Revenge of the Hackers: Undercover reporter outed at DEFCON 2007

Okay, you have got to love when the tables are turned on the media. Rob Hensing did a great job of finding this little gem from this year's DEFCON. Apparently, Michelle Madigan, an Associate Producer from from Dateline NBC (which I love, BTW. Chris Hansen has done a remarkable job in showing people the real risks on the Internet...) program tried not just unsuccessfully to "sneak in undercover" to video DEFCON segments, but failed horribly. The tables were turned when every geek with a video camera/cell phone etc. proceeded to chase her out into the parking lot filming her!!

The sad part is that the DEFCON organizers heard about it in advance and offered press credentials to Ms. Madigan, who politely refused them multiple times. You got to love the quote from Priest, one of the DEFCON organizers: "They sent a moderately attractive young lady with a purse cam whose mission was to first capture someone on film admitting to a felony, which is really not cool, and second to catch a fed on film." Moderately attractive? Does anyone like to be called that?

Apparently she was lured to a room where the DEFCON team announced a new event entitled "Spot the Undercover Reporter". The reporter bailed quickly, as the masses followed her in hot pursuit. The video below is from one of the attendees. I think the "Geek Paparazzi" scare me more than anything. Where's the love, my fellow security brothers?