Def Con Bans Three Individuals Over Epstein Connections
Def Con, one of the world’s most prominent hacking conferences, has recently announced the prohibition of three individuals—Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi Ito—from attending future events. This decision follows the release of Department of Justice documents that reveal their associations with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Background on the Banned Individuals:
– Pablos Holman: A self-described hacker, inventor, and technology futurist, Holman is a general partner at venture capital firm Deep Future. Records indicate that he maintained contact with Epstein since 2010, including plans to stay at Epstein’s New York City apartment in 2013. Holman also attempted to assist Epstein in managing negative online publicity.
– Vincenzo Iozzo: A veteran in the cybersecurity industry, Iozzo is the founder and CEO of identity startup SlashID. He previously served as a director at CrowdStrike following its acquisition of his startup, IperLane, in 2017. Between 2014 and 2018, Iozzo interacted with Epstein, even after new allegations of Epstein’s abuses surfaced. Iozzo has stated that his interactions were limited to business discussions and that he never observed or participated in any illegal activities.
– Joichi Ito: Former director of the MIT Media Lab, Ito resigned in 2019 after reports emerged of his awareness of Epstein’s status as a convicted sex offender and their extensive personal and financial relationships.
Conference Actions and Responses:
Def Con’s decision to ban these individuals aligns with actions taken by other cybersecurity conferences. Recently, Black Hat and Code Blue removed Iozzo from their official review boards amid revelations of his connections to Epstein.
Joan Vollero, a spokesperson for Iozzo, criticized Def Con’s decision as entirely performative, noting that Iozzo has rarely attended the conference in the past two decades. Vollero emphasized that the ban was a rush to judgment without proper investigation into any alleged wrongdoing by Iozzo.
Representatives for Def Con, Holman, and Ito have not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Broader Implications:
The cybersecurity community is grappling with the implications of these revelations. The associations between prominent figures in the field and Epstein have prompted conferences and organizations to reassess their affiliations and the backgrounds of their participants.
These developments underscore the importance of ethical considerations and due diligence within professional communities, especially in industries that prioritize trust and security.
