PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Hacker Convention in Pittsburgh This Weekend. All Invited
by Marty B. O'Malley Thursday, Jun. 05, 2003 at 5:27 PM
martybomalley@hotmail.com (email address validated) 412-271-5459 113 Sharon Drive, Pgh Pa 15221-4013

A hacker organization will hold a conference in Pittsburgh June 6-7,2003. Open to the public. Entrance adminssion charge. Pre-registration preferred on their web site summercon.org.

Did anyone tell Tom Ridge, homeland Security Czar, about this? Tom was not invited, but General John Ashcroft was. Well not him exactly, but his FBI Counter-Cracker-Corps. They are the lead off speakers enlightening the newbees about the consequences of "black hat" activity.

It all starts Friday evening June 6,2003 with registration at the University Club, Oakland-- real hackers and phreakers talking about scary topics:
Wireless Security
The Evolution of the next generation of web based attacks
Hackers and the "coming cyber-jihad"
And much more.
Complete listing available at http://www.Summercon.org in their conference section.

Come to the phreak show to see the ying and the yang meet for drinks and small talk. Where? Just two blocks from the CMU Software Engineering Institute SEI, a giant tax supported effort to stop the hackers. There is more irony. The organizer, Matt Trumpbour, says he invited the SEI to speak but so far, they have not decided whether they will come undercover or overcover.

The schedule on http://www.summercon.org looks like a page stolen from a Rotary convention: registration, drinks, a social, then papers presented all day Saturday with awards at the end. Could it be a plot to deceive us into thinking that some of these people are not a danger? Then again, maybe they really are not a danger. On that subject, it was Brian O'Neill, Post-Gazette columnist, who called attention to the caveat in the program:
"if you want to commit crimes, if you are
interested in pulling fire alarms or breaking
things, don't come to this con."
Additional information to follow after the end of the conference.

This author attributes initial news awareness to Brian O'Neill's column on Thursday, May 29,2003 available online at http://www.Post-Gazette.com.

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