Daniel Kelley, a cybersecurity expert, shares his fascinating journey from a mischievous gamer to a responsible ethical hacker. He discusses a surprising security vulnerability found by a child in Xbox Live, and his obsession with World of Warcraft that ignited his hacking interests. Kelley recounts the thrill of hacking, the ethical dilemmas he faced, and his eventual commitment to responsible vulnerability disclosure after witnessing the consequences of his wrongdoing. His story illustrates personal growth and redemption in the complex world of cybersecurity.
Finding and responsibly reporting vulnerabilities can lead to significant improvements in internet security.
Even with good intentions, a former hacker can revert to criminal activities if not properly rehabilitated.
The TalkTalk breach highlights the devastating impact hacking can have on businesses and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.
Deep dives
The five-year-old who hacked the Xbox
A five-year-old child managed to bypass parental controls on an Xbox console by typing spaces into the password prompt until it accepted the input. This exposed a vulnerability in the Xbox's parental control system. The child accessed and played video games that were restricted to their parent's account, without their knowledge.
Daniel's hacking journey and ethical awakening
Daniel Kelly, an avid gamer, developed an interest in hacking during his childhood. He initially hacked online gaming systems but soon transitioned into finding vulnerabilities in websites and reporting them responsibly. After facing consequences for his actions, including a brief period of incarceration, Daniel was determined to transform his skills and began dedicating himself to responsible disclosure programs. He went on to report thousands of vulnerabilities to numerous companies, including major organizations like Deutsche Bank and the UK government, without expecting any financial rewards.
Daniel's commitment to ethical hacking and helping companies
Daniel continued his journey as an ethical hacker, reporting vulnerabilities to companies and aimng to improve internet security. He researched and discovered vulnerabilities, reported them to vendors, and often received letters of appreciation. His efforts led to the improvement of security measures in various organizations. Daniel estimates the total value of the vulnerabilities he reported to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, which outweighs the potential damage caused by his earlier offenses. His commitment and contributions have made a significant impact on the security landscape.
Daniel's Escalation of Criminal Activity
After being arrested for a computer-related offense, Daniel's bail allowed the police to uncover additional evidence, leading to more charges against him. During his bail period, he decided to reoffend and resumed his criminal activities, escalating from low-level offenses to more serious crimes like fraud and computer hacking. He engaged in activities such as hacking websites, stealing data, and blackmailing companies for money. His criminality increased as he found success in extorting companies, although some attempts resulted in minimal financial gain.
The TalkTalk Incident and Its Implications
One of the major incidents Daniel participated in was the TalkTalk breach, where he exploited a vulnerability and gained unauthorized access to their network. The breach resulted in significant damage, with customer data stolen and the company losing millions. Daniel used the stolen data to demand bitcoin as ransom from TalkTalk, causing further financial harm. This incident emphasizes the devastating impact hacking can have on businesses, including loss of customer trust, stock value decline, and legal repercussions. The severity of the TalkTalk incident demonstrates the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to defend against increasingly skilled adversaries.
Daniel Kelley (https://twitter.com/danielmakelley) was equal parts mischievousness and clever when it came to computers. Until the day his mischief overtook his cleverness.
Sponsors
Support for this show comes from Keeper Security. Keeper Security’s is an enterprise password management system. Keeper locks down logins, payment cards, confidential documents, API keys, and database passwords in a patented Zero-Knowledge encrypted vault. And, it takes less than an hour to deploy across your organization. Get started by visiting keepersecurity.com/darknet.
Support for this podcast comes from Cybereason. Cybereason reverses the attacker’s advantage and puts the power back in the defender’s hands. End cyber attacks. From endpoints to everywhere. Learn more at Cybereason.com/darknet.
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