DEF CON Bans Three Tech Figures Over Epstein Connections
DEF CON, the annual iconic cybersecurity conference, has taken a definitive stance after unsealed files expose efforts to integrate the disgraced financier into the underground scene. The organizers behind DEF CON—one of the planet’s most influential hacker gatherings—have officially revoked the attendance privileges of three well-known technology personalities.
The decision, quietly updated on a public ban list mid-week, comes on the heels of a massive document release from the U.S. Department of Justice concerning the late Jeffrey Epstein. Vincenzo Iozzo, Joichi Ito, and Pablos Holman now find themselves on the outside of a community they once helped shape. Their transgression? A paper trail suggesting they acted as facilitators for Epstein’s attempts to penetrate the hacker elite.
The 3-Million-File Data Drop
Late last month, the DOJ unsealed a staggering cache of documents—roughly 3 million pages—related to Epstein’s decades of manipulation. While much of the public focused on high-profile social connections, the cybersecurity underground zeroed in on a different narrative: Epstein’s apparent obsession with gaining a foothold at DEF CON and Black Hat.
The emails and flight records paint a picture of a man, already a convicted sex offender, seeking access to a world of cutting-edge tech and cryptography. The three men banned, according to the files, were instrumental in those pursuits.
The Banned List
Vincenzo Iozzo
The CEO of SlashID and a former advisor to the Black Hat review board was reportedly a point of contact for Epstein’s conference access. Correspondence recovered from the files indicates discussions regarding badge procurement for Epstein in both 2016 and 2018. More alarmingly, an FBI informant’s summary within the trove allegedly describes an individual matching Iozzo’s profile as Epstein’s dedicated technical asset.
Records show multiple planned visits by Iozzo to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse between 2014 and 2018. In one correspondence leading up to DEF CON 2016, Epstein mentioned plans to attend with an entourage that included notable political figures and “four girls.”
Joichi Ito
Joichi Ito, a former luminary of the MIT Media Lab, appears to have been the bridge. The documents reveal Ito facilitating an email introduction between Iozzo and Epstein. Ito’s history with Epstein predates this revelation; he resigned from MIT in 2019 after it was revealed he had accepted significant funding from Epstein for institutional and personal investment purposes.
Jeff Moss, the founder of DEF CON, has since pointed to Ito as the central figure who pulled other tech professionals into Epstein’s orbit.
Pablos Holman
Pablos Holman, a futurist and inventor known for his eccentric public persona, is implicated in two distinct efforts. First, a planned meet-up with Epstein at DEF CON in the summer of 2013. Second, and perhaps more notably, a 2010 email exchange discussing a reputation management project.
The correspondence suggests that for a fee in the range of $20,000 to $25,000, Holman (referred to as “Pablos”) could leverage contacts to suppress online references to Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
The Fallout: “Performative” vs. “Principled”
The reactions from the accused parties vary in tone and defiance. Representatives for Vincenzo Iozzo were quick to dismiss the ban as a hollow gesture. “DEF CON’s actions are entirely performative,” a spokesperson stated, arguing that Iozzo had rarely attended the conference in two decades and never provided “exclusive access.”
Iozzo himself issued a personal statement expressing regret over the association while maintaining he “never observed nor participated in any illegal activity or behavior.”
Joichi Ito has previously expressed remorse for his relationship with Epstein, though he has consistently denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities. Representatives for Pablos Holman and a university spokesperson for Ito did not return requests for comment by press time.
Wrapping Up
Jeff Moss, the founder of both Black Hat and DEF CON, has sought to distance the conferences from the scandal. He maintains he never met Epstein, and internal inquiries suggest Epstein never successfully attended. However, Moss acknowledged the planning efforts were real.
To illustrate his prior awareness, Moss shared this comment on a Reddit post. In the post he described a scenario where Iozzo had once requested complimentary badges. “I said no, and pointed him to the Epstein Wikipedia page and tried to warn him to stay away from any involvement,” Moss recounted. “I didn’t realize how deep it went.”
As the summer conference season approaches, the bans stand as a permanent marker between the world of ethical hacking and one of history’s most infamous criminals. For the thousands of researchers, coders, and government agents who will descend on Las Vegas in the coming months, the list of banned attendees now serves as a quiet but firm statement of the community’s boundaries.