CHANTILLY, Va., Jan. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- TASC, Inc., has named Rick Howard Chief Information Security Officer.  In this role, Howard will lead the development of TASC's strategic vision, security architecture and technical roadmaps for information security throughout the company.

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"Cyber threats against government and industry are increasingly advanced, and we must be prepared with aggressive and integrated measures to protect our information and intellectual property," says Barbie Bigelow, senior vice president and chief information officer of TASC.  "Rick's deep expertise in cybersecurity will ensure that TASC's corporate information infrastructure, and specifically the operations of our Cybersecurity Operations Center, remain secure, resilient and agile."

Howard joins TASC from VeriSign where he was the general manager responsible for the iDefense business unit, a cybersecurity intelligence organization that delivers decision-support services to Fortune 500 companies and key federal agencies.  Before VeriSign, he led the intelligence-gathering activities at Counterpane Internet Security and ran Counterpane's global network of security operations centers. Howard served in the U.S. Army for 23 years in various command and staff positions involving information technology and computer security, and spent the last two years of his career as the US Army's Computer Emergency Response Team Chief (ACERT). Howard holds a master's in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School and an engineering degree from the U.S. Military Academy. He also taught computer science at the Academy from 1990 to 1995. He has published many academic papers on technology and security and contributed as executive editor of two books, "Cyber Fraud: Tactics, Techniques and Procedures" and "Cyber Security Essentials."

About TASC

Founded in 1966, TASC, Inc., helps solve complex national security and public safety challenges by providing advanced systems engineering, integration and decision-support services to the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense and civilian agencies of the federal government.  With about 5,000 employees in 40 locations, TASC generates more than $1.5 billion in annual revenue.  For more information and career opportunities, visit our website at www.tasc.com.

Media Contact:  Christine Nyirjesy Bragale, TASC Public Relations Manager, Christine.Bragale@TASC.com, (703) 653-5996

SOURCE TASC, Inc.