How the World Got Owned Episode 2: The 1990s, Part One

How the World Got Owned Episode 2: The 1990s, Part One

From Risky Business by Risky Business Media

April 3, 2026 · 47 min

About this episode

This episode explores the evolution of hacking in the 1990s, highlighting key figures and events from that era.

In this special documentary episode, Patrick Gray and Amberleigh Jack take a look back at hacking throughout the 1990s, from the feel-good vibes of the early hacking communities to the antics of young hackers who wound up on the run from the FBI. Part one features recollections from: Jeff Moss (The Dark Tangent), DefCon and Black Hat founder Chris Wysopal (Weld Pond), L0pht member, co-founder, @Stake Kevin Poulsen (Dark Dante), 1990s hacker turned journalist Elias Levy (Aleph One), author of Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit, Phrack, 1996 How the World Got Owned is produced in partnership with SentinelOne.

People in this episode

Hosts: Patrick Gray, Amberleigh Jack

Topics covered

  • hacking
  • 1990s
  • cybersecurity
  • FBI
  • hacking communities

Keywords

  • hacking
  • 1990s
  • cybersecurity
  • FBI
  • DefCon
  • Black Hat
  • Jeff Moss
  • Chris Wysopal
  • Kevin Poulsen
  • Elias Levy

Sponsors

SentinelOne

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: DefCon, Black Hat

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