From Wall Street to DEF CON: How Epstein Sought Access to Cybersecurity’s Inner Circle

Documents released by the U.S. Justice Department show that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein spent years corresponding with figures in the cybersecurity community and repeatedly tried to involve himself with two of the world’s biggest hacker conventions, DEF CON and Black Hat, in Las Vegas. According to emails reviewed by Politico, Epstein’s interest in cryptography and cybersecurity extended back to at least 2010, and he discussed topics ranging from network security to ways of pushing negative information about himself down in internet search results. Though he expressed a desire to attend these major events — even at times proposing to bring high-profile guests — there’s no clear evidence he ever actually got into either conference, and organizers like Jeff Moss have said there’s no proof he followed through on plans to attend.The documents also reveal Epstein’s broader tech network, including contacts with researchers and entrepreneurs introduced through academic and startup circles. Among those mentioned was Italian security researcher Vincenzo Iozzo, who communicated with Epstein about potential business opportunities and emerging technologies but has denied doing any technical work for him. An FBI file included in the release also alleges Epstein may have had an unidentified “personal hacker” who developed offensive cyber tools sold to governments, though the name was redacted and some of the claims remain unverified.to contact me:[email protected]:Jeffrey Epstein spent years building ties to well-known hackers - POLITICO