Pamplin MBA alumnus leads FBI cybercops
Cybersecurity, a growing worry for businesses and governments, has become one of the highest priorities of the FBI, where Pamplin College of Business alumnus Gordon Snow leads efforts against computer-based crime and threats to national security as assistant director of the bureau's cyber division.
The number and sophistication of cyber attacks increased dramatically over the past five years and is expected to continue to grow, says Snow, who earned an MBA in 2001. “It’s easy for somebody, given enough time, energy, and funding, to penetrate any system that is accessible from the Internet. There really is no secure system out there.”
A former Marine, Snow has been with the FBI for nearly 20 years. Before being appointed to his current post last year, he worked on counterterrorism, counterintelligence, as well as cyber, white-collar, and violent crime assignments around the country and abroad.
In the cover story of this fall’s issue of Pamplin magazine, Snow talks about the FBI’s cybersecurity work with guest interviewer Wade Baker, director of risk intelligence at Verizon and a Pamplin doctoral student in business information technology. Topics include the nature and extent of cybercrime, cybercriminals’ motives and methods, what businesses can do to manage their risks, and the benefits of his Pamplin MBA education.
Read the full story, “Gotcha! MBA alum leads FBI cybercops,” as well as related stories about the bureau’s demand for recruits and Wade Baker’s data security tips for businesses. View this slide show about the FBI's four strategic objectives related to reducing cyberthreats.
