Ryan Castellucci :nonbinary_flag: on Nostr: I really cannot overstate how much I miss Dan Kaminsky, and how much impact he had on ...

I really cannot overstate how much I miss Dan Kaminsky, and how much impact he had on my life.

Seeing him speak at DEF CON 12 back in 2004 was inspiring.

Then in 2007, we were seated next to each other on a plane as part of a group trip called "Hackers on a Plane". He brought rubber snakes for the occasion.

We talked for hours. Over the next few years, I'd say at conferences and chat for a few minutes at most, but he remembered me. At another Hackers on a Plane event in 2011, we stayed in a room together. Much later, I found out that this was deliberate - the organizers thought having me to talk to would keep him out of trouble.

Again, we talked for hours. He gave me his phone number so we could keep in touch. Over the years, he gave me advice, discussed ideas with me, and made introductions to help me fix things.

Then, in 2013, something major came up in some of my side research. I called him, told him I didn't want to discuss it over the phone, and he agreed to meet me. Not long after, he floated the idea of hiring me. I ended up joining the startup he co-founded, then called "Bot or Not", later renamed to "White Ops", and then renamed again to "Human Security". He didn't really seem to have a solid plan for what I was supposed to do, but I figured it out.

I wanted to present my research at DEF CON in 2015 so he helped me prepare a submission and got me a coach to train me on interacting with the press and speaking.

When my partner wanted to move to London in 2019, he wrote me an amazing letter in support my visa application - which was approved.

He was one of the first people I came out to as nonbinary, and we even discussed my transition plans.

He was always supportive, and he will always be missed.