Famous security researcher Dan Kaminsky, known not only for his technical ability but also for his support to other researchers, has died at the age of 42.
Although Kaminsky became known in 2008 for detecting a critical design flaw in the Internet infrastructure, he has been working behind the scenes in the infosec world for at least the last two decades.
Dan did not want to be a celebrity. When he unveiled a DNS poisoning flaw at this year's Black Hat conference, he seemed very uncomfortable with a suit - the first time many saw him wearing one.
In addition to discovering DNS poisoning, he was a longtime friend of the security research scene, and was well-liked. A regular at conferences large and small. You can find a list of his presentations at DEF CON on YouTube.
He spoke and advised anyone. He even paid for conference tickets for some researchers or their stay at a hotel.
Dan Kaminsky has also done an excellent job of troubleshooting SSL and automating the detection of Conficker malware infections. In addition to these high profile discoveries, Kaminsky was loved by many because he had a sense of humor and his collaborations with others were amazing.
His conversations in Black Hat, at DEF CON, about vulnerabilities took place in crowded halls, and many listened to him standing up. He had a seamless ability to discover elegant or interesting ways of crawling code, to explain the consequences to his audience, and then to answer as many questions as he could.
We will definitely see Kaminsky inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame . A commendation he deserves.
George is still wondering what he is doing here….
