Hacker linked to Epstein removed from Black Hat cyber conference website
Source: TechCrunch
Vincenzo Iozzo, a renowned hacker linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is no longer listed on the website of Black Hat, one of the largest cybersecurity conferences in the world, nor on the Japanese security conference Code Blue.
As of Thursday, Iozzo does not appear on the official review‑board pages of
He was still listed on both pages as of last week. Iozzo had been on the Black Hat review board since 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In a statement shared with TechCrunch through a spokesperson, Iozzo said he told Black Hat that he “will not willingly resign” and welcomed “a full investigation.”
Spokespeople for Black Hat did not respond to requests for comment.
Background
- Iozzo is currently the founder and chief executive of cybersecurity startup SlashID.
- He authored one of the first manuals for hackers researching Apple’s mobile software.
- In 2015 he founded cybersecurity startup IperLane, which was later bought by CrowdStrike; he then served as a senior director at CrowdStrike for almost four years.
Iozzo’s name appears in more than 2,300 documents, some of which contain several emails released on January 30 as part of the Department of Justice’s legally required effort to publish materials from its investigation into the late financier and sex trafficker.
Iozzo’s interactions with Epstein span from October 2014 until December 2018. In late 2018, the Miami Herald published news stories detailing allegations that Epstein abused more than 60 women, some of them teenage girls:
- Story 1
- Story 2
- Background on Epstein’s abuse: Miami Herald topic page
After these stories were published, newly released emails show Iozzo was trying to meet with Epstein at his New York townhouse.
Contact
Do you have more information about Epstein’s connections in the cybersecurity world?
From a non‑work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi‑Bicchierai securely on:
- Signal: +1 917 257 1382
- Telegram / Keybase / Wire: @lorenzofb
- Email: lorenzo@techcrunch.com
Additional DOJ Material
Beyond the > 2,300 documents mentioning Iozzo, the Justice Department also released a report from an FBI informant who claimed Epstein had a “personal hacker.” The document is redacted and does not name the alleged hacker, but identifying details strongly suggest the informant believed Iozzo was Epstein’s hacker.
Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera reported on the emails earlier this month and named Iozzo as the likely person redacted in the informant document.
Note: The claims and allegations by the FBI informant were not confirmed by the FBI and may be partially wrong. There is no evidence in the emails that Iozzo did anything unlawful for Epstein.
Iozzo’s Statement to TechCrunch
“We were introduced in 2014 when I was a 25‑year‑old at MIT fundraising for my startup, by people whom I trusted and admired. Because of this, I failed to ask the right questions that, in retrospect, seem obvious. I foolishly accepted the narrative that was presented to me by others that greatly minimized the magnitude of his horrific actions. I regret the past association and take full responsibility for not exercising greater judgment at the time.” — spokesperson Joan Vollero
“My interactions with Epstein were limited to business opportunities that never materialized, as well as discussions of the markets and emerging technologies. I never observed nor participated in any illegal activity or behavior.” — Vincenzo Iozzo
Iozzo added that he “knew Epstein for professional reasons” and wished he had not, but denied claims that he was Epstein’s hacker or performed any hacking for him.
Epstein Background (Brief)
- 2008: Pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from girls as young as 14; registered as a sex offender in Florida and New York.
- 2018: New reports alleged Epstein was a serial sex abuser who trafficked underage girls to his private island.
- 2019: The Justice Department formally charged Epstein with trafficking, exploiting, and abusing dozens of underage girls.
- 2023: Epstein died in jail (officially ruled a suicide).
Sources:
Responses from Representatives
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Neither Iozzo’s spokesperson Joan Vollero nor his attorney Emma Spiro explained why Iozzo was removed from Black Hat’s website, but they did not dispute the removal.
“Mr. Iozzo welcomed an independent investigation from Black Hat, rather than a knee‑jerk removal decision, because he is confident that he would be cleared through that process,” said Vollero.
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Code Blue spokesperson Ken‑ichi Saito confirmed to TechCrunch that the conference removed Iozzo’s name from its review board. Saito said the conference had been “preparing for this update for several months” to remove Iozzo and two other review‑board members “who had not been active,” and that the timing of the website update coincidentally overlapped with the public release of the Epstein documents.
Lorenzo Franceschi‑Bicchierai is a Senior Writer at TechCrunch, where he covers hacking, cybersecurity, surveillance, and privacy.
You can contact or verify outreach from Lorenzo by emailing [lorenzo@techcrunch.com](mailto:lorenzo@techcrunch.com), via encrypted message at **+1 917 257 1382** on Signal, and **@lorenzofb** on Keybase/Telegram.
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