Erica Portnoy
About Erica Portnoy
Erica Portnoy is a Senior Staff Technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, where she has worked since 2019. She has a background in computer science and software engineering, with previous roles at Google, Facebook, and Stony Brook University, and focuses on promoting and defending encryption.
Current Role at Electronic Frontier Foundation
Erica Portnoy currently serves as a Senior Staff Technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a position she has held since 2019. In this role, she focuses on explaining and defending encryption, aiming to make it accessible and robust for all users. She actively writes and speaks about encryption practices, contributing to the foundation's mission of promoting digital privacy and security.
Previous Experience at Electronic Frontier Foundation
Prior to her current role, Erica Portnoy worked at the Electronic Frontier Foundation as a Staff Technologist from 2016 to 2019. She also served as a Consulting Technologist for a brief period in 2016. During her tenure, she contributed to various projects, including EFF's net neutrality initiative, enhancing the organization's efforts in digital rights advocacy.
Educational Background
Erica Portnoy studied at Princeton University, where she earned a degree in Computer Science from 2011 to 2015. She also attended the Aquincum Institute of Technology in 2014, focusing on Creativity in Computer Science and Software Engineering. Earlier, she graduated as Valedictorian from Commack High School, completing her studies from 2007 to 2011.
Professional Experience in Technology
Erica Portnoy has held various roles in the technology sector. She worked as a Software Engineer at Google from 2015 to 2016 and completed internships at Facebook in 2013 and Motion Math in 2012. Additionally, she served as the Head Lab Teaching Assistant at Princeton's Department of Computer Science from 2013 to 2014, where she supported students in their learning.
Work in Microbiology
Before her career in technology, Erica Portnoy worked as a Microbiologist at Stony Brook University from 2007 to 2011. This experience provided her with a foundational understanding of scientific principles, which she later applied in her technology-focused roles.