Donn B Parker
October 9, 1929 – September 16, 2021
Los Altos, California resident
Donn loved God deeply, his wife Lorna, his children Diane and Dave and his extended family. He served as an elder at Trinity Lutheran Church, Palo Alto, for many years. He enjoyed downhill skiing in the Sierra and Rocky Mountains, water skiing in San Diego, sailing, running and hiking. After his retirement, Donn traveled extensively with his beloved wife, researched his family history, and as often as possible performed a comedic monologue of his favorite stories and jokes.
Donn received a Master of Arts in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1954. During his professional career, Donn was among the first to recognize, research and document computer crime. He was a consultant, writer, speaker and researcher on computer crime and information security as a senior consultant for 35 years at SRI International and subsequently upon retirement.
Donn was for many years a member, officer and member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Distinguished Fellow of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and a director of the Charles Babbage Foundation for the History of Technology information, working to achieve the safe and crime-free use of information technology. He appreciated his reputation as an opponent in his concepts of information security.
Donn has written seven books during his sixty-year career in information technology. His first two books on computer crime and security were published in 1976 and 1983, were New York Times bestsellers, and were the definitive literature on computer crime. Donn has testified before several committees of the US Congress and helped develop the first computer crime laws for the US federal government, several US states, and the UK. He trained the first computer crime detectives for New Scotland Yard, Finland, Norway and Japan. As an information security consultant, he has performed security reviews for over 250 of the world’s largest companies and formed the International Institute for Information Integrity (I-4) at IRS in 1986. I-4 continues to provide confidential information security consulting services today.
Donn’s professional awards include: the 1992 Information Systems Security Association Outstanding Individual Achievement Award; the 1994 US NIST / NCSC National Computer System Security Award; Aerospace Computer Security Associates Distinguished Lecturer Award 1994; and the 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award from the MIS Training Institute Infosecurity News. In 1999, Information Security Magazine recognized Donn as one of the Top Five Info Security Pioneers. He was inducted into the Information Systems Security Association Hall of Fame in 2000 and the IRS International Hall of Fame in 2002. He has been recognized as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). In 2003, the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC) 2 awarded him the Harold F. Tipton Lifetime Achievement Award in “recognition of his sustained excellence throughout his career in information security and his contributions to industry and in support of (ISC) 2. ”
Donn is survived by his daughter Diane Wisdom and her husband; two daughters-in-law, six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; nephew and niece and their families; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law and their families. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his beloved wife Lorna R Parker, his brother Richard Parker, his nephew Bob Parker and his son David S Parker. Those who wish to remember Donn can make gifts on behalf of his son, David S Parker, to the ALS Association (donate.als.org).
Please note the updated location and time information: The memorial service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 16, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1075 El Monte Avenue, Mountain View, CA.
October 9, 1929 – September 16, 2021
Los Altos, California resident
Donn loved God deeply, his wife Lorna, his children Diane and Dave and his extended family. He served as an elder at Trinity Lutheran Church, Palo Alto, for many years. He enjoyed downhill skiing in the Sierra and Rocky Mountains, water skiing in San Diego, sailing, running and hiking. After his retirement, Donn traveled extensively with his beloved wife, researched his family history, and as often as possible performed a comedic monologue of his favorite stories and jokes.
Donn received a Master of Arts in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1954. During his professional career, Donn was among the first to recognize, research and document computer crime. He was a consultant, writer, speaker and researcher on computer crime and information security as a senior consultant for 35 years at SRI International and subsequently upon retirement.
Donn was for many years a member, officer and member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Distinguished Fellow of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and a director of the Charles Babbage Foundation for the History of Technology information, working to achieve the safe and crime-free use of information technology. He appreciated his reputation as an opponent in his concepts of information security.
Donn has written seven books during his sixty-year career in information technology. His first two books on computer crime and security were published in 1976 and 1983, were New York Times bestsellers, and were the definitive literature on computer crime. Donn has testified before several committees of the US Congress and helped develop the first computer crime laws for the US federal government, several US states, and the UK. He trained the first computer crime detectives for New Scotland Yard, Finland, Norway and Japan. As an information security consultant, he has performed security reviews for over 250 of the world’s largest companies and formed the International Institute for Information Integrity (I-4) at IRS in 1986. I-4 continues to provide confidential information security consulting services today.
Donn’s professional awards include: the 1992 Information Systems Security Association Outstanding Individual Achievement Award; the 1994 US NIST / NCSC National Computer System Security Award; Aerospace Computer Security Associates Distinguished Lecturer Award 1994; and the 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award from the MIS Training Institute Infosecurity News. In 1999, Information Security Magazine recognized Donn as one of the Top Five Info Security Pioneers. He was inducted into the Information Systems Security Association Hall of Fame in 2000 and the IRS International Hall of Fame in 2002. He has been recognized as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). In 2003, the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC) 2 awarded him the Harold F. Tipton Lifetime Achievement Award in “recognition of his sustained excellence throughout his career in information security and his contributions to industry and in support of (ISC) 2. ”
Donn is survived by his daughter Diane Wisdom and her husband; two daughters-in-law, six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; nephew and niece and their families; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law and their families. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his beloved wife Lorna R Parker, his brother Richard Parker, his nephew Bob Parker and his son David S Parker. Those who wish to remember Donn can make gifts on behalf of his son, David S Parker, to the ALS Association (donate.als.org).
Please note the updated location and time information: The memorial service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 16, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1075 El Monte Avenue, Mountain View, CA.
View online memorial for Donn B Parker
Published by The Mercury News on October 7, 2021.
