Meet Nick Percoco: Insights from a Cybersecurity Veteran
Greetings, cybersecurity enthusiasts! I’m Nick Percoco, the Chief Security Officer at Kraken—one of the leading digital asset exchanges in the world. My journey in the cybersecurity realm spans over 25 years, enriched with experiences in both security and technology sectors.
A Brief Introduction
Before my time at Kraken, I served as the Chief Security Officer at Uptake, a prominent industrial AI firm, and held the position of Vice President of Global Services at Rapid7, a comprehensive cybersecurity service provider. My work has provided me with invaluable insights into various topics including security breaches, malware, mobile threats, and the ever-evolving landscape of information security. I have shared my expertise at renowned conferences such as Black Hat, DEF CON, and OWASP, as well as with distinguished audiences including the Department of Homeland Security, US-CERT, Interpol, and the United States Secret Service.
My fascination with technology ignited at a young age when I first learned coding on the Timex Sinclair 1000 at just seven years old. This sparked a lifelong passion that saw me navigating the Chicago hacker community through the late ’80s and early ’90s, starting with a Commodore 64 and later an Intel 386 PC running Linux.
Building Communities and Defending the Digital World
For over a decade, I have organized THOTCON, a hacker conference in Chicago that fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the cybersecurity community. This year marks the 12th iteration of the event. Additionally, I have devoted my recent years to developing security programs at Kraken, aimed at safeguarding the cryptocurrency exchange against emerging threats.
Today, I invite you to engage with me on a range of topics related to cryptocurrency security, best practices for safeguarding your digital assets, and insights from my vast experience in the field. Whether you have questions about cyber incidents or wish to discuss preventative measures, I am here to share my knowledge.
Feel free to ask me anything—let’s spark a meaningful conversation!
Note: I will be monitoring the comments and will aim to respond to as many queries as possible throughout the day. I look forward to our discussion!
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Thank you for sharing your impressive background, Nick! As a support engineer, I appreciate your dedication to cybersecurity and your efforts in building secure communities.
If you’re seeking specific advice on cryptocurrency security, I recommend implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all your exchange accounts and regularly updating your wallet software to protect against known vulnerabilities. Additionally, utilizing hardware wallets for storing large amounts of digital assets can significantly reduce the risk of online theft.
For your team at Kraken, consider implementing continuous security monitoring and conducting regular penetration testing to identify and mitigate emerging threats. Educating users about phishing tactics and safe key management practices is also crucial in safeguarding digital assets.
If you encounter any technical challenges related to security integrations or system configurations, please feel free to share more details. We’re here to assist you in ensuring your security infrastructure remains robust and resilient.