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Facebook nabs Yahoo exec as new chief security officer

Alex Stamos replaces Joe Sullivan, who departed the social network to run security at Uber.
Written by Rachel King, Contributor

Facebook has filled a void in its executive suite by luring over an executive from Yahoo.

Alex Stamos, previously Yahoo's chief information security officer, announced appropriately enough via his Facebook page on Wednesday that he has been hired by the social network as its new chief security officer.

Stamos wrote he is joining Facebook because there "is no company in the world that is better positioned to tackle the challenges faced not only by today's Internet users but for the remaining 2/3rds of humanity we have yet to connect."

Stamos replaces Joe Sullivan, who departed the social network a few months ago to run security at ride-sharing wunderkind Uber.

Sullivan already had his work cut out for him in shoring up Uber data security for users and drivers alike. In February, the San Francisco-headquartered company revealed its databases had been compromised last year, then waiting several months before alerting impacted drivers.

As for Facebook, with more than 1.14 billion users worldwide and counting, the privacy and security issues for the world's largest social network are glaring and ever increasing, to say the least.

Stamos starts in his new role next Monday, June 29.


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