Darknet Diaries 160: Greg
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Jul 1, 2025 
Greg Linares, also known as Laughing Mantis, is a cybersecurity expert with a notorious past as Arizona's youngest hacker. He shares fascinating tales from his rebellious teenage years, including manipulating school systems and early hacking exploits. The conversation dives into the evolution of vulnerability research, revealing insider stories about corporate espionage and ethical dilemmas. Greg discusses the high-octane world of penetration testing, including tense security breaches and inventive data exfiltration methods, blending humor with real cybersecurity challenges.
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Youngest Hacker Arrested in Arizona
- Greg Linares became the youngest hacker arrested in Arizona for creating and deploying a macrovirus that altered his grades in a public school system.
- He was detained in juvenile hall and banned from computers for a year, highlighting early consequences of hacking exploits.
Goth Identity as Resilience
- Being goth is more than style; it's embracing difference and finding resilience on society's edges.
- This identity helps during isolation and hardship by providing a tribe and anchor for self-acceptance.
Pen Test Saved by Last-Minute Find
- During a pen test at a tech company, Greg's team struggled but found a plain text FTP credential by chance near deadline.
- This access led to full compromise of the build system and data exfiltration, saving the engagement.