Institute
and the Director of the SANS Internet Storm Center
. He is a registered Professional Engineer
in the Commonwealth of Virginia and holds an amateur radio
advanced class license.
Birth and education
Sachs was born in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1959 and moved to Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
with his parents and younger brother in 1961. He grew up in Tallahassee and graduated from Godby High School in 1977. After attending Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, he transferred to the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in Atlanta, where he graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
. Sachs holds a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Science and Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and a master's degree in Computer Science from James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
.
Military service
Commissioned as a Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
of Engineers in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1981, he served over 20 years as an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers. He graduated from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
. His final assignment in the Army was with the Defense Department's Joint Task Force for Computer Network Operations (currently named the Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations
Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations
Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations was a subordinate command of United States Strategic Command whose mission is to: direct the operation and defense of the Global Information Grid across strategic, operational, and tactical boundaries in support of the US Department of Defense's full...
) where he was the Senior Operations Analyst and Technical Director. He retired from the US Army in 2002.
Duties
Sachs works with external government and business stakeholders in task forces, working groups, committees, and trade associations as part of the National Security/Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) community in Washington. He is a member of the CSISCenter for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University...
Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency. He specialized during the later half of his career in computer network operations, systems automation, and information technology.
Sachs was appointed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 2002 to serve in the White House Office of Cyberspace Securitym where he was a staff member of the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
and the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board. While a member of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
staff, he coordinated efforts to protect and secure the nation's telecommunication and Internet infrastructures, leveraging expertise from United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government agencies, the domestic private sector, and the international community. He also contributed to the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace
National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace
In the United States government, the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, is a component of the larger National Strategy for Homeland Security. The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace was drafted by the Department of Homeland Security in reaction to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks...
, and later served in the National Cyber Security Division
National Cyber Security Division
The National Cyber Security Division is a division of the Office of Cyber Security & Communications, within the United States Department of Homeland Security's Directorate for National Protection and Programs...
of the US Department of Homeland Security. He is credited for proposing the creation of the US-CERT in 2003.
In 2005, Sachs began directing the Washington operations of the Cyber Security Research and Development Center of SRI International. Supported by SRI International
SRI International
SRI International , founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in Menlo Park, California, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later...
's Computer Science Laboratory under a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Center was the primary vehicle through which the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA
HSARPA
Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency is a part of the Science and Technology Directorate at the United States Department of Homeland Security. Much like DARPA in the Department of Defense, HSARPA is tasked with advanced projects to advance the technology needed to protect the US...
) Cyber Security R&D programs were executed. Sachs is also a cyberspace security researcher, writer, and instructor for the SANS Institute
SANS Institute
The SANS Institute is a private US company that specializes in internet security training. It was founded in 1989, provides computer security training, professional certification through Global Information Assurance Certification , and a research archive - the SANS Reading Room...
and the Director of the SANS Internet Storm Center
Internet Storm Center
The Internet Storm Center is a program of the SANS Technology Institute, a branch of the SANS Institute which monitors the level of malicious activity on the Internet, particularly with regards to large-scale infrastructure events....
. He is a registered Professional Engineer
Professional Engineer
Regulation of the engineering profession is established by various jurisdictions of the world to protect the safety, well-being and other interests of the general public, and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes authorized to provide professional services to the...
in the Commonwealth of Virginia and holds an amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
advanced class license.