Ethical Hacking News
DEF CON has banned three individuals linked to Jeffrey Epstein from attending its events, citing concerns about their proximity to the disgraced financier. The decision comes as the cybersecurity community continues to grapple with the aftermath of Epstein's crimes and raises questions about the role that these individuals played in his notorious network.
The DEF CON conference has banned three individuals linked to Jeffrey Epstein: Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi "Joi" Ito. The ban is due to the individuals' connections with Epstein, despite no concrete evidence of wrongdoing. The three men had interactions with Epstein between 2010 and 2019, including business opportunities and social meetings. The decision has sparked debate within the cybersecurity community, with some expressing outrage and others praising the move to distance themselves from Epstein's network.
DEF CON, a prominent cybersecurity conference, has taken a bold step in recent days by banning three individuals who have been linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of numerous crimes. The decision, which was made public just days ago, has sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community and raised questions about the role that these individuals played in Epstein's notorious network.
The three individuals who were banned from future DEF CON events are Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi "Joi" Ito. According to emails obtained by investigators, all three men had connections with Epstein at some point during the 2010s. While they are not accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's crimes, their proximity to him has raised eyebrows among conference organizers.
Pablos Holman, a tech investor at venture capital firm Deep Future, was first introduced to Epstein as far back as 2010. The two reportedly met again in 2013, and Holman even planned to stay at Epstein's residence in New York City that same year. Furthermore, Holman introduced Epstein to other industry figures, including those who offered assistance to manipulate search results.
Vincenzo Iozzo, the CEO of identity management company SlashID, was also in contact with Epstein between 2014 and 2018. During this time, Iozzo reportedly offered to procure DEF CON tickets for Epstein, although it is unclear whether he ever attended the conference. Iozzo has since denied any wrongdoing, stating that his interactions with Epstein were limited to business opportunities that never materialized.
Joichi "Joi" Ito, a venture capitalist currently serving as president of the Chiba Institute of Technology (CIT), was in contact with Epstein between 2013 and 2019. The two met numerous times during this period, and Ito even accepted $1.7 million from Epstein to help fund the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The decision by DEF CON to ban these three individuals from future events has sparked debate within the cybersecurity community. Some have expressed outrage at the conference's decision, arguing that it was unfair to single out these men without concrete evidence of wrongdoing. Others have praised the move, citing concerns about the potential for these individuals to influence or undermine efforts to combat cybercrime.
Regardless of one's perspective on the matter, it is clear that DEF CON has taken a bold step in attempting to distance itself from Epstein's infamous network. As the cybersecurity community continues to grapple with the aftermath of this decision, it remains to be seen how other conferences and organizations will respond to similar concerns in the future.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/DEF-CON-Bans-Three-Epstein-Linked-Individuals-from-Future-Events-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/02/19/def_con_epstein_bans/
https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/19/def_con_epstein_bans/
https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/18/hacking-conference-def-con-bans-three-people-linked-to-epstein/
Published: Thu Feb 19 12:38:54 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
