PRESS RELEASE: Former NSA Executive Richard C. Schaeffer Joins Fornetix Board
FREDERICK, MARYLAND – 
Fornetix, Inc., an industry pioneer in enterprise encryption management technology, announces the appointment of Richard C. Schaeffer, Jr. to the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Schaeffer is a former Senior Executive with the National Security Agency (NSA) and brings over 40 years of experience from roles throughout the defense and intelligence communities. His career includes extensive leadership, management, and technical expertise in the areas of information security and assurance, helping to safeguard many of the nation’s most critical and sensitive assets.
“On behalf of the Board, we are incredibly pleased to welcome Dick Schaeffer and are excited about the immediate contributions he is making to the growth of Fornetix,” says Douglas Jacobsen, Executive Chairman of the Fornetix Board. “It was clear right from the start that he commands a tremendous amount of respect and gravitas within the federal space. We feel that the solutions Fornetix provides are in perfect alignment with the vision Dick has for keeping the nation secure in an increasingly hostile cyber environment.”
Since retiring in 2010 from the position of Information Assurance Director, Mr. Schaeffer has continued to pursue his passion for improving the security of U.S. interests in the cyber domain. He remains a strong advocate in the area of cyber education and training, believing that the nation’s future in the complex world of cyberspace depends upon a corps of professionals who are well-equipped to deal with a rapidly changing technology and threat environment.
From the start, Fornetix has worked alongside the intelligence community to develop a breakthrough “Made in America” solution to the multi-faceted problems of encryption and information security.
Charles White, CTO and co-founder of Fornetix, says, “The idea behind Fornetix originated on the battlefield and in the intelligence community so the addition of Dick Schaeffer feels like we’ve come full circle in the company’s history. Dick is a visionary in cyber security and defense. In an evolving cyber landscape, his efforts have helped our country and our partners face these threats head-on. I am honored and thankful that he is joining our Board of Directors.”
Throughout his career, Mr. Schaeffer has been recognized for his vision, leadership, and commitment to excellence. He is known for his strategic thinking, ability to build cohesive teams, political savvy, technical competence, and ability to communicate complex topics to any audience. As Fornetix continues to experience traction and growth in the federal space, Mr. Schaeffer’s perspectives and insights have already proven invaluable.
“The addition of Dick Schaeffer is a monumental boost to the organization as we strengthen our relationship with a broad range of federal agencies,” says Fornetix CEO Mark Gilroy. “Our technology has been tailor-made for the rigorous needs of government, military, and intelligence customers. I’m confident Dick will be a steady hand as we navigate the implementation of the Fornetix ecosystem throughout these critical areas.”
Mr. Schaeffer will serve alongside current Fornetix board members Douglas Jacobsen (Executive Chairman), Norman Kravetz, John McClurg, Stu Shea, and Philip Fasano.
About Fornetix
The Fornetix VaultCore ecosystem is the only enterprise key manager with the capacity and horsepower to manage hundreds of millions of encryption keys, the number required by cutting-edge IoT networks and applications. This unmatched scalability empowers organizations to build a data security strategy with encryption as the bedrock foundation — no compromises needed. Powerful tools for automating the key lifecycle, enforcing cryptographic policies, and rapidly integrating with the most popular IT services and technologies sets a new standard and opens new opportunities for broad encryption deployment. To request a demo and explore how Fornetix can bring powerful encryption to your organization, please click here.
Note: This entry has been edited to reflect the ‘Key Orchestration’ solution name becoming ‘VaultCore’
