Def Con, a prominent hacking conference, announced a ban on three individuals linked to Jeffrey Epstein: Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi Ito. The decision is based on their appearance in the Department of Justice’s files regarding Epstein, as well as their email exchanges with him detailed in a Politico article. Joan Vollero, Iozzo’s spokesperson, criticized the move as performative, noting Iozzo’s rare attendance at the event over the past two decades. Representatives for Def Con, Holman, and Ito have not responded to requests for comment. This action follows prior reports of other cybersecurity conferences removing Iozzo from their boards due to his connections with Epstein.
Iozzo, a cybersecurity industry veteran, founded SlashID and previously founded IperLane, later acquired by CrowdStrike. His interactions with Epstein occurred between 2014 and 2018, including after new allegations of Epstein’s offenses emerged. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, faced additional charges before his death in jail. Iozzo maintains that his interactions with Epstein were limited to business discussions.
Ito, former director of MIT Media Lab, resigned in 2019 due to his known ties with Epstein. Holman, a venture capitalist at Deep Future, had contact with Epstein since 2010, including plans to help Epstein manage online reputational issues. An email suggested possible Def Con attendance with Epstein in 2013, though it’s uncertain if this occurred. Jeff Moss, Def Con’s founder, stated he believes Epstein never attended.