Yahoo CISO Alex Stamos jumps ship for Facebook

Facebook will have a new chief security officer (CSO) from Monday, having snapped up Yahoo's CISO Alex Stamos.

Stamos announced the move, perhaps predictably, via a Facebook post, in which he said the internet has been "an incredible force" for societal change at every level but that "these benefits are not without risk, and it is the responsibility of our industry to build the safest, most trustworthy products possible".

"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," he said. 

"The Facebook security team has demonstrated a history of innovation as well as a unique willingness to share those innovations with the world, and we will build upon that history in the years to come." 

Stamos was a major force for change at Yahoo, leading a project to introduce end-to-end security for Yahoo Mail and also spearheaded the company's response to PRISM.

Colin Stretch, Facebook's general counsel, said Stamos is "a leader with deep technical security knowledge and experience. We're thrilled that he is joining Facebook as out new chief security officer to help us create an even bigger impact".

Stamos fills the shoes of Joe Sullivan, who left Facebook to join Uber in April this year. At Yahoo, Ramses Martinez, a senior director on its security team, will temporarily fill the role of CISO until the company has hired a permanent replacement.