Yet Another Rogue Hacker Dies Mysteriously, just prior to breaking big story

[99th_Monkey]

Programmer Barnaby Jack dies a week before showing off heart-attack hack that can kill a man from 30 feet away
By Reuters * Friday, July 26, 2013 10:19 EDT * By Jim Finkle

BOSTON (Reuters) – Well-known hacker Barnaby Jack has died in San Francisco, a week before he was due to show off techniques for attacking implanted heart devices that he said could kill a man from 30 feet away.

The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office said he died in the city on Thursday. It gave no details.

Jack, a security expert, became one of the most famous hackers on the planet after a 2010 demonstration in which he forced ATMs to spit out cash, dubbed “Jackpotting,” (reut.rs/gIGXVq )

The hacking community expressed shock as the news of his death spread via Twitter early on Friday. Jack was due to appear at the Black Hat hacking convention in San Francisco next week, demonstrating how he could attack heart devices.

“Wow … Speechless,” Tweeted mobile phone hacker Tyler Shields.

Jack’s most recent employer, the cyber security consulting firm IOActive Inc, said in a Tweet: “Lost but never forgotten our beloved pirate, Barnaby Jack has passed.”

Jack had served as IOActive’s director of embedded device security.

Jack’s genius was finding bugs in the tiny computers that are embedded in equipment such as medical devices and banking machines. He received standing ovations at hacking conventions for his creativity and showmanship.

“You grimy bastard. I was just talking up about your awesome work last night,” Tweeted Dino Dai Zovi, a hacker known for his skill at finding bugs in Apple products. “You’ll be missed, bro.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/26/barnaby-jack-dies-a-week-before-showing-off-heart-attack-hack-that-can-kill-a-man-from-30-feet-away/

[Triana]

1. Rouge hacker. Thought you were talking about a guy that broke into his Mom's make-up drawer ...

... rogue or rouge?

[99th_Monkey]

4. Filed under "things spell-checkers miss" LOL. Thanks. ~eom

[Baitball Blogger]

2. He left notes, I'm sure.

[MineralMan]

3. They're all encrypted, you know.

Lost forever.

[Baitball Blogger]

11. He would have given the key to a trusted person.

[MineralMan]

12. But, who could he trust, you know?

It's a doggy dog world out there.

[Baitball Blogger]

14. I would give it the last person who would know how to use it.

[geek tragedy]

5. How is a 'rogue' hacker if he's working for the FDA

and security companies?

[99th_Monkey]

7. Hackers <-- by definition are "rogue"

Noun
An enthusiastic and skillful computer programmer or user.
A person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data

[Blasphemer]

6. I meant to look into this possibility after that episode of "Homeland"...

that featured one such attack. Interesting stuff.

[adieu]

8. Sounds like Dick Cheney

was behind this killing. At least he has the motive, amirite?

[99th_Monkey]

9. Interesting point.

I love the "medical examiner"s report, that "he died in the city on Thursday". .. It gave no details."

nothing suspicious about that.

[reformist2]

10. Nothing to see here. I'm sure it was just an accident like that Michael Hastings guy.

[forestpath]

13. +1

[MineralMan]

15. And this, from the San Jose Mercury News:

Barnaby Jack died on Thursday, although the cause of death is still under investigation, San Francisco Deputy Coroner Kris Barbrich said. Craig Brophy, a spokesman for computer security firm IOActive, where Jack worked, confirmed his death and said the company would be issuing a statement.

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23738758/barnaby-jack-hacker-dies-made-atms-spit-out

Perhaps we should wait more than 24 hours for a Coroner's report on cause of death. Just saying...

[LanternWaste]

16. Assigning implications is a lot easier than

Assigning implications is a lot easier than figuring who, what, where, when and why. I suppose that's why the former is so popular, and the latter so rarely done. God bless convenience.

[99th_Monkey]

18. When the "Medical Examiners" report simply states

ONLY that "he died in the city on Thursday". .. providing
absolutely no other details whatsoever, not even hazarding a
guess as to the cause of death, or the exact time of death,
and/or circumstances of his death, or huh? ... nothing?

Is is "assigning implications" to be a little curious as to
how this man died?

[avaistheone1]

17. I believe the technology exists for a heart-attack hack.

I am definitely staying tuned for forthcoming revelations related to Barnaby Jack's work and the cause and circumstances of his death.