T-DOSE 2024

The 1990s hacking scene
06-01, 14:00–14:50 (Europe/Brussels), Katoenkamer (0.37)

Since the internet exists, people have been trying to circumvent security. Whereas most people nowadays do so for financial gain, 35 years ago the world looked different. The internet connected academia. The people hacking were students, almost the only people who had access. Not many system administrators were paying much attention to security and for hackers, breaking into sites such as that of NASA, were ways to gain a reputation. In this presentation, "one of the Dutch hackers" will take a look at the hacking scene in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

Walter started hacking in the late 1980s, after he got his first UNIX account at his university. It was a time of pioneering. No computer crime laws existed but he was in some scary situations. Luckily, Walter was able to become an ethical hacker and make it his profession. He is also a known lockpicker and recently had a book published on the subject. When Walter is not hacking, he likes to read, sail, and drive in rally cars in Finland.