Removal From Conference Sites
Vincenzo Iozzo is no longer listed on the websites of Black Hat and Code Blue, two major cybersecurity conferences, after records connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released. As of Thursday, Iozzo did not appear on the official review board pages of either event. He had still been listed on both pages last week. According to his LinkedIn profile, Iozzo had served on the Black Hat review board since 2011.
Statements From Iozzo And Conference Organizers
In a statement shared with TechCrunch through a spokesperson, Iozzo said he told Black Hat that he “will not willingly resign” and said he welcomed “a full investigation.” Spokespeople for Black Hat did not respond to requests for comment. Code Blue spokesperson Ken-ichi Saito confirmed to TechCrunch that the conference removed Iozzo’s name from its review board. Saito said Code Blue had been preparing for months to remove Iozzo and two other members who had not been active, and said the timing of the website update coincided with the public release of the Epstein documents.
Career Background
Iozzo is the founder and chief executive of cybersecurity startup SlashID. He previously authored one of the first manuals for hackers researching Apple’s mobile software. In 2015, he founded cybersecurity startup IperLane, which was later acquired by CrowdStrike, where he served as a senior director for almost four years.
Epstein Records And Timeline
Iozzo’s name appears in more than 2,300 documents released on January 30 as part of the Department of Justice’s required publication of materials from its investigation into Epstein. The records show interactions between Iozzo and Epstein from October 2014 to December 2018. In late 2018, the Miami Herald published reports that said Epstein had abused more than 60 women, some of them teenage girls. After those stories were published, newly released emails show Iozzo sought to meet Epstein at his New York townhouse.
FBI Informant Report And Media Coverage
Among the newly released material is a report from an FBI informant who claimed Epstein had a “personal hacker.” The document is redacted and does not name the person. Some identifying details in the report led Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera to report earlier this month that the informant likely meant Iozzo. The claims from the informant were not confirmed by the FBI and may be partially inaccurate. There is no evidence in the emails that shows Iozzo did anything unlawful for Epstein.
Iozzo’s Response
Iozzo said he knew Epstein for professional reasons and said he regrets the association. He denied claims that he was Epstein’s hacker or that he performed any hacking for him. In a statement sent by his spokesperson Joan Vollero, Iozzo said he met Epstein in 2014 while fundraising for his startup and said he accepted a narrative presented by others that minimized the severity of Epstein’s actions. He said his interactions were limited to business discussions that did not result in deals and conversations about markets and technology, and said he did not observe or participate in illegal activity.
Legal Context Around Epstein
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 and registered as a sex offender in Florida and New York. In 2018, reports described him as a serial sex abuser who trafficked underage girls. In 2019, the Justice Department charged him with trafficking, exploiting, and abusing dozens of underage girls. Epstein later died in jail.
Unclear Reasons For Removal
Neither Iozzo’s spokesperson Vollero nor his attorney Emma Spiro explained why Black Hat removed Iozzo from its website, though they did not dispute the change. Vollero said Iozzo preferred an independent review rather than what she described as a rapid removal and said he believes such a process would clear him.
Featured image credits: Geoff_Livingston via Wikimedia Commons
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