"Barnaby Jack, 36; had flair for showing security gaps" by Jordan Robertson | Bloomberg News, July 27, 2013
SAN FRANCISCO — Barnaby Jack, a computer-security professional with a showman’s flair for demonstrating technical weaknesses in ATMs and medical devices, has died. He was 36.
He died Thursday in San Francisco, where he lived, the city’s medical examiner said. No further details were given.
Mr. Jack was director of embedded device security for the consulting firm IOActive Inc., which has offices in Seattle and London. He was known for attention-grabbing hacking demonstrations that made him a sought-after presenter at computer security conferences. In 2010, he showed how he could break into ATM machines and make them spit out cash, a stunt he performed on stage at the annual Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas.
Last year, he discovered a security flaw in an insulin pump that allowed him to hack the device from as far as 300 feet away, directing it to dispense the hormone.
What the article isn't saying is it is a good way to kill people by remote control.
Gee, what AmeriKan agencies would be interested in something like that, huh?
Mr. Jack used a see-through mannequin’s torso, blood-colored liquid, and a hand-held antenna to bring the demonstration to life.
‘‘We certainly don’t want people to lose faith in these devices,’’ Mr. Jack told Bloomberg News on July 18, ‘‘but certainly any threats, no matter how minor, need to be eliminated.’’
He had another medical-device presentation planned for next week at Black Hat, one of the security industry’s top gatherings for researchers. In the interview last week, Mr. Jack described how he was planning to show that he could scan for a certain model of pacemaker and defibrillator (he didn’t say which one), override its software, and short out its circuitry from up to 30 feet away.
And it looks like a heart attack, right?
Mr. Jack’s talk, scheduled for next Thursday, won’t be replaced by another presentation, according to Trey Ford, general manager of Black Hat.
‘‘We have lost a member of our family,’’ Ford said in a prepared statement. ‘‘Everyone would agree that the life and work of Barnaby Jack are legendary and irreplaceable.’’
Ford said Mr. Jack was able to make complex technology understandable to nontechnical people. He also worked with the Food and Drug Administration and medical-device makers to close security holes he found.
‘‘Beyond his work in our industry, Barnaby was an incredibly warm-hearted and welcoming individual with a passion for celebrating life,’’ he said. ‘‘We all have a hilarious and upbeat story about Barnaby. He is truly a shining example of what we love about this community.’’
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Related:
"In today’s video, AMTV investigates the possibility that elite programmer Barnaby Jack was murdered by the NSA. Jack was expected to reveal breaking new technology this week at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas Nevada that would highlight a security breach in millions of pacemakers and insulin pumps worn by people around the world. We therefore ask the question, “Who had the most to gain by the elimination of Barnaby Jack?”
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