Def Con, the world’s largest hacking conference, has banned three individuals – Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi Ito – following revelations of their connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein. The move, announced Wednesday, comes after the Department of Justice released a recent set of files related to its investigation of Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and a subsequent report by Politico detailing communications between the three and Epstein. The bans reflect a growing scrutiny of individuals associated with Epstein, particularly within the technology and cybersecurity communities.
The decision to bar Holman, Iozzo, and Ito from the annual conference underscores Def Con’s commitment to maintaining a safe and ethical environment, according to organizers. Def Con’s updated list of banned individuals now includes these three names, citing the Justice Department’s findings as justification. This action follows similar decisions by other cybersecurity conferences, Black Hat and Code Blue, which recently removed Iozzo from their official review board pages, as reported by TechCrunch.
Connections to Epstein Detailed in DOJ Files
The newly released Department of Justice files have brought to light Epstein’s interest in infiltrating and gaining access to prominent hacker gatherings like Def Con. The files, along with the Politico report, reveal that Holman, Iozzo, and Ito were all in communication with Epstein, raising questions about the nature of those relationships. According to an email uncovered in the DOJ data, Epstein even made plans to attend Def Con alongside Holman in 2013, though it remains unconfirmed whether he actually did so. Def Con founder Jeff Moss stated, according to a Reddit post, that “Epstein never attended” the conference to his knowledge.
Vincenzo Iozzo, currently the founder and CEO of identity startup SlashID, has a long history in the cybersecurity industry. He previously served as a director at CrowdStrike after his cybersecurity startup IperLane was acquired in 2017. Iozzo interacted with Epstein between 2014 and 2018, even after reports of alleged abuse surfaced, according to TechCrunch. A spokesperson for Iozzo, Joan Vollero, characterized Def Con’s ban as “entirely performative,” arguing that Iozzo has had limited involvement with the conference in recent years and that the decision was a “rush to judgment not based on any investigation or wrongdoing.”
MIT Media Lab and Past Associations
Joichi Ito, formerly the director of the MIT Media Lab until 2019, also appears in the released emails. Ito resigned from his position after it was revealed he was aware of Epstein’s conviction as a sex offender and that he and the university had extensive financial and personal ties to Epstein. Prior to founding his startups, Iozzo was a research affiliate at the MIT Media Lab, which was overseen by Ito at the time, further illustrating the interconnectedness of these individuals.
Pablos Holman, described as a “hacker, inventor & technology futurist” and a general partner at venture capital firm Deep Future, was in contact with Epstein as early as 2010. The Justice Department files demonstrate Holman planned to stay at one of Epstein’s New York City apartments in 2013 and attempted to help Epstein suppress negative news coverage about himself. Representatives for Def Con, Holman, and Ito did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Broader Implications and Ongoing Scrutiny
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting sex from girls and registered as a sex offender in both New York and Florida. In 2019, he was accused by the Department of Justice of trafficking and exploiting underage girls before dying in jail. The ongoing release of documents related to the Epstein investigation continues to reveal connections to prominent figures across various industries, prompting increased scrutiny and accountability.
Iozzo previously stated to TechCrunch that his interactions with Epstein were limited to discussions about business opportunities and market trends, and that he “never observed nor participated in any illegal activity or behavior.” However, the decision by Def Con and other cybersecurity conferences to ban these individuals signals a clear message about the importance of ethical conduct and the need to distance themselves from those linked to Epstein’s crimes.
The fallout from the Epstein case continues to unfold, with further revelations expected as more documents are released and investigated. The next step in this process will likely involve continued scrutiny of individuals named in the released files and potential further actions by organizations seeking to distance themselves from Epstein’s network.
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