?We are thrilled to have access to the collective experience and vision of this distinguished group of government and industry leaders," said George Conrades, chairman and CEO of Akamai. "This Board will provide invaluable insight to enabling Akamai to further its success and commitment to strengthening the protection, reliability, and performance of critical Web infrastructures within the public sector."

Richard A. Clarke was most recently chairman of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and special advisor to President George W. Bush for Cyber Space Security, while James T. Eccleston is President, Federal Sector of Advanced Software Design Inc. (ASD) - an e-business solutions integrator. Tom Hewitt is the founder and CEO of Global Governments, Inc., a company focused on strategic planning and marketing in the international government information technology marketplace, and Don Upson is an independent consultant and former Virginia Secretary of Technology.

Akamai reports that the members of the board will work together to examine and recommend solutions to issues facing government agencies in the areas of infrastructure protection, information assurance and security. In addition, the advisory board will counsel Akamai on market opportunities within government agencies, business strategy, and the development of technologies that meet public sector requirements.