“A Disaster Foretold – And Ignored”: Revisiting the 1st-ever Cybersecurity Hearing

In May 1998 several hackers appeared before a Senate committee and bluntly told the Senators on the dais that the networks of computers and software were terribly insecure. The headline for a relatively recent Washington Post article commemorating the hearing pronounced “A DISASTER FORETOLD — AND IGNORED.” The subtitle of the article read, “LOpht’s warnings about the Internet drew notice but little action.” (C-SPAN hearing video here).

The witness table name plates for the hackers’ displayed their L0pht hacker community handles — “Space Rogue,” “Kingpin,” and “Mudge.” Looking back, the panelists seem almost prophetic on the many concerns of which they warned the Senators.

Join us on Tuesday, May 22 for a 20th anniversary look back at the L0pht hearing. You’ll hear from several of the original hearing witnesses on what, if anything, has changed in cybersecurity since their chilling testimony two decades ago.

When: Tuesday, May 22, 2018, 3:30 pm
Where: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2237
RSVP: Via Eventbrite
Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #L0pht20
Streaming: https://www.facebook.com/cicac/
Refreshments will be served.