Ask Me Anything: Insights from a Cybersecurity Expert

Greetings, readers! I am Nick Percoco, the Chief Security Officer at Kraken, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, and I also had the privilege of founding SpiderLabs at Trustwave. You may know me from my work in various cybersecurity domains or as the organizer of THOTCON, a well-known hacker conference held in Chicago.

With over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity and technology, my career has been centered around enhancing security protocols and managing IT and engineering teams. Before my role at Kraken, I served as the Chief Security Officer at Uptake, an industrial AI company, and held the position of Vice President of Global Services at Rapid7, a comprehensive cybersecurity organization. Throughout my journey, I’ve shared my expertise on topics such as security breaches, malware, mobile security, and emerging InfoSec trends at major conferences like Black Hat, DEF CON, and OWASP, as well as with esteemed institutions including the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, Interpol, and the United States Secret Service.

My fascination with technology began at a young age; I started coding at just seven years old on a Timex Sinclair 1000, and I immersed myself in the Chicagoland Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) community during the late 80s and early 90s, utilizing a Commodore 64 and later a Linux-based Intel 386 PC.

For several decades, I’ve remained an active member of the Chicago hacker scene and have played a significant role in organizing THOTCON, which will celebrate its 12th event in 2023. My experience includes investigating some of the most significant data breaches in history, and in recent years, I have been dedicated to safeguarding Kraken against cybersecurity threats.

I invite you to ask me anything related to my professional journey, the world of cryptocurrency, security tips, and more. I look forward to engaging with you and sharing insights that can help enhance your understanding of cybersecurity.

Thank you for joining me, and I’m excited to see your questions!

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Edit: I’m truly enjoying this interaction and appreciate all the fantastic questions! I will continue to check in throughout the day to answer more of your inquiries.