Hack Reporter Hacked in Return

By Joshua S. Hill

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Taking place over the past weekend, several thousand hackers gathered together in Las Vegas to attend the world's largest hacker's convention, DEFCON. And though each year would be a highlight for any attendee, this year they were treated to a scene that played out like a moment from The Simpsons episode 'The Trouble with Trillions'.

The scene depicts Homer -- having been turned to the government's cause of locating those wishing to undertake illegal activities -- entering Moe's bar. He greets them and swiftly tries to steer the conversation smoothly towards his intended goal; "Hey, so you're watching the ballgame. Looks like a good one! Any of you involved in any illegal activity, 'cause I could sure go for some!"

It's funny because it's just so bad, and you wouldn't think it would bear any resemblance to reality. Sadly though, for Michelle Madigan especially, it struck a little too close to home.

In her role as associate producer for NBC's Dateline, Madigan headed to DEFCON to conduct what she thought was an undercover assignment, to find evidence of any illegal hacking taking place. Now let's just state for the record, DEFCON has been described as the "Switzerland" of the hacking community. According to one senior staffer attached to the convention, "The feds come in and they don't arrest us. We don't turn their phones into 976 numbers," (the 976 code referring to the telephone prefix used by phone sex operators).

Madigan, who had already been sold out to the conference officials, was questioned four times whether she would like a press pass; she declined each time. With her hidden camera in the strap of her handbag, she brazenly strolled the floor, once remarking to someone (who was working for DEFCON) that "…the people in Kansas would be very interested in knowing what was happening at Defcon." She was subsequently witnessed recording the room using her camera, thus breaking the rules of the conference.

Rules such as never being allowed to capture photographic or video footage without a person's expressed permission has been a part of DEFCON since the beginning. In fact, when asked after the final days events had occurred, the rest of the press room types were all thoroughly unimpressed with Miss. Madigan's antics.

Those antics came to a climax when she was publicly outed in the main hall. Having been lured in to the hall under the pretext that there would be an undercover 'fed' outed, she was then treated to an announcement concerning a new game to be played, 'spot the undercover reporter'. Madigan immediately fled the hall, and, in footage captured for posterity (and viewable at YouTube), made her way to her car ignoring all questions thrown at her by the press and other attendees.

The best advice one can take from this is simple: Homer Simpson is not a viable teacher in undercover reporting.

Features

Hacker's convention, DEFCON

Hack Reporter Hacked in Return

Other articles by Joshua Hill