The famous security researcher Dan Kaminski, known not only for his technical ability but also for his support of other researchers, has died at the age of 42.
Although Kaminsky became famous in 2008 for identifying a critical design weakness in the Internet's infrastructure, he worked behind the scenes in his world infosec 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 has been a friend of the security research scene for years, and he was very popular. Regular at conferences large and small. You can find a list on YouTube with his presentations in DEF CON.
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 Black Hat, DEF CON, vulnerability talks were held to packed rooms, and many stood up to hear him. He had a seamless ability to discover elegant or interesting ways detectionof code, explain the implications to his audience, and then answer as many questions as he could.
We will definitely see Kaminsky joining Internet Hall of Fame. A praise he deserves.
