# Nick Levay > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nick_Levay > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nick_Levay.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Levay > Source revision: 1268059243 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American computer security expert (1977–2021) Nick Levay (Rattle) Nick Levay (Rattle), 2006 Born (1977-04-21)April 21, 1977 New Jersey Died July 16, 2021(2021-07-16) (aged 44) New Jersey Alma mater Middle Tennessee State University Known for MemeStreams, Chief Security Officer at the Council on Foreign Relations, Carbon Black, Center for American Progress Website http://nicklevay.net **Nick Levay** (1977–2021) also known as **Rattle** was an American [computer security](/source/Computer_security) expert and [hacker](/source/Hacker_(computer_security)). He was the Chief Security Officer at the [Council on Foreign Relations](/source/Council_on_Foreign_Relations) and other organizations such as [Carbon Black](/source/Carbon_Black_(company)) and the [Center for American Progress](/source/Center_for_American_Progress). From 2018–2021 he was the President of the [NGO-ISAC](https://www.ngoisac.org/about-us/), an [Information Sharing and Analysis Center](/source/Information_Sharing_and_Analysis_Center) nonprofit serving US-based [non-governmental organizations](/source/Non-governmental_organizations). ## Early career as Rattle Levay was born in 1977 in [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey), and learned at a young age that he had an affinity for hardware and liked to take things apart to see how they worked. When he was four, his parents gave him a toolbox, which he says he immediately used to take apart the clothes dryer. When he was six, his father gave him an [IBM PCjr](/source/IBM_PCjr), but he found that programming didn't hold his interest. He preferred things such as radio and [remote-controlled cars](/source/Radio-controlled_car). When he received an [Apple IIc](/source/Apple_IIc) and a 300 baud [modem](/source/Modem) though, he was much more intrigued when he realized that computers could be used to communicate.[1] ### Origin of the Rattle name When he was 12 and was talking to someone on [CB Radio](/source/Citizens_band_radio), he was asked for his handle, but didn't have an answer. The person on the other end spontaneously dubbed him as Rattle. Levay liked the name and continued to use it, and then when he got involved with computers and needed a pseudonym for [BBSes](/source/Bulletin_board_system), he kept the same name. He self-identified as a hacker, and also set up his own BBS.[2][1] When it came time for college, Levay decided that he wanted to combine his interests in hardware and music, and to study [audio engineering](/source/Audio_engineer). He moved to [Nashville](/source/Nashville%2C_Tennessee) where he attended [Middle Tennessee State University](/source/Middle_Tennessee_State_University), receiving a degree in [music business](/source/Music_industry) and [communications management](/source/Communications_management). He continued to connect with other hackers in the area, joining the Nashville chapter of se2600, a splinter group of the national [2600](/source/2600%3A_The_Hacker_Quarterly) culture. He and his friends organized an annual convention for hackers and technology enthusiasts in the Nashville area, [PhreakNIC](/source/PhreakNIC). They also became the subjects of a pioneering profile of hacker culture in 1999, "Cyber Pirates" in the *[Nashville Scene](/source/Nashville_Scene)*.[1] ## Computer security professional In 2001, Levay and [computer security](/source/Computer_security) expert [Tom Cross](/source/Tom_Cross_(computer_security)) co-founded the company Industrial Memetics, building an early social-networking website and blog, [MemeStreams](/source/MemeStreams).[3] He also began contractor work with various organizations as a computer security consultant. He was the director of global systems engineering for [iAsiaWorks](/source/IAsiaWorks), building data centers in southeast Asia.[4] In 2007 he started as a contractor at the [Center for American Progress](/source/Center_for_American_Progress), where he established monitoring systems and redesigned the organization's network. Over the next few years he was promoted to the Director of Technical Operations and Information Security. He left in 2013 to become Chief Security Officer at [Bit9](/source/VMware_Carbon_Black) (later VMware Carbon Black), joining after that company suffered a major data breach.[5][6] In 2015 he moved on to become the Chief Security Officer at the [Council on Foreign Relations](/source/Council_on_Foreign_Relations), serving there until 2018, after which he formed the NGO-ISAC,[7] an [Information Sharing and Analysis Center](/source/Information_Sharing_and_Analysis_Center) for [Non-governmental Organizations](/source/Non-governmental_Organization). It is a nonprofit focused on facilitating communication among US-based NGOs and nonprofits which are being attacked from [threat actors](/source/Threat_actor), allowing the NGOs to share threat information and coordinate things such as contingency plan exercises.[8] ## Public speaking Active in the computer security convention community, Levay was a frequent participant at conventions such as [Def Con](/source/DEF_CON), and presented at [PhreakNIC](/source/PhreakNIC), an annual hacker and technology convention held in Nashville. A 2011 talk there was on "Counter Espionage Strategy and Tactics".[9] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pirate_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pirate_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-pirate_1-2) Hanback, James (October 7, 1999) "[Cyber Pirates: Nashville hackers say they are misunderstood](https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/cyber-pirates/article_c7736faa-fb05-5791-aed5-c01cd45983a4.html)". [Nashville Scene](/source/Nashville_Scene) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-fireside_2-0)** ["David Raviv, Nick Levay (Rattle) Fireside chat"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T8OZpCJFzc) (video). The Cyber Guild (RiseNYC). November 13, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Executive Officers"](http://www.industrialmemetics.com/officers.php). Industrial Memetics. Retrieved 2013-08-08. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Bit9 names Nick Levay Chief Security Officer"](https://www.406ventures.com/news/1262-bit9-names-nick-levay-chief-security-officer). 406Ventures. June 12, 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Westervelt, Robert (August 22, 2013). ["In wake of data breach, Bit9's new CSO is shoring up security defenses"](https://www.crn.com/news/security/240160295/in-wake-of-data-breach-bit9s-new-cso-is-shoring-up-security-defenses.htm). [CRN](/source/CRN_(magazine)). Retrieved June 11, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Peterson, Andrea (August 7, 2013). ["Why a former NSA chief just made a big mistake by dissing hackers"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2013/08/07/why-a-former-nsa-chief-just-made-a-big-mistake-by-dissing-hackers/). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*. Retrieved June 11, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Ngo information sharing and analysis center"](https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/ngo-information-sharing-and-analysis-center,814429023/). Cause IQ. Retrieved June 11, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["About us"](http://ngoisac.org/about-us/). *NGO Information Sharing and Analysis Center*. ngoisac.org. Retrieved June 11, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Counter Espionage Strategy and Tactics"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180705032025/http://archive.phreaknic.info/pn15/schedule.php). [PhreakNIC](/source/PhreakNIC). 2013. Archived from [the original](http://phreaknic.info/pn15/schedule.php#17) on 2018-07-05. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Nick Levay](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nick_Levay). - [MemeStreams Site Information](http://www.memestreams.net/topics/) - [Nick Levay at LinkedIn](http://linkedin.com/in/nicklevay/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nick Levay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Levay) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Levay?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.