Microsoft exec joins US security

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has appointed a senior Microsoft executive to head a section charged with protecting the federal government's computer networks from cyber attacks, says The Washington Post.

Phil Reitinger, currently chief trustworthy infrastructure strategist at Microsoft, will become deputy undersecretary of DHS's National Protections Programme division.

In addition to overseeing the department's mandate to protect government networks, Reitinger also will be responsible for coordinating the US's outreach to private companies that own and operate the nation's most vital information assets.

The board of directors of Guardian Analytics, a provider of online account fraud prevention software for financial services institutions, has revealed the appointment of Terry Austin to chief executive officer, states FoxBusiness.

Austin succeeds company founder Tom Miltonberger, who will focus on the future direction of Guardian Analytics' products.

The company also announced that security industry veteran Irfan Salim, president and CEO of MarkMonitor, has joined the Guardian Analytics board of directors.

Don Van Mierlo, chairman of Hatsize Corporation, a provider in online virtual lab environments, has revealed the appointment of Sue Miller to the position of chief executive officer, says Market Wire.

Guy Hummel, co-founder and president of Hatsize, says: "By hiring an experienced CEO of Sue Miller's calibre, we are ensuring that we continue to deliver high levels of customer satisfaction and position our company for even more dramatic sales growth."

Miller has grown three publicly-traded tech companies (Compaq Canada, Merisel Europe and Merisel Canada) to combined annual revenue of over $3 billion and achieved dominant market share for a variety of products in North America and Europe.