Hedy Lamarr, Grace Hopper, and Dorothy Denning: Pioneers in Cybersecurity

Written By Cate Urban
Hedy Lamarr, Grace Hopper, and Dorothy Denning: Pioneers in Cybersecurity

When discussing key figures in the information technology space, three remarkable inventors come to mind: Hedy Lamarr, Grace Hopper, and Dorothy Denning.

Each of these women played a role in developing the technology used by cybersecurity and information technology professionals and everyday people. Whether it’s the development of frequency hopping, a system used to create “un-jammable” torpedoes (and lay the foundations for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies), inventing a system that allowed humans and computers to communicate with each other, or inventing the theoretical framework for intrusion detection systems, these trailblazers laid the foundations of modern information technology and cybersecurity.

In one way or another these three women hold an outsized role in our field.  In honor of these pioneers and in recognition of Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, let’s take a look at their accomplishments.

Hedy Lamarr

Born Hedwig Kiesler on November 9, 1914, Hedy Lamarr started her life in Vienna Austria, in the shadow of World War II. Lamarr fled Austria in 1937 and landed in the United States, specifically in Hollywood where she gained fame as an actress. She often expressed her desire to help the U.S. war effort and in 1940 she did just that. Together with composer George Antheil, she invented “a secret communication system” which used the concept of frequency hopping to guide torpedoes in a way that reduced the risk of detection or jamming. Frequency hopping is a foundational technology for multiple military communication technologies, GPS, phone networks and Wi-Fi.

Grace Hopper

Born in 1906 in New York City, Grace Hopper started working with computers at a young age. She eventually joined the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Rear Admiral, the first woman to hold that rank. Hopper created the first compiler for modern computers — a program that translates instructions written by a programmer into codes that can be read by a computer.   

Dorothy Denning

Dorothy Denning was born in 1945. She is best known inventing the theoretical framework for intrusion detection systems. The ability to detect intruders is a foundational concept in cybersecurity, and Denning invented that concept. According to Purdue University, “Her research has laid foundations in the areas of cryptology, information warfare, and data security.”

The world of information technology and cybersecurity may not look the way it does today if not for these three trailblazers. Their inventions laid the groundwork for personal computing, military defensive technology, and the way we protect our computer systems. Without them the industry would look radically different.

Cate Urban

I founded Urban Web Renovations after 11 years of leading global marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations in Washington, DC. In each position I held, one thing remained the same – my passion for managing web sites and social media accounts for both organizations and major thought leaders.

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