Mohammed Bagha—who keeps his hacker handles anonymous and goes simply by ‘MB’—was one of the most feared hackers of the 1990s. With a larger-than-life online persona and the skills to back it up, he infiltrated corporate systems, telecom networks, and even the machines of other well-known hackers. He exposed their flaws, mocked their code, and dropped their secrets in public forums. But narrow misses with the law soon changed his path, and like many from that era, he turned his talents to defense—helping global companies strengthen their security and build lasting strategies.

David Jacoby (aka “pewp”) is a pioneering Swedish hacker with over 30 years of influence in cybersecurity and hacker culture. From the early days of BBS systems, war dialing, and underground groups like Hack.se to connections with the Pirate Bay founders and the infamous CIA website hack, his journey shaped how hacking is viewed worldwide. He has been a technical advisor for the Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), starred in mainstream TV series like “Hacked”, founded Unreached AB, and now drives innovation as Chief Strategy Officer at Syndis in Iceland. Known for blending technical brilliance with cultural impact, Jacoby’s career reflects the evolution of hacking from underground curiosity to a force that redefined modern cybersecurity.

Before he taught murderers how to play Dungeons & Dragons in Rikers, Jason Snitker, aka Parmaster, was one of the most prolific hackers on the planet. Trading exploits with groups across four continents, slipping into Citibank, and landing in Underground, the book co-written by Julian Assange before vanishing from the Secret Service for over two years.---------Chapters:00:00 Intro 01:05 Parmaster’s Origin Story 04:40 First Exposure to Computing 08:15 Learning Through Hacking 12:30 Meeting the Jedi Hackers 17:20 Mentorship from Gary Kildall 22:10 Early Hacker Communities 28:00 Hacking Techniques: Pad-to-Pad Exploit 34:45 Citibank Debit Card Breach 41:00 TRW and Killer Satellite Programs 47:25 Chaos, Soviets, and Hacker Wars 53:15 Life on the Run 01:01:00 Near Misses with the Secret Service 01:09:30 Arrest in New York 01:15:20 The Tombs and Rikers Island 01:21:45 Trial and Technicality 01:27:50 Transition to Cybersecurity Career 01:33:30 Reflections on Legacy 01:36:10 Closing _______

From being the first to infiltrate hacking groups to going undercover in an Al Qaeda cell, Terry Rankhorn’s career shaped some of the FBI’s most critical moments in modern history. As a Supervisory Special Agent, he led covert entry teams across cyber, physical, and electronic access on some of the government’s most classified missions.In this episode, part 2 of a two-part episode, Terry discusses the complexities of navigating the hacker community and the impact of undercover operations on trust within that community. This conversation delves into the experiences of an undercover agent who transitioned from investigating cybercrime to infiltrating Al-Qaeda operations. Terry also discusses the challenges and psychological aspects of undercover work, the importance of mentorship, and the evolution of cybercrime from curiosity-driven hacking to organized scams.______________________________Chapters:00:00 The Evolution of Cybercrime and Undercover Operations03:13 Navigating the FBI: From Training to Field Assignments06:03 The Landscape of Domestic Terrorism in the 90s08:53 Transitioning to Cybercrime: The Rise of Computer Intrusions12:08 Building a Career in Cybercrime Investigations15:01 The Undercover Experience: Infiltrating Hacker Groups17:52 The Challenges of Attribution in Cybercrime21:12 The First Major Cybercrime Case: A Learning Experience23:50 The MagicFX Case: Legal Precedents in Cybercrime27:13 The Aftermath of Undercover Operations: Trust Issues in the Hacker Community01:03:59 The Prolific Hacker and His Malicious Streak01:05:36 Transitioning to Al-Qaeda Investigations01:07:11 Undercover Operations: Peeling the Onion01:09:00 The Stress of Undercover Work01:11:18 Building Trust in Dangerous Environments01:12:29 Psychological Profiles and Undercover Success01:14:07 Mentorship and Learning the Art of Undercover01:16:33 The Complexity of Undercover Operations01:18:27 Conversion to Islam: A Strategic Move01:20:10 The Beauty and Perversion of Religion01:22:30 The Impact of the Al-Qaeda Operation01:23:06 Post-Al-Qaeda Operations and Safety Moves01:25:02 The Tactical Operations Center01:29:39 Training for Modern Undercover Operations01:32:22 Operational Amnesia in the FBI01:35:08 The Black Bag Program: Breaking In01:39:09 Prioritizing Major Cases01:42:29 The Thrill of Covert Operations01:43:11 Transitioning to Supervisory Roles01:49:12 Leaving the Bureau: A Personal Decision01:50:46 Consulting and New Ventures01:53:04 Virtual Safe House: A Community Initiative01:56:44 The Evolution of Cybercrime01:58:11 The Motivation Behind Sharing Experiences_____________________________

From being the first to infiltrate hacking groups to going undercover in an Al Qaeda cell, Terry Rankhorn’s career shaped some of the FBI’s most critical moments in modern history. As a Supervisory Special Agent, he led covert entry teams across cyber, physical, and electronic access on some of the government’s most classified missions._____________________________________________________Chapters:00:00:00 Intro, Undercover Ops & High-Stakes Hacking 00:06:00 From Rural Tennessee to FBI Legend 00:12:00 Tales from a Misfit Childhood 00:18:00 Mischief, Pranks, and Ethical Awakening 00:24:00 Why He Chose the Navy 00:30:00 Boot Camp Culture Shock & Mental Reset 00:36:00 Submarine School and Life Underwater 00:42:00 USS Honolulu: Elite Culture & Leadership 00:48:00 Commander's Intent & Periscope Pride 00:54:00 Deployments, Sacrifices & Camaraderie 01:00:00 Transition to Civilian Life & Reverse Engineering 01:06:00 Rediscovering the FBI Dream 01:12:00 FBI Application, Testing & Getting In 01:18:00 New Agent Training: Pain, Tests & Brotherhood 01:24:00 Injuries, Graduation & Swearing In 01:30:00 Meeting Amanda & Shared Military Background 01:36:00 Military Veterans in the FBI Today 01:42:00 Quantico's Legacy & FBI Academy History 01:48:00 Culture Clash in Training Styles 01:54:00 Reflections on Achievement & Fulfillment________________________________________________________

The History of Cybersecurity Told by Those Who Hacked ItSkyper, aka Eduart Steiner (not his real name), was the editor of Phrack Magazine between 2001 - 2006 (#57-#63), is a member of TESO and THC, and runs Segfault.net: free disposable root shells to fellow ‘activists.--------------------Chapters00:00 Cold Open2:42 A Cold War Household10:45 No Toy Survives Curiosity14:57 A Whole New World20:18 One Box, Two Box, Red Box, Blue Box29:38 Point of View37:13 EFnet-ville42:01 TESO45:54 The OpenSSH Exploit53:16 Criminals vs Criminals56:21 Hacker Consortium01:00:36 Script Kiddie Wars01:03:55 THC & Phrack01:08:51 Cannibalism01:11:54 Scanning the Internet01:15:54 From Nothing to Something01:18:47 Cracking A/5101:22:33 Detained at Heathrow Airport01:28:17 IT Security, Revisited--------------------Where Warlocks Stay Up Late is an interview series dedicated to documenting the history of cybersecurity. Inspired by the seminal book “Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet”, this interview series aims to capture the stories, insights, and legacies of the pioneering figures who shaped the field of cybersecurity from its inception to the present day.#hacking #cybersecurity

The History of Cybersecurity Told by Those Who Hacked ItKingpin, aka Joe Grand, was the youngest member of the world's most well-known benevolent hacker group (L0pht Heavy Industries) who testified before the United States Congress, changed the hardware hacking landscape, brought electronics to #badgelife, and achieved mainstream popularity on national television.--------------------Chapters 0:00 Intro02:41 Kingpin's Origin Story10:30 George Happy W. Bush15:57 Spring Break Woes at Dr. Death's26:25 Turning the Corner...31:43 L0pht Heavy Industries46:58 L0pht Version 259:43 The United States Senate Testimony01:15:25 atstake and Corporate America01:24:38 Grand Idea Studio01:28:22 Training and Evangelism01:34:26 DefCon Badges01:39:52 Prototype This!01:46:12 Trezor Wallet Hacking01:52:28 Cold Wallet01:56:40 Neurodiversity and Mental Health--------------------Where Warlocks Stay Up Late is an interview series dedicated to documenting the history of cybersecurity. Inspired by the seminal book “Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet”, this interview series aims to capture the stories, insights, and legacies of the pioneering figures who shaped the field of cybersecurity from its inception to the present day.#hacking #cybersecurity

The History of Cybersecurity Told by Those Who Hacked Itsangfroid, aka Ralph Logan, stumbled across the cDc, crossed paths with L0pht Industries, joined the emerging w00w00 group, and helped jockey The Honeynet Project before springboarding into a formidable cybersecurity career.--------------------Chapters0:00 Cold Open02:45 Texas Roots07:12 Critical Care Burn Out13:55 cDc on BBS16:50 The Command & Conquer Job21:30 260024:00 Shell Offshore28:00 L0pht Introductions31:59 Setting the Career Path36:00 Boston40:30 w00w0047:00 Guardent, @stake, and Foundstone56:30 The Business of Cybersecurity01:03:05 Honeynet Project01:06:45 Entrepreneurship01:11:00 [redacted]01:13:50 The Fake Music Festival01:20:30 Warlocks Love--------------------Where Warlocks Stay Up Late is an interview series dedicated to documenting the history of cybersecurity. Inspired by the seminal book “Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet”, this interview series aims to capture the stories, insights, and legacies of the pioneering figures who shaped the field of cybersecurity from its inception to the present day.

The History of Cybersecurity Told by Those Who Hacked ItThe long-awaited debut of WWSUL Episode 1 is live. In this episode, we interview Digital Jesus , a member of Phonemasters, a hacking group hunted by the FBI across Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, California, Oregon, New York, Florida, Canada, Switzerland, and Italy.-----------------Chapters:0:00 Intro02:48 Matt's Beginnings10:47 The First Computer18:00 Discovering Internet Relay Chat (IRC)27:21 The First Disclosure31:54 Early Days of Phonemasters36:56 Pre-releasing CallerID42:46 FBI vs Phonemasters58:46 Phone Taps01:02:09 Consulting01:06:23 MaxVision01:16:52 Western Integrated Networks01:21:16 Growing the Family01:24:03 Owning Up to Mistakes--------------------Where Warlocks Stay Up Late is an interview series dedicated to documenting the history of cybersecurity. Inspired by the seminal book “Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet”, this interview series aims to capture the stories, insights, and legacies of the pioneering figures who shaped the field of cybersecurity from its inception to the present day.