Scientific hooliganism: what we can learn from the first hack in history
a talk by Lilly Ryan
In 1903, Guglielmo Marconi prepared to unveil his world-first, long-distance wireless communication technology to the Royal Institution in London. He was looking forward to roaring success, scientific acclaim, and a string of wealthy new customers - but he didn’t count upon falling victim to the first hack in history.
This is a tale of business secrets, flame wars, stage magic, and magnificent sideburns, direct from the records of Edwardian England.
The talk highlights several of the lessons that the FLOSS and information security communities can still learn from the fateful events of 1903. Marconi’s tale is a master class in the necessity of open source technology, as well as being a delightful introduction to the art of vulnerability reporting.
Another talk by Lilly Ryan
When bugs bite – why neglecting your edge cases can kill
Lilly Ryan
attacus_auLilly is a software and systems engineer from Australia. She spends her days building and breaking corporate identity systems.
Following a stint as an academic specialising in the surveillance mechanisms of medieval Europe, she has spent more recent years teaching practical tech privacy to the public, giving talks on the history and ethics of technology, and camouflaging herself in libraries.
