A fascinating but ominous software story dropped on Friday: a widely used file compression software package called “xz utils” has a cleverly embedded system for backdooring shell login connections, and it’s unclear how far this dangerous package got into countless internet-enabled devices. It appears the…
Brooklyn, NY — Federal prosecutors have put internet troll Douglass Mackey on trial for allegedly attempting to trick voters into trying to vote by SMS message in the 2016 election, in a case that has attracted national attention. Mackey, aka ‘Ricky Vaughn,’ was the one…
Several days of war triggered by the Russian Federation invading Ukraine have led to turmoil in financial markets and new policies barring Russian businesses and aviation from Western countries, while shadowy hacks and ‘information warfare’ add to the chaos.
We took a scan of the…
San Francisco, CA – In a shock sweeping the Internet freedom community, technologist, security expert and organizer Kevin Michael Gallagher was discovered deceased in his San Francisco apartment on June 10. Early word from the local coroner is that he passed away June 5, his…
Las Vegas, NV – At DEFCON 27 in Las Vegas, Unicorn Riot spoke with the organizers of an event where participants were asked to find information on real missing people in a competition called Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Missing Persons Capture The Flag (CTF).
Many people…
Las Vegas, NV – In the near future, automobile manufacturers are expected to begin rolling out autonomous driving vehicles that use Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) lasers to see objects, roads, and people.
These driver-less vehicles will soon be cruising down every major city street,…
Eastern District of Virginia – Imprisoned anarchist hacker Jeremy Hammond has been summoned to testify in front of a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. It is unclear what matters the federal grand jury is investigating but it is largely presumed to…
Las Vegas, NV – The Voting Machine Hacking Village at this year’s DEFCON 26 hacking conference was crowded with hackers of all ages proving just how vulnerable the US voting system is to data tampering.
Hackers demonstrated that practically anyone with a screw driver, flash…
Las Vegas, NV – Over the past 15 years, Queercon has grown from a social group to a complete con-within-a-con at the yearly DEFCON hacking conference. Queercon has grown into the largest social network of LGBTQ hackers from around the world, and offers a space…
New York City, NY – The Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) convention, organized by the hacker magazine 2600, is underway at the Hotel Pennsylvania. The convention has brought together hundreds of technologists and policy experts since 1994 and this year’s gathering, “The Circle of Hope:…
Las Vegas, NV – Unicorn Riot journalists are currently reporting from DEFCON 25 in Las Vegas, where hackers of all flavors come together to present the most cutting edge in a long list of hacking skills. Over the four day convention, DEFCON will host speakers…
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An in-depth interview with Cuban born director Vivien Weisman. We discuss the hacker ethic, the importance of whistleblowers & the confluence of hacking & leaking. Vivien talks in depth about the importance of “activist journalism” and…