Def Con bans three individuals linked to Jeffrey Epstein

Def Con, a major hacking conference, announced on Wednesday that three people linked to Jeffrey Epstein are no longer allowed to attend. The conference added Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi Ito to its public list of banned individuals. Def Con justified the decision by citing their appearance in the Department of Justice’s latest release of files related to its investigation of Epstein, a late investor and convicted sex offender. The conference also cited an article based on emails that the three individuals exchanged with Epstein.

Representatives for the banned individuals have pushed back against the decision. Joan Vollero, a spokesperson for Iozzo, stated that Def Con’s actions are entirely performative because Iozzo has barely attended the conference in the past twenty years. “It was a rush to judgment not based on any investigation or wrongdoing by Mr. Iozzo,” Vollero said. Iozzo, who is the founder and chief executive of identity startup SlashID, previously stated that his interactions with Epstein were limited to business opportunities and market discussions, and that he never observed or participated in any illegal activity. Holman, a general partner at venture capital firm Deep Future, and Ito, the former director of research institution MIT Media Lab, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ban follows broader industry fallout. Cybersecurity conferences Black Hat and Code Blue recently removed Iozzo from their official review board pages amid new and emerging revelations linking the prominent hacker, among others, to Epstein. Iozzo previously served as a director after his cybersecurity startup IperLane was acquired in 2017. He interacted with Epstein between 2014 and 2018. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting sex from girls and registered as a sex offender in New York and Florida. In 2019, the Department of Justice accused Epstein of trafficking, exploiting, and abusing dozens of underage girls.

Prior to his startups, Iozzo was a research affiliate at MIT Media Lab, which was overseen by Ito. Ito resigned as director of the lab in 2019 after reports revealed he was aware Epstein was a convicted sex offender and maintained extensive relationships with him. Meanwhile, Holman was in contact with Epstein since 2010, planned to stay at one of his apartments in New York City in 2013, and tried to help Epstein hide negative online news stories. While an email indicated Epstein planned to attend Def Con with Holman in 2013, it is unclear if they attended. Def Con founder Jeff Moss stated that, as far as he knows, Epstein never attended.

Why it matters

The ban reflects a growing trend of cybersecurity conferences distancing themselves from figures with ties to Jeffrey Epstein, as the industry faces increased scrutiny over professional associations.