Amit Yoran, a cybersecurity pioneer and executive whose company anchored part of Columbia’s Merriweather District, has died.

Yoran was battling cancer in early December when he took a medical leave of absence as chairman and CEO of Tenable Holdings Inc. Tenable officials said in a news release that his Jan. 3 death was unexpected. He was 54.

Yoran’s family did not return a message requesting comment.

“Amit was an extraordinary leader, colleague, and friend,” said Art Coviello, Tenable’s lead independent director, in the company’s news release. “His passion for cybersecurity, his strategic vision, and his ability to inspire those around him have shaped Tenable’s culture and mission. His legacy will continue to guide us as we move forward.”

Yoran joined Tenable as CEO in early 2017 from Dell Technologies, where he headed its cybersecurity unit. He replaced Ron Gula, who co-founded the fast-growing firm.

Under Yoran’s leadership, Tenable announced later that year that the company would move its corporate headquarters to new building in downtown Columbia at a time when local leaders were gearing up to redevelop and revitalize the area. With Tenable as the anchor tenant for a 12-story tower near Merriweather Post Pavilion, company leaders hooped to position Columbia as a hub for the cybersecurity industry in Maryland and nationwide.

Yoran successfully took the company public in July 2018. It’s currently valued at about $4.7 billion by the market, more than double what it was when it first sold shares publicly.

He was remembered by cybersecurity outlets such as Dark Reading as a “renowned” executive and “true leader” in cybersecurity. Dark Reading noted his willingness to engage others in the industry in open discussions about failings such as the Okta data breach in 2022 and Microsoft Azure’s problems in 2023.

Following the coronavirus pandemic, Tenable scaled back its office plans and sought to sublease about a third of its office space.

The company employs about 2,000 people and serves about 44,000 customers worldwide. In December, Tenable’s board appointed Chief Financial Officer Steve Vintz and Chief Operating Officer Mark Thurmond as interim co-CEOs. The company will continue to operate under their leadership while the board conducts an internal and external search for a new chief executive. Coviello will serve as the board’s chairman, the release states.

Born Dec. 1, 1970, in New York City, Yoran was the second of four children to his mother Shlomit Schonberger and father Chaim Yoran, according to his obituary. After graduating from Fox Lane High School in Bedford, New York, Yoran went on to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he majored in computer science. He later earned a master’s degree in computer science from George Washington University.

His peers from West Point shared memories online this week, some of whom said he made the world a better place.

After graduation in 1993, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and served as a computer security officer at the Pentagon and other locations within the Department of Defense, the obituary states.

He left the service and in 1998 co-founded Riptech, a network security company that was later acquired by Symantec.

Yoran returned to government work and, after serving as the founding director of the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the first director of the National Cybersecurity Division in the Department of Homeland Security, according to the obituary.

Yoran’s time in the private sector includes leadership positions within companies such as NetWitness, RSA Solutions and Dell, the obituary states.

Outside of work, Yoran married and had three children with Catherine Lotrionte, an attorney at the Central Intelligence Agency and a Georgetown University professor. His obituary described his sense of humor, his love of Army football and the Dallas Cowboys, and his time spent volunteering for his kids’ little league football and high school wrestling teams.

Yoran was posting on LinkedIn about cybersecurity issues and Army football in recent weeks.

“Once a year it feels just as great as it did 30+ years ago! #beatnavy,” he wrote before the Dec. 14 game with an old picture of himself and buddies in their cadet uniforms.

“As busy as he was, Amit always seemed to have time to speak with someone one-on-one, to understand what was troubling them and to help them in whatever way he could,” the obituary states. “In addition to his many professional successes, Amit never lost the sense of who he was and had a deep sense of humility.”

A graveside service was held Jan. 8 at Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax, Virginia.