Fredrick Lee is named new Reddit CISO

Social media and content aggregation giant Reddit has announced the appointment of Fredrick Lee as its new chief information security officer (CISO). 

Reporting to CTO Chris Slowe, Lee is tasked with overseeing Reddit’s privacy and security teams, which tackle the identification and mitigation of risks and challenges around information security, privacy, and compliance.

The security veteran brings more than 20 years’ experience leading global information and security efforts at major financial services companies and technology startups. 

He joins the company from his previous role as chief security officer (CSO) and head of IT at Gusto and has previously held the position of CSO at Square. 

Commenting on his appointment, Lee underlined Reddit’s need for robust security as the platform looks toward further growth.

“I believe Reddit uniquely helps its users build meaningful connections and conversations around the areas or interests they are most passionate about,” he said. 

“As Reddit grows, it is crucial that our security and trust systems remain resilient and agile to adapt to the ever-evolving threat landscape. 

“I’m thrilled to be joining such an exciting platform, and looking forward to helping reinforce the platform’s existing safety infrastructure and cyber security defenses, and continue advancing the systems that protect Redditors and their communities.”

Reddit says the security of both its platform and the wider business remains one of its “core trust pillars”. The company has continued to bolster its safety and security efforts in recent years, expanding its teams and reinforcing existing measures that are designed to protect the platform and its users.

Today, the platform stands at 57 million active daily users, with more than 100,000 active communities, and over 13 billion posts and comments.

As part of its security efforts, Reddit launched a new Transparency Center and regularly shares its practices, updates, and findings to help maintain and protect its global user community.

One such update was posted back in February, detailing a “sophisticated phishing campaign” that aimed to steal the credentials and two-factor authentication tokens of Reddit employees. 

The company said its systems were hacked as part of the campaign, with attackers gaining access to some internal documents, code, as well some internal business systems. 

The point of initial intrusion came from a targeted phishing attack on an employee who, after realizing what had happened, self-reported the incident, prompting the firm’s security team to quickly remove the attacker’s access and begin an internal investigation.

Reddit’s former CISO Allison Miller left the company shortly before the attack took place and it’s not thought that Lee’s appointment is related to the attack or Miller’s departure.

Looking ahead, Reddit says the appointment of Fredrick Lee as its new CISO will help the organization further develop its security infrastructure and protect its user base.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lee and his technical expertise and leadership capabilities to Reddit,” said Chris Slowe, Reddit’s chief technology officer. “His extensive experience will be integral to evolving our safety infrastructure and cyber security processes so we can continue to ensure our users’ safety and defend against emerging cyber threats.”