Risky Business How the World Got Owned Episode 2: The 1990s, Part One
Apr 3, 2026
Kevin Poulsen, once a notorious 1990s phone phreaker turned security journalist. Jeff Moss, founder of DEF CON and Black Hat who shaped hacker gatherings. They reminisce about the 1990s hacking golden age. Stories cover early DIY culture, physical break‑ins and radio contest schemes. Conversations trace DEF CON’s accidental birth and how curiosity turned into crime and later careers.
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Red Box Purchase Led To Lunatic Labs BBS
- Elias Levy stumbled into the scene buying crystals for a red box and was given a BBS number that opened the community.
- He credits Lunatic Labs BBS as his gateway to the larger Bay Area hacking network and shared manuals.
Dumpster Diving Fueled Practical Learning
- Physical resources and dumpster dives were central because manuals and hardware weren't widely available online.
- Chris Wysopal describes regular dumpster diving and sharing hauls to get manuals and consoles needed for learning.
Text Only Boards Shaped Hacker Personas
- Text-only bulletin boards amplified persona and anonymity, making online interactions brutal but formative.
- Jeff Moss notes 300–2400 baud constraints meant people judged solely by typed handles and could be unforgiving over wasted bandwidth.