Yoran to become new In-Q-Tel chief

Amit Yoran will be the new head of In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s independent venture-capital group, In-Q-Tel officials announced today.

Yoran is president of Yoran Associates and served as national cybersecurity director from September 2003 to September 2004.

Yoran replaces Gilman Louie, who is moving to the San Francisco area to start a new venture capital firm.

“Amit’s lifetime experience -- as an entrepreneur, a venture investor and leader in commercial companies and national security -- makes him the perfect fit for our organization,” Louie said in a statement. “His critical understanding of key technologies and security needs will position In-Q-Tel to continue to serve as a unique tool driving innovation across the broader intelligence community.”

In-Q-Tel is a private, nonprofit arm of the CIA. It identifies promising new intelligence and espionage technologies and invests in some of the entrepreneurial companies developing them.