Oral history interview with Terry Benzel

Abstract

Computer security pioneer Terry Benzel discusses her education and programming work at Charles Draper Laboratory, before focusing on her work at MITRE Corporation, Trusted Information Systems (TIS), Network Associates and USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI). The MITRE discussion highlights her early role and perspectives on criteria evaluation (including her role in the SCOMP evaluation) in the formative years of TCSEC and after the publication of the criteria in 1983. Starting as a TIS principal scientist she rose to become a vice president in charge of the West Coast (Los Angeles) office, and later led a research team of 120 scientists/engineers for Network Associates. Among the technologies discussed are firewall development, and the security testbed at ISI.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”