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Hackers return to Pittsburgh -- for SummerCon
by David W Belknap
Tuesday, May. 18, 2004 at 1:34 PM
media-relations@summercon.org
Computers hackers to gather June 11–13 in Pittsburgh, PA for SummerCon, an educational and social conference dedicated to exploring what it means to be a hacker.
Hackers and Security Professionals to meet in Pittsburgh
Computers hackers to gather June 11–13 in Pittsburgh, PA for SummerCon, an educational and social conference dedicated to exploring what it means to be a hacker.
In a world gone mad, an eclectic assortment of hackers, phreakers, phrackers, computer security professionals, system administrators and the odd federal agent will tackle the complex issues of computer security. They will share viewpoints, insights, hot tips and boasts of their greatest hacks.
SummerCon, the oldest and most intimate of the hacker conferences, has been held every year but one since 1987. For the second year in a row it will take place at the University Club in Pittsburgh from June 11–13, 2004. Proximity to Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh provides a ready supply of attendees, although in the past it has attracted enthusiasts from all over the country and the globe.
The conference will feature speakers, panels and hacker-style competitions. A key panel discussion will detail the vulnerabilities of electronic voting. Past topics have included web-based security attacks, Internet crime, computer forensics, wireless network security and other current "top of mind" topics. SummerCon also provides a unique opportunity for socializing and networking, frequently over malted beverages.
Chief coordinator and event honcho, Mark Trumpbour, sees hacking as about having a passion for how things work. "If you know how to take it apart, you can figure it out, improve it, and make it work for you. SummerCon provides a forum for bringing the hacker community, the cowboys if you will, together with the security professionals, you could say the sheriffs, in a casual, open environment for a broad and honest discourse about information security."
SummerCon is a "must" event for hacking enthusiasts and security professionals. Past attendees have described the "Con" as a "bonafide blast" (http://drwho.virtadpt.net/).
Contact: Mark Trumpbour, SummerCon Coordinator, 917 774-5319, media-relations@summercon.org.; http://www.summercon.org.
About Mark Trumpbour
Mark Trumpbour began his interest in computer security growing up in a family that doubled as a hacker commune on the Jersey Shore in the early Eighties. His first real computer was an Atari 800 that he and his many brothers used to explore the frontiers of cyberspace. Not that they called it cyberspace back then.
Ever the digital pioneer, Mark was suspended from his high school for connecting a computer lab to the Internet — at a time when the World Wide Web did not exist and FTP was considered a wonder of the modern world. To this day he ignores requests from the high school alumni association.
Mark has worked in all aspects of the computer field. He got his start in technical writing, moved to software quality assurance, and went on to become a fearsome Unix system administrator. When everybody was founding ISPs, Mark did too. It was there that he found out that script-kiddies were taking over, tarnishing the once-proud traditions of the hacker community. Unless somebody did something, the golden age of hacking would be over. SummerCon was founded by Phrack Magazine in 1987 (http://www.phrack.org/). Mark’s association with SummerCon began in 1998 (with brother Louis) as an attempt to rekindle the creative spirit of hacking, and to demonstrate that hacking can be a socially responsible activity.
Mark works in New York City for a consulting firm that specializes in telecommunications management and software development. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two greyhounds.
About The University Club of Pittsburgh
The University Club of Pittsburgh is located at 123 University Place, Pittsburgh, PA. 412–621-1890; Toll Free: 877–299–1890; Facsimile: 412–621–8382.
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