Jeff Moss (pictured), founder of Def Con, the world’s largest hacker conference, has been hired as VP and Chief Security Officer of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

ICANN is the multinational non-profit organisation that works for a safe internet.

"I can think of no one with a greater understanding of the security threats facing internet users and how best to defend against them than Jeff Moss,” said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

"He has the in-depth insider’s knowledge that can only come from fighting in the trenches of the on-going war against cyber threats.”

Moss is said to be a self-proclaimed hacker for the past 20 years.

Prior to his work with Def Con, Moss was a Director at the Secure Computing Corporation, where he established the professional services department in Asia, Australia and the United States. He also worked in the information system security division of Ernst & Young, LLP.

"I’m looking forward to bringing my skill sets to ICANN,” said Moss. "Its role in coordinating the global Internet addressing system means that it is positioned to become the leader in identifying and dealing with online threats to the Domain Name System that could affect two billion global Internet users.”

Moss begins working out of ICANN’s Washington, DC offices today.