Alan Paller, of Bethesda, passed away on Nov. 9. He was 76. Alan was a pioneer in the cybersecurity industry, championing the need for greater education and knowledge for practitioners. He founded SANS in 1989, a professional cybersecurity training organization. He was also president emeritus of SANS Technology Institute. Most recently, Alan founded and chaired the board of the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation.
Alan testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and was an initial member of President Bill Clinton’s National Infrastructure Assurance Council. He was chosen by President George W. Bush’s Office of Management and Budget and the Federal CIO Council as the 2005 Azimuth Award winner. Alan co-chaired the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Committee’s 2012 Task Force on Cyber Skills and headed the Task Force on Best Practices in Cybersecurity for the FCC Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council. He was a member of the NASA Advisory Council. He is survived by his wife, Marsha Mann Paller, whom he married in 1968; two daughters, Brooke Paller and Channing Paller; a sister, Joan Bines; and two grandsons. Donations may be made to National Cyber Scholarship Foundation, Alan Paller Memorial Scholarship Fund; Women in Cyber Security, Alan Paller Memorial Cyber Talent Emergency Fund; and Last Mile Education Fund Alan Paller Memorial Fund.
