Interview Gordon Ross: Internet Security Pioneer, Founder Net Nanny, President of Virtual Perceptions Systems Inc.

This is the next interview in the continuing series of Computing Canada’s (CC ) Blogged Down (BD) which is featured here “first” in the Canadian IT Managers (CIM) forum.

In this blog series, we talk with Gordon Ross, Internet Filtering Pioneer, Biometrics / Security / Telecommunications / Ethics / Privacy Expert, Founder of Net Nanny; President of Virtual Perceptions Systems Inc.

Today I will profile Gordon due to his extensive accomplishments and long history of successes.

In 1994, Mr. Ross created, developed and designed the first filtering software for the Internet and led the development of Internet and Biometric security products. He established a solid market and brand leadership, beginning with the industry's first filtering product in January 1995 - Net Nanny.

Mr. Ross is an expert on issues concerning the Internet, privacy, security, telecommunications and child safety. He has testified before the US Congressionally appointed COPA Commission on filtering technologies, assisting the Commission in drafting their report about ways to protect children from sexually explicit material. His expertise has lead him to speak before various international organizations and was invited by the White House to meet with the President and Vice-President of the US to discuss technological solutions to protect ourselves in today’s digital world.

He has spoken before the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's forum in Paris, France, on Internet content and self-regulation. He was also invited by the Bertelsmann Foundation's to speak on “Child Safety and the Internet", including International Ratings and Filtering, in Germany. Mr. Ross has also spoken before the Freedom Forum's annual Technology Conference for Journalism Educators and participated in a panel of technology experts at Harvard University's symposium, "The Internet and Society."

He was the recipient of the first ever The Christian Computing Award for a software product, in recognition for his long-standing contribution to further public understanding of the important issues surrounding safety and securing data in the online world.

For his exhaustive efforts to ensure that the Internet is a safe, open medium, Mr. Ross received the first Internet Humanitarian of the Year Award in February 1999, from CyberAngels in New York, an online Internet safety organization (a division of the Guardian Angels). In the same year, Mr. Ross was awarded the Ethics in Action Award, in Vancouver, Canada, for individual ongoing corporate responsibility.

Prior to Net Nanny Software International Inc., Mr. Ross developed expertise in information flow, securing telecommunication systems, routing, access control and network management while working as a traffic engineer and manager at TELUS (formerly BC Tel.), the largest Verizon operating company in Canada. He has consulted with various organizations, has written course material for the University of Washington, and is currently President of Virtual Perception Systems Inc, www.virtualperception.net , a Vancouver software company developing solutions to protect against ID Theft, Fraud, and to safe-guard our digital assets.

Mr. Ross is a graduate from California State Polytechnic University, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronics Engineering, and is a registered Professional Engineer. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of "The Society For The Policing Of Cyberspace" and often speaks at their Annual Conferences and Quarterly Meetings in regards to Biometrics, Ethics, Privacy and Data protection, and other Security related issues. Gordon is a Veteran of the US Army, where he was trained as a communications specialist.  He attended AT&T's Network Management School in New Jersey and has taken numerous management courses from Verizon (formerly GTE).  Mr. Ross is also an Alumnus of the Banff School of Advanced Management.

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In the next blog, Gordon will share his involvement with CIPS and we will begin our discussion about important security issues.

I also encourage you to share your thoughts here on these interviews or send me an e-mail at sibaraki@cips.ca.
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Thank you,
Stephen Ibaraki, FCIPS, I.S.P.