Michael Schearer : The Church of WiFi Presents: Hacking Iraq

What in the world is a U.S. Navy officer (a Naval Flight Officer, no less) doing in the middle of Iraq? Electronic warfare, of course! The Church of WiFi presents an unclassified presentation of theprez98's experiences during his 9-month tour in Iraq. Embedded with Army units on the ground, theprez98 brought his expertise in electronic warfare to bear against the biggest threat to coalition forces - the improvised explosive device (IED). He will explore the communications infrastructure and the brief history of the Internet in Iraq. Furthermore, drawing on his background as an EA-6B Electronic Countermeasures Officer, he will explain the counter-IED fight in Iraq. Finally, he will discuss the prospects for the future. Michael Schearer ("theprez98") is an active-duty EA-6B ECMO. He flew combat missions during Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom. He took his EW specialty to Iraq, where he embedded with Army units. While at Penn State, he is actively involved in IT issues. He is a licensed amateur radio operator, an active member of the Church of WiFi and a regular on the DEFCON and NetStumbler forums. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and 3 kids.