Meet Nick Percoco: A Veteran in Cybersecurity and Cryptocurrency Security

Welcome to the blog! Today, we have the privilege of introducing an expert in the field of cybersecurity and digital assets: Nick Percoco. With over 25 years of extensive experience in technology and security, Nick currently holds the position of Chief Security Officer at Kraken, one of the leading global digital asset exchanges. His journey has been fascinating, marked by significant contributions to both cybersecurity and the hacker community.

Before his tenure at Kraken, Nick served as the Chief Security Officer at Uptake, an industrial AI enterprise, and held the role of Vice President of Global Services at Rapid7, a comprehensive cybersecurity firm. His expertise encompasses a broad spectrum of security issues, including the ever-evolving landscape of security breaches, malware incidents, mobile security, and crucial trends within the information security domain. His insights and experiences have been shared on prominent stages like Black Hat, DEF CON, and OWASP, as well as with esteemed organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, US-CERT, Interpol, and the United States Secret Service.

Nick’s journey into technology began at an early age, learning coding on a Timex Sinclair 1000 at just seven years old during the early 1980s. He was actively involved in the Chicago hacker scene, exploring BBSes in the late ’80s and ’90s using a Commodore 64 and later an Intel 386 PC running Linux. A notable figure in this community, Nick founded THOTCON, a hacker conference that is gearing up for its 12th installment in 2023.

Throughout his career, Nick has played a critical role in investigating some of the largest data breaches in history. In recent years, he has dedicated his efforts at Kraken to developing robust programs that safeguard the cryptocurrency exchange against cyber threats.

Today, Nick invites you to engage with him directly. Whether you have questions about cryptocurrency hacks, security strategies, or cybersecurity investigations, he’s here to share his wealth of knowledge and experience.

Feel free to leave your questions in the comments, and let’s delve into the intricacies of cybersecurity together!

Note: This conversation was inspired by a recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) session Nick held on Reddit, where he addressed challenging questions and shared his insights with the community.