James Dolan

James S. Dolan (July 20, 1981 – December 27, 2017) was an American computer security expert who, with Aaron Swartz and Kevin Poulsen, co-developed SecureDrop, a widely used secure digital platform for sources to anonymously submit materials to journalists. Early life Dolan grew up in Chester, New York. He grew up with four sisters. He went to school at the Tuxedo Park school and was considered gifted at an early age. Later, he moved to Brooklyn, which is where he called home and Chester, New York. Career From 1999 to 2006, Dolan served with the Marines in two deployments during the Iraq War where he worked as a data network specialist. In 2003, Dolan served with III Marine Expeditionary Force during the initial Iraq War. In his second deployment, which was from September 2004 to March 2005, Dolan served with 4th Civil Affairs Group in Fallujah, which was one of the centers of the conflict at that time. Dolan was in Fallujah during Operation Phantom Fury, part of the Second Battle of Fallujah. Trevor Timm from the Freedom of the Press Foundation referenced Dolan's military service in his description of Dolan in the obituary he wrote, saying that the impact of serving in Iraq was an often spoke of motivating factor for Dolan's cybersecurity work, with the goal of making metadata "transparent and accountable."