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Defcon drama: Undercover reporter bolts after outing
NBC reporter learns the hard way that a conference of underground hackers is not a good place to attempt going undercover with a hidden camera.
An NBC reporter learned the hard (and embarrassing) way that Defcon 15, a conference of underground hackers who also happen to be security experts, is not the place to go undercover with a hidden camera.
George Ou, who blogs for CNET News.com's sister site ZDNet, has written a detailed account of the drama that unfolded Friday at the Las Vegas conference when staff members announced the "spot the undercover reporter" game. Staffers had apparently learned that a Dateline NBC producer hoping to catch someone confessing to a hacking crime was there as a regular attendee after refusing repeatedly to seek a press pass.
Just as Defcon officials were about to put her photo up on the conference projector, the reporter bolted and a crowd followed her out to her car, taking video and shouting out questions and statements. (Check out the YouTube video embedded in Ou's blog). Our favorite comment, by far: "You must feel like Lindsay Lohan."
And we thought Black Hat was exciting.
