Where Warlocks Stay Up Late

Episode 10: Cris Thomas aka Space Rogue

Cris Thomas, also known as Space Rogue, was a founding member of the legendary L0pht Heavy Industries — the hacker collective that famously told the U.S. Senate they could take down the internet in 30 minutes. He would go on to found the Hacker News Network, giving the underground a voice and warning the world how vulnerable it was. He told the full story in his award-winning book, Space Rogue. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:40 Who is Space Rogue? 2:58 Growing up in rural Maine 4:20 Parents' divorce and its lasting impact 5:44 Building flashlights from trash — early curiosity 7:33 Childhood trauma and turning to computers 11:38 Joining the Army and buying his first Mac 14:47 Discovering BBSs and the modem world 21:10 Origin of the "Space Rogue" handle 23:19 Working as a security guard at Lotus 24:34 Dialing into BBSs from the Lotus overnight shift 32:27 The Works, 2600 meetings, and meeting the crew 36:13 What hacker meetups were actually like 40:28 Working at CompUSA with future L0pht members 42:59 CDC vs L0pht — setting the record straight 46:26 How the L0pht actually formed 53:37 The MIT flea market 57:10 Paranoia about law enforcement and the hacker crackdowns 1:01:54 Finding vulnerabilities and responsible disclosure struggles 1:06:16 L0pht v1 to v2 — moving to Watertown and membership changes 1:13:47 Fondest L0pht memories 1:16:25 Realizing L0pht was famous at Beyond Hope 1:19:02 L0phtCrack, t-shirts, and turning the hobby into a business 1:23:06 The birth of Hacker News Network 1:28:36 Breaking stories and becoming the "Voice of Reason" 1:31:01 Legion of Underground declares cyber war 1:41:59 The Senate testimony — how it came about 1:44:42 Suits, a rented van, and the road trip to DC 1:49:46 Reflecting on the testimony's real impact 1:53:55 "Security is here, it's just unevenly distributed" 1:54:27 The security boom and the road to At Stake 2:00:12 The At Stake deal — "garage band or mega band?" 2:05:24 Getting fired from At Stake — losing his identity 2:13:13 The lost decade — depression and rebuilding 2:15:24 Tan's call that changed everything — HNN goes video 2:22:11 Writing the book — motivation, self-publishing, and healing 2:27:40 Legacy and impact 2:29:42 Closing

Episode 9: Rob Knake

Rob Knake's fingerprints are all over modern cyber policy. As White House Director for Cybersecurity Policy, he helped craft the nation’s most significant cybersecurity strategy in nearly two decades and guided the response to major national cyber incidents. He’s advised presidents, shaped global cyber norms, co-authored two influential books on cyber conflict, and served as a senior fellow at Harvard and the Council on Foreign Relations. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 03:15 - Growing Up with New Deal Democrats 06:30 - "To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required." 10:45 - Choosing Public Service Over Corporate Law 14:20 - Education at Connecticut College 18:30 - Democracy, Capitalism & Fukuyama's End of History 22:10 - Coast Guard Internship & Steve Flynn's Influence 27:45 - Richard Clarke & Early Cyber Policy Work 32:20 - The Emergence of Cyber as a National Security Threat 36:40 - From Good Harbor Consulting to Government Service 40:15 - Working on Counterterrorism at DHS 44:30 - The Bin Laden Raid Era & Shifting to Cyber 48:20 - Joining the Obama White House NSC 52:45 - Life as an NSC Staffer - Long Hours & Mission 56:30 - Stuxnet & Understanding Real-World Cyber Threats 01:00:15 - The Failed 2011 Cybersecurity Legislation 01:04:40 - Executive Order 13636 & The NIST Framework 01:09:20 - Operation Aurora & Chinese IP Theft 01:13:45 - Nudges vs Shoves - Voluntary vs Mandatory Security 01:18:30 - The Need for Cybersecurity Regulation 01:22:50 - Who Should Regulate & How to Regulate 01:27:10 - Software Liability & Outcome-Based Security 01:32:25 - The SolarWinds/Sunburst Attack Explained 01:37:40 - Private Equity's Impact on Cybersecurity 01:41:15 - The Failure of Collective Defense 01:45:30 - Government vs Private Sector Responsibility 01:52:20 - Why Government Can't Take Over Cyber Defense 01:58:45 - The Rise of Ransomware as a Threat 02:03:30 - Should We Ban Ransomware Payments? 02:08:15 - Corporate Hack-Back Operations 02:11:40 - Holding Nation-States Accountable for Ransomware 02:16:25 - Deterrence vs Resilience in Cyber Policy 02:22:10 - Are We Winning in Cybersecurity? 02:26:30 - AI's Impact on Cybersecurity 02:29:45 - Trump Administration & Potential Regulatory Changes 02:33:20 - The Public Sector Pay Gap Problem 02:38:50 - Current Work in the Private Sector 02:42:15 - Bridging the Hacker-Policy Divide 02:45:30 - Closing Thoughts

Episode 8: Mohammed Bagha aka "MB"

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.

Episode 7: David Jacoby aka pewp

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.

Episode 6: Jason Snitker aka Parmaster

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 _______