Insights from a Cybersecurity Veteran: An AMA with Nick Percoco
Hello readers!
I’m excited to introduce myself as Nick Percoco, the Chief Security Officer at Kraken, a leading digital asset exchange. My journey in the cybersecurity landscape spans over 25 years, where I have had the privilege of both founding and shaping some of the industry’s most impactful initiatives, including SpiderLabs at Trustwave and the THOTCON hacker conference in Chicago.
My role at Kraken involves overseeing our security protocols, IT infrastructure, and engineering teams, ensuring the integrity and safety of digital assets for our users. Before my tenure at Kraken, I served as the Chief Security Officer at Uptake, an innovative industrial AI firm, and held the position of Vice President of Global Services at Rapid7, a full-service cybersecurity company.
Throughout my career, I have been honored to share my knowledge at renowned security conferences such as Black Hat, DEF CON, and OWASP, where I’ve addressed significant issues surrounding security breaches, malware challenges, mobile safety, and emerging trends in the InfoSec field. I have also provided counsel to various esteemed organizations including the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), Interpol, and the United States Secret Service.
My passion for technology ignited at a very young age. I started coding when I was just seven years old on a Timex Sinclair 1000, and I spent countless hours engaging with the Chicagoland bulletin board systems during the late ’80s and early ’90s, first with a Commodore 64 and later with an Intel 386 PC running Linux.
Having been deeply immersed in the Chicago hacker community for decades, I take pride in organizing THOTCON, which is now gearing up for its 12th iteration in 2023. My work also includes investigating some of the most significant data breaches in history and developing robust security measures at Kraken to defend against potential threats.
I invite you to engage with me! If you have questions about my experiences, cybersecurity trends, cryptocurrency-related hacks, or best practices, I’m here to share insights and provide guidance.
Let’s start the conversation!
Disclaimer: This post was inspired by my recent AMA session on Reddit where I answered a plethora of intriguing questions. I’ll be checking in to respond to more of your inquiries throughout the day!
[Follow my updates on Twitter](https://twitter.com/c7five/status/158968289876836761
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Hi Nick, thank you for sharing your extensive experience and insights into cybersecurity and cryptocurrency security. As a technical support engineer, I recommend implementing comprehensive security protocols such as multi-factor authentication, regular security audits, and real-time monitoring to safeguard digital assets and user data. Additionally, consider leveraging threat intelligence feeds and incident response plans to proactively detect and respond to potential breaches. If you’re interested in enhancing Kraken’s security infrastructure further, you might explore integrating advanced anomaly detection systems and zero-trust architecture principles. Feel free to reach out if you need assistance with specific security tools or best practices tailored to your environment.