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<p><em>Amit Yacov Yoran</em> accomplished many things throughout a consequential life that ended way too early: cybersecurity pioneer, company founder, visionary and inspiring leader, public servant—the list goes on. But to those who knew him, the way Amit positively impacted every person he met with his profound humility, care for others, generosity, and kind spirit serves as his most enduring legacy. </p>
<p>Amit was born on December 1, 1970 in New York City to Shlomit Schonberger and Chaim Yoran. Along with brothers—Elad, Dov, and Ron—Amit grew up in Pound Ridge, NY. He attended Fox Lane High School, where he excelled academically and athletically. Amit followed his older brother, Elad, and gained admission to the West Point Class of 1993 (“Defenders of the Free”). He and his classmates began their careers as cadets and aspiring Army officers in the summer of 1989. </p>
<p>Beast roommate Grant Geyer, in his eulogy for Amit, recalls their first meeting: “On my first day at West Point I walked into my barracks room expecting just another roommate, but what I found was a brother for life—a man whose friendship would transform me in ways I could never have imagined.”</p>
<p>I first met Amit in the summer of 1991, as we were both lugging our belongings up to the sixth floor of MacArthur Barracks, where we would be roommates firstie year. Recently scrambled, we were newly minted cows assigned to Company C-4 (“Go Cowboys!”). I distinctly remember two things from that meeting. Perhaps foreshadowing his future in cybersecurity, Amit was carrying a large Gateway computer box with its distinctive cow print. I’m fairly certain that Amit was the first Defender to have a hard drive in his computer. I also remember the distinct twinkle in Amit’s eyes. It was a twinkle that hinted at his mischievous side and seemed to imply that he knew something you didn’t, which, in hindsight, was absolutely true. </p>
<p>Fellow Cowboy Jared Ware remembers Amit as “a wonderful man who inspired so many people with his positive energy, engaging attitude, and innovative thinking. He is the guy we all wish we had as a brother or a boss. One of my favorite stories about Amit was when I needed to print out a paper for a course at West Point. At the time we had shared printers, and I was in a time crunch to turn in the paper but near the back of the queue to print. I learned from a friend of ours that Amit knew how to adjust the printing queue. I stopped by his room to request his help. He looked at me with that ‘How did you find out about this?’ look, then smiled and said, ‘No problem, stop by the printer and pick up your paper.’ Amit was never too busy to help a friend.”</p>
<p>Bill Wilshire and others recall the generosity that Amit and his family demonstrated by opening their home to classmates on nearly every weekend, a home away from home for many. “Amit was always there for his friends and would do anything to help them out. As many of us did, I continued to follow Amit’s career after West Point with amazement; but, more than anything, I remember the personal experiences I had watching him as a leader with his companies—building a strong following of talented people because they all knew, not only was he a great leader, he genuinely cared.”</p>
<p>Following graduation, Amit surprised all his classmates by being commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, where his time as a computer security officer laid the groundwork for what would become a distinguished career in cybersecurity. In 1997, while working at the Defense Information Systems Agency, Amit met his future wife, Catherine Lotrionte. They married in 2002 and had three children: Hannah, Josh, and Zoey. </p>
<p>In early 1998, Amit left the Air Force and began his career as an entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert. His first venture was co-founding Riptech, a company that secured sensitive information for numerous organizations. After Symantec acquired Riptech, Amit re-entered government service. He was the founding director of the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the nation’s first director of the National Cybersecurity Division in DHS, appointed by President George W. Bush. Amit then reentered the private sector, innovating and serving in various roles. Most recently, he was the chairman and CEO of Tenable. </p>
<p>Chris Johnson remembers that Amit remained completely focused on his family and friends no matter the circumstances. “At the end of his life he always made it a point to remind me and others, with whom he was close, that he knew life was fleeting and time might be short. He hoped he had plenty of time left, but either way he was determined to make sure he spent as much time as possible with the people he loved the most.” Near the time of his passing, Amit was speaking with his Beast roommate and trying to make sense of his life. Grant’s response sums up what we all know about Amit. “I told him that the meaning of his life was obvious—he put so much love into the world that he touched the lives of many thousands of people in a meaningful way.”</p>
<p>Rest in Peace, Fellow Defender.</p>
<p><em>— Classmate Michael Senn, with Contributions from Amit’s Family and many Friends from the Class of 1993</em></p>
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