Black Hat 2024: Praetorian CEO Teases 'Warlock' Series on Cyber Pioneers

Perhaps better known for offensive security products and services, Nathan Sportsman, founder and CEO of Praetorian, tells the Dark Reading News Desk during Black Hat USA that he's launching a documentary series about the Internet's earliest hackers called, "Where Warlocks Stay Up Late." He says the title was a nod to a book about the origins of the Internet itself written by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon titled, "Where Wizards Stay Up Late" In Net parlance, a warlock is a wizard' nemesis. But rather than write a book, the Praetorian exec opted to create a docu-series.

Sportsman says he was inspired in part by the passing of Ur-hacker Kevin Mitnick last, but also the lack of historical memory among college graduates now entering the cybersecurity workforce. "It made me realize we need to take account of and document the history as it's happened over the last three decades," he explains. "What the show will be about is the human condition, starting with the individuals' origin story — who they are, what kind of experiences made them, why they needed to do they did."

He adds that more than 100 interviews are already lined up to shoot in the coming months, with trailblazers and luminaries like Mike Schiffman (editor of "Phrack" magazine), Gene ("Spaf") Spafford (computer science professor at Purdue University), and Adam O'Donnell (early member of the hacker group, Cult of the Dead Cow). "I don't want to be give away too much, but it's going to be a who's who" from the hacking world, he says. "Where Warlocks Stay Up Late" will be available on YouTube and other video platforms later this year.

With over two decades in cybersecurity, Nathan Sportsman has contributed to the field as an author of the "Hacking Exposed" book series, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas, and as founder and CEO of Praetorian. Nathan frequently speaks on the opportunities and dangers of cyber. Nathan also hosts "Where Warlocks Stay Up Late," a long-format interview series with key figures in cybersecurity. He holds a BS in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.