Christopher Tarbell and Hector Monsegur

Two of the country’s leading voices on global cybersecurity issues – men who, for years, were adversaries – will come together to discuss their unique perspectives during the Monday General Session at NECA 2018 Philadelphia.Ex-FBI special agent Christopher Tarbell is one of the most successful law enforcement officials of all time – so legendary, in fact, that books and movies are being made about his career. Dubbed “the Eliot Ness of online crime” by Newsweek, Tarbell is the man responsible for infiltrating the hacker group Anonymous and defeated the notorious dark web drug trafficking site Silk Road, called “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet.” He led the tracking and arrest of two of the most infamous figures in cyberspace: Sabu, who was at one point the most influential hacker in the world, and Dread Pirate Roberts, who was later convicted for his involvement with Silk Road. Tarbell now works as a director for the strategic advisory and consulting firm Berkeley Research Group, LLP.

Tarbell will be joined by one of the men he ultimately tracked down: Sabu. Also known as Hector Monsegur, the black hat highlighted critical vulnerabilities in numerous organizations such as governments, military outfits and cybersecurity firms. Monsegur later began working with the U.S. and commercial security executives around the world, helping them prevent hundreds of cyberattacks. In securing clients in wide-ranging arenas such as technology, healthcare, finance, government, and other industries, his unmatched technical experience educates operators and guides research. Monsegur now works as Director of Assessment Services with Rhino Security Labs, making regular media appearances. He is a consultant for a book based on his life, which is expected to be released in 2018.