The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has announced that Tarah Wheeler, a social scientist studying international conflict and CEO of the cybersecurity compliance company Red Queen Dynamics, has joined its Board of Directors. Wheeler has been on EFF’s advisory board since June 2020.
Wheeler is also the Senior Fellow for Global Cyber Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and was elected to Life Membership at CFR in 2023. She contributes as a cybersecurity expert for the Washington Post and writes on cyber warfare for Foreign Policy. Her book “Women In Tech: Take Your Career to The Next Level With Practical Advice And Inspiring Stories” was published in 2016.
“I am very excited to have Tarah bring her judgment, her technical expertise and her enthusiasm to EFF’s Board,” said EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn. “She has supported us in many ways before now, including creating and hosting the ‘Betting on Your Digital Rights: EFF Benefit Poker Tournament at DEF CON,’ which will have its third year this summer. Now we get to have her in a governance role as well.”
"I am deeply honored to join the Board of Directors at the Electronic Frontier Foundation,” Wheeler stated. “EFF's mission to defend civil liberties in the digital world is more critical than ever, and I am humbled to be invited to serve in this work. EFF has been there for me and other information security researchers when we needed a champion the most. Together, we will continue to fight for the rights and freedoms that ensure a free and open internet for all."
Wheeler’s career includes roles such as US/UK Fulbright Scholar in Cyber Security, Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Oxford University’s Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict, contributing cybersecurity editor at Brookings Institution, Cyber Project Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and International Security Fellow at New America leading an international cybersecurity capacity-building project with Hewlett Foundation’s Cyber Initiative.
Her professional experience spans positions like Head of Offensive Security & Technical Data Privacy at Splunk, Senior Director of Engineering and Principal Security Advocate at Symantec Website Security, project leadership roles at Microsoft Game Studios (Halo and Lips), and system architecture work at Silent Circle.
Members of EFF's Board of Directors are responsible for ensuring the organization’s sustainability through sound governance and financial management policies. Shari Steele has rotated off the Board after serving since 2015 when she stepped down as Executive Director. Gigi Sohn has been elected Chair of the Board.
For more information about EFF's Board of Directors: https://www.eff.org/about/board
