2018 is the 20th anniversary of the hacker think-tank L0pht Heavy Industries testimony before the US Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee on the topic of weak computer security in government. The testimony made national news when the group announced they could take down the Internet in 30 minutes. It was also the first-time hackers using handles appeared before a US Legislative body.
Members of the L0pht have grown from their hacker roots to become distinguished leaders and contributors in the security community and beyond. They run multi-million dollar security-focused organizations, have lobbied the government for better security laws, work for some of the largest companies in the world, and continue to spread the message of the positive aspects of hacking.
With several of the L0pht's original members, this discussion will cover the original testimony and the changes that have happened over the last 20 years. Is the government any more secure? Have they provided enough influence to help protect its citizens' data? What steps should we take to ensure user security and privacy in the future? We are hoping for audience participation and also welcome questions about any other time in the L0pht's relatively short, but poignant, existence.
L0pht Heavy Industries L0pht Heavy Industries was a hacker collective active between 1992 and 2000 and located in the Boston, Massachusetts area. The L0pht was one of the first viable hackerspaces in the US, and a pioneer of coordinated disclosure. In May, 1998, the group testified in front of a US Senate committee on weak computer security in government where they famously exclaimed they could take down the Internet in 30 minutes.