Richard Thieme is a business consultant, writer, and professional
speaker focused on "life on the edge," in particular the human dimension
of technology and the work place, change management and organizational
effectiveness. He is a regular featured speaker at the Black Hat
Briefings and Def Con and a contributing editor for Information Security
Magazine.
Thieme's creative use of the Internet to reach global markets has earned
accolades around the world. He is a member of the "cyber avant-garde,"
according to CNN . "a prominent American techno-philosopher" according
to LAN Magazine (Australia) ... "a father figure for online culture,"
according to the (London) Sunday Telegraph ... "a keen observer of
hacker attitudes and behaviors" according to Le Monde (Paris) ... "one
of the most creative minds of the digital generation" according to the
editors of CTHEORY and Digital Delirium and ... "an online pundit of
hacker culture" according to the L.A Times ... and "extremely subtle and
deep" according to the Linux Journal.
Thieme has published widely. Translated into German, Chinese, Japanese,
Slovene, Danish and Indonesian, his articles are taught at numerous
universities in Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States. His
work has been frequently anthologized. His column, "Islands in the
Clickstream," has been published in Singapore, Toronto, and Capetown and
distributed to subscribers in 58 countries. Archived copies are at
http://www.thiemeworks.com, a USA TODAY Hot Site of the Day.
Thieme has spoken four times for the Black Hat Briefings (intelligence
and corporate security) and five times for Def Con, the annual computer
hackers convention. He has also keynoted "invitation only" conferences
for computer hackers, such as PumpCon, Xmas Con (New Orleans 2600),
RubiCon and RootFest. At DefCon VIII, he moderated a panel that included
the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Director of Information and
Infrastructure Assurance for DOD, and the Director of the Federal Computer
Incident Response Team who came to "dialogue" with more than 5,000
computer hackers. He was invited to moderate because, according to the
National Security Agency officer who asked, "You're the only one in the
room with the acceptance and respect of both the hacking community and
the Feds."
Selected articles:
"Computer Security is No Sure Thing" - An account of the journey of
Bruce Schneier, author of Applied Cryptography and the Blowfish and
Twofish algorithms, from the perfect world of mathematics to the messy
world of computer security. - Forbes Digital
"Hacking the Future" - An article in defense of computer hacking,
properly understood. Village Voice and LA Weekly.
"Cyborg Creep" - how wearable computers and ubiquitous wireless
environments undermine independence and compromise security.
Information Security ("21 Infosec Experts Explore the State of the
Industry at the Turn of the Century.")
"BO2K Brouhaha" - Is Back Orifice 2000 best used for computer security
or to break into networks? Information Security.
"Designing the Future" - how the skills and mind set of former
underground hackers bring unique value to business and government
clients. Forbes Digital.
"The Human Dimension of Y2K" - Information Security
"Don Quixote Goes Digital" - the end of "the golden age of hacking."
Salon Magazine.
Articles anthologized in: Digital Delirium, Cyber Reader II, and
Cyberculture (U.K.).
