Homeland Security hires ex-hacker

NEWS

Jeff Moss, founder of the Black Hat and Defcon hacker and security conferences, was among 16 people sworn in on Friday to the US Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC).

The HSAC members will provide recommendations and advice directly to secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.

Moss's background as a computer hacker (known as 'Dark Tangent') and role as a luminary among young hackers who flock to Defcon in Las Vegas every summer might seem to make him an unusual choice to swear allegiance to the government. (Although before running his computer conferences, Moss also worked in the information system security division at Ernst & Young.)

In an interview late on Friday, Moss said he was surprised when he got the call and was asked to join the group. "I know there is a newfound emphasis on cyber security and they're looking to diversify the members and to have alternative viewpoints," he said. "I think they needed a sceptical outsider's view because that has been missing."

Asked if there was anything in particular he would advocate, Moss said: "There will be more cyber announcements in coming weeks and once that happens my role will become more clear. This meeting was focused on Southwest border protection... With things like Fastpass and Safe Flight, everything they are doing has some kind of technology component."

Moss said he was "fantastically honoured and excited to contribute" to the HSAC and not concerned with losing any street cred among those whom some would describe as his fan base. He did concede that his new position would give him an unfair advantage in Defcon's 'Spot The Fed' contest in which people win prizes for successfully outing undercover government agents.

Security consultant Kevin Mitnick, who spent five years in prison on computer-related charges and was once the FBI's most-wanted cybercriminal, praised Moss' diplomacy, but said: "I'm surprised to see Jeff on the list. I would have expected [crypto/security guru and author] Bruce Schneier to be on the council."

Moss "is a great crowd pleaser" and "he's just bad enough for them to say 'we're crossing the ranks,'" said journalist and threat analyst Adrian Lamo, who served two years of probation for breaking into computer networks. "But the reality is he's as corporate as hiring someone out of Microsoft."