It is with a heavy heart that I write this entry. As many of you likely already know, we lost a great information security warrior on Friday. At the age of 89, Mr. Harold F. Tipton, a founder of (ISC)², keeper of the (ISC)² CBK and mentor to thousands, passed away. He played many distinguished roles:
CBK Chair or co-chair for all (ISC)² certifications
Past President of (ISC)²
Chief Instructor for (ISC)²
Ambassador for (ISC)²
U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot
Typical of Hal, he worked until the day he went into the hospital. This kind of dedication inspired thousands of people around the world. Below are some things people who knew him well have said about him. If you knew Hal and would like to share your story, please add a comment here or follow the conversation on InterSeC. Or, click here to listen to Mr. Tipton’s reflections on the profession.
From Dr. Corey Schou, CSSLP, Fellow of (ISC)², Creator of the (ISC)² CBK, member, (ISC)² Board of Directors
I met Hal when we were first forming (ISC)². I had to make a presentation to the Board of Directors of ISSA; he was the chair/president. They had agreed to cooperate with the creation of the CBK; however, Hal wanted the whole board to hear from the individuals forming the consortium. It was a daunting meeting – his reputation preceded him. When I first saw him, all I could think of was Admiral Bull Halsley. Hal made it easy. With his encouragement and guidance from the chair, the agreement was struck. All members of the original consortium were on board.
I got to know Hal much better over the years; he was always willing to pitch in on all sorts of projects. He visited my campus several times and contributed to the NIST and CNSS projects we were working on in addition to (ISC)². It was marvelous to watch him work with my students. He was gentle but insisted that they get it right before he would let them rest. About 20 years ago, one of my students went to work for a major semi-conductor firm in the IT area. The security manager kept arguing about how some access control should be implemented. Finally, my young friend called Hal and asked the question – Hal told him he was a little busy but a day or two later he sent a letter – explaining why the security manager had it wrong. The former student merely framed the letter and hung it on the wall in his cube. When the argument continued, all he had to say was, “Hal said…” and point at the framed letter.
Many years later, I received a phone call from a good friend to see if I could come to a meeting in Chicago. Although I was in the middle of a long trip, I said, “for you”, I will go through Chicago. I had been tricked into coming to an award ceremony. I was taken aback when I was told I had been given the first Tipton Award. I was absolutely humbled by the honor from my peers – BUT to receive the award named after one of the absolute greats in the certification of computer security professionals.
Hal and I received the award at the same time. There will always be a special kinship. I will miss the all too infrequent phone calls.
From Peter, Andrej, Markus, Sandro and Richard, for the (ISC)² Chapter Switzerland and Rainer, Arne, Guenter, Hubertus for the (ISC)² Chapter Germany
We just received the news that Hal Tipton passed away this morning.
We would like to share our condolences on this occasion. The entire profession is indebted to Hal for his work on the CISSP CBK. He was an original and deep thinker, an enterprising individual and at the same time an easygoing person with a great sense of humor.
Some of us had the pleasure of working with Hal on several occasions, and it was always a pleasure, an experience - and great fun.
Our thoughts go out to Hal's family and friends, many of who are in (ISC)².
From Kevin Henry, CISSP-ISSEP, CISA, CISM, CBCI, CRISC, CSWAE, (ISC)² Authorized Instructor, former Head of Educational Services for (ISC)², and he served as the former Co-chair of the CBK committees with Hal:
Perhaps the greatest tribute we can give a person
Is the measure of the impact they have had on lives around them
The way they affected and encouraged their friends
Touched and influenced their family
And made the world a better place
There are no words to be said that can express our grief
The passing of a great man – a pioneer and warrior and a servant
One that gave his life and time
Expended his passion
And laughed at so many things
He was indeed the Grand Gentleman of Information Security
Setting a standard that none other can attain
Of nobility, grace and selfless work
Hal was a man of his era
That defined the world of information security
Saw it borne from the ashes of the past
And embraced the opportunities of the present
Working tirelessly and unceasingly Hal sought to build an industry
That would provide real value
Through many years of instructor development
Course program management and quality assurance
Hal set the standards of excellence and completeness that was needed
What was the course without Hal questioning the content
What was an instructor without Hal demanding perfection
What is information security without Hal leading the way
Hal bore many slights and criticisms and yet was not discouraged
He worked in silence and determination – with a mind to make a difference every day
And do what he could