Adam Laurie

Global Lead Hardware Hacker, IBM

Adam Laurie, a.k.a. “Major Malfunction,” is X-Force Red’s Global Lead Hardware Hacker. Adam has nearly five decades of information technology and security experience. In addition to hardware hacking, Adam specializes in systems integration, software design and development, programming and technology implementation. He pioneered the concept of re-using military data centers housed in underground nuclear bunkers as secure hosting facilities. Adam also built music transmission sites and the world’s first CD ripper “CDGRAB.”

Adam can test just about any hardware or software. He has found vulnerabilities in processors, embedded systems, smart meters and other critical infrastructure, on-premise detection systems, building access controls and cryptographic key stores, to name a few.

Adam has been a senior member of the DEF CON staff since 1997 and is the point-of-contact for the London DEF CON chapter DC4420. Adam has given presentations on forensics, magnetic stripe, EMV, InfraRed, RF, RFID, terrestrial and satellite TV hacking, and, of course, Magic Moonbeams.

Adam has been hacking since he was 16 years old.

ABSTRACT

“IoT on the frontline – when a 3rd party 0day becomes your problem…”

Supply Chain vulnerabilities are often talked about in the abstract and in terms of policy and risk, but what actually happens when your product is affected by an event such as an 0day being released that compromises a component of your device?
This talk will discuss the specifics of just such an event, covering the details of the technical research behind the discovery of the vulnerability, as well as the disclosure and remediation process.